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Neurology

Respect for patient in hospital

 

 

 

 

 

Respect for patient in hospital

A woman went to an emergency department complaining of numbness in her legs. The doctor could not find anything wrong and discharged her. The next day she was re-admitted having lost full movement of her legs. The doctor who tended to her again said that there was "nothing to worry about" and discharged her. The daughter insisted that her mother be seen by a neurologist, who found that a virus had attacked her nervous system resulting in a loss of muscle movements.

During the woman's stay in hospital, her daughter reported that the nurses made comments about the consumer's size and said that she was using too much linen. She also complained that staff were not monitoring her every four hours as recommended by the doctors, and family stayed overnight to ensure that their mother received proper care.

The advocate working with family arranged for a meeting between the charge nurse manager, two nurses from the ward and a consultant. The family was able to relay their concerns including that they were being treated disrespectfully because of their ethnicity. The staff apologised to the woman and her family. The consultant was also able to explain that the diagnosis of her illness had taken longer than expected due to its rarity.

The woman and her family were happy with these outcomes.

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