The independent inquiry into the Gosport Hospital deaths from the period 1989 to 2000 found that there was a 'disregard for human life' of a large number of patients, after being given powerful opiate pain killers, often inappropriately. Although I find this report truly shocking, what I find even more shocking is the closing of the ranks in the NHS which allowed such iniquitous and possibly criminal behaviour to continue unchecked. It shocks me but doesn't surprise me at all. The NHS has, as a whole, been inclined to close ranks and attempt to smooth over or ignore mistakes, sometimes, as in this case, with catastrophic results. And of course this isn't the first. Just think of Bristol Royal Infirmary and the Morecambe Bay maternity services, for instance.
Some time ago I had a private correspondence with Elevenses, who, some of you will remember, sadly died whilst being a very much valued member of this forum. I am not willing to divulge anything that he said to me, but I am able to repeat something of what I said:
The sense of frustration that you feel is not lost on us. Twice, as regards my wife's brother, we have had to make the NHS aware of problems associated with his condition. It's a tale of late diagnosis and miss diagnosis. Once, three years ago, he was suffering from two blood clots on his lungs and a stomach ulcer which had been bleeding for several months. Only when, at last, his GP(with our insistence) did a blood test, was his blood count assessed as 3. He was then immediately taken into Scunthorpe General hospital where he was given emergency blood transfusions. We are of the opinion also that whilst he was in this hospital his treatment and care were not of an acceptable quality. It came as no surprise that this hospital was reprimanded in a scathing report that criticised the mortality rates and patient care provisions as part of the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Just over a year ago, my wife's brother again had a serious problem. He developed pneumonia. Again his GP was slow to act, and eventually we called in the emergency services who recognised that he was virtually drowning from the build up of liquid in his lungs He was immediately moved to Doncaster Royal Infirmary. He received excellent care here, and, although it was touch and go whether he would recover, I'm glad to say that he did.
My wife, who worked for 30 years in the NHS is convinced that when things go wrong, doctors, consultants,nursing and administrative staff build a protective wall around themselves to protect themselves, divulging as little information as possible. My wife, with the benefit of her experience, is also of the clear opinion that if criticism is given, one is labelled as a trouble causer, and every effort is made to fob that person off.
The major problem is that a patient is in an extremely vulnerable position, both physically, and often emotionally. There is a reliance on the 'professionals' which is hard to break. For anyone who hasn't a knowledgeable person with determination to speak up for them, they run the risk of having to accept without question whatever 'the professionals' decide. We think that an attitude of transparency and openness, which actually puts the needs of the patient first, is desperately needed.
Incidentally, my wife is a member of the people's panel of what used to be called the Health Protection Agency(now called Public Health England) and, in this lay capacity, tries to influence this organization in producing pamphlets and information on a wide variety of health issues in order to make them easily understandable, informative and honest.
My wife is no longer part of this 'people's panel' as she became disillusioned that it was there merely to showcase its so called democratic credentials, without its advice really being taken note of.
It seems to me that the NHS still hasn't learnt that it needs to be far more open and that it needs to treat seriously complaints both from within the system and from patients or patient's relatives from outside the system. This needs to change, and fast. There needs to be a complete change of attitude. After all, how many potentially serious errors and flaws in judgments are being covered up or ignored right now?
