Channel 4's Dispatches programme has been following the final days of three patients receiving NHS palliative care.
Tonight's programme was a montage of video diaries shot by the patients' nearest and dearest, chronicling their final days on this Earth. I found one of the stories, that of Harry and Lynn Pinner, particularly moving.
Harry had terminal emphysema after being exposed to asbestos at work. He was accepting of his fate and his only wish was to die at home with steadfast wife Lynn by his side. Harry's days became increasingly pained as nature took its toll. He needed more and more pain relief to make his final days with Lynn as comfortable and dignified as possible.
Lynn had to battle with local NHS services to get Harry the medication needed to end his pain. Something as simple and essential as setting up a syringe driver was a myriad of pointless and time consuming bureaucracy. Lynn lost irreplaceable time with her husband being bounced backwards and forwards between NHS agencies, each offering a different excuse for doing nothing.
The NHS Trusts involved can rightly hang their heads in shame. The quality of care they gave him in his final days was nothing short of a disgrace.
Tonight's programme was a montage of video diaries shot by the patients' nearest and dearest, chronicling their final days on this Earth. I found one of the stories, that of Harry and Lynn Pinner, particularly moving.
Harry had terminal emphysema after being exposed to asbestos at work. He was accepting of his fate and his only wish was to die at home with steadfast wife Lynn by his side. Harry's days became increasingly pained as nature took its toll. He needed more and more pain relief to make his final days with Lynn as comfortable and dignified as possible.
Lynn had to battle with local NHS services to get Harry the medication needed to end his pain. Something as simple and essential as setting up a syringe driver was a myriad of pointless and time consuming bureaucracy. Lynn lost irreplaceable time with her husband being bounced backwards and forwards between NHS agencies, each offering a different excuse for doing nothing.
The NHS Trusts involved can rightly hang their heads in shame. The quality of care they gave him in his final days was nothing short of a disgrace.
1 comments:
I was very upset to see the standard of care tonight in the NHS on despatches, not surprised though as I worked as an auxilary nurse in my former student days while studying for a degree in illustration. I worked in various care homes and hospitals to fund my degree. The standard of staff was variable, some nurses were fabulous while others treated their patients very inhumanly. I came home chocked up a number of times in tears about seeing patients being dropped, force fed, laughed at. I eventually quit as I was asked to wash a dead body, which I wouldn't have minded doing with a caring nurse to talk me through it but this heartless nurse was treating the old lady that had past like an old bin sac.
Despite all this I was still not prepared for the recent treatment I received in Queen Mary's birthing unit upon having my first baby last year. (don't worry ladies it's closed now, thank heavens!) I am left very upset and angry at how I was being bullied to go home when I was dilated 5cm . I have just received a letter from NHS, the midwife involved is lying through her teeth about what she said and how she treated me. Pretending to be caring, she was a bully, a nasty piece of work and if I hadn't had my little Hannah's head between my legs I would have socked her one.
We are paying our taxes, we need as a united front to start making a fuss, taking on the NHS and not allowing these people to work in the NHS who clearly aren't carers & quite obviously don't want to be in their jobs. I had better treatment and care in a government hospital in INDIA 17 years ago, for goodness sake what is going on NHS????? Su Hallows
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