• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2026 Survey »

Advice following poor treatment at A&E

O

Omnipod

Well-Known Member
Messages
538
Location
West Sussex
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
On Tuesday this week, I woke up fine but as the day progressed I became really ill. At 7pm, I was having a fever, my temperature was high, I felt a tightness in chest and like I had razor blades all the way down. My entire body was in pain and I was trying to keep myself from vomiting because I was so dehydrated and had ketones.
At about 11pm I was so bad, I had no voice and it felt like somebody was sitting on my chest. I rang the non emergency number who sent a paramedic out. Being a type 1 diabetic and living alone, he said I needed to go into A&E.
An ambulance arrived and took me to a London Hospital.
When I arrived, it was really quite and there were so many beds free. Doctors and nurses just seemed to be sitting in the station. I had bloods, ECG, X rays etc really quick but they never showed anything too severe. My ECG showed an irregular pattern, my temperature was high.

The dr on duty was a junior and she tried to take a blood gas from my pulse. Anyone who has had this knows how painful it is. She tried twice on my one arm and twice again on my other arm. I eventually told her to stop and get an experienced dr.

They then just gave me antibiotics and painkillers and discharged me knowing I was type 1, really ill with ketones and dehydrated. They also knew I lived alone! They just did not seem to care.

I was also wriggling around on the bed in absolute pain but they just left me in my condition. I was sweating profusely from the pain and freezing cold from fever but they would not even give me more blankets.

All in all, I had terrible care and then had to make my way home in such apalling condition.

I dont think anyone should be treated so badly by hospital staff.

Is there a board who I can complain to?
 
So sorry to hear this @Omnipod - I'm afraid I've no advice as to who to contact, but can I ask how you're doing now? Are you feeling any better?

:nurse:
 
Snapsy said:
So sorry to hear this @Omnipod - I'm afraid I've no advice as to who to contact, but can I ask how you're doing now? Are you feeling any better?

:nurse:
Click to expand...
So sorry you had a bad experience, what a hospital, they are there supposedly to take good care of us, hope you soon feel better take care.:)
 
I am still in bed really ill with really badly bruised wrists from the junior dr who tried to take blood from my pulse. It took a further 24 hours for my ketones to go but it was something I had to treat. They were clearly not capable. I have written a letter to my consultant atthe hospital and copied my GP in. Just recently a 27 year old diabetic passed away because the NHS were incapable. It could easily have been me, because I have never been so ill in my life. How do we trust the NHS after this?
 
It's unfortunate, but here in the US, the emergency hospital's job is to get you stable and then discharge you. I would imagine the goal is the same there in the UK.

When I was first diagnosed last year, I had a blood sugar greater than 27. I obviously had ketones present as well. They gave me a bit of insulin, got my numbers below 18 and sent me home with a prescription for metformin. I had no idea what to do, and the only other thing I was told was to see an endocrinologist as soon as possible.

I realize that it can be disappointed to experience something similar but you have to realize that an ER doctor's job isn't to make you well...it's to make sure that you don't die.
 
yeah.. but they did not even check my ketones. they gave up because they couldnt get it right after 4 attempts. The then should have kept me on fluids until I was stable.... knowing I live alone
 
TorqPenderloin said:
It's unfortunate, but here in the US, the emergency hospital's job is to get you stable and then discharge you. I would imagine the goal is the same there in the UK.

I realize that it can be disappointed to experience something similar but you have to realize that an ER doctor's job isn't to make you well...it's to make sure that you don't die.
Click to expand...

That is not usually the case in the UK. They stablise you, and then organise any further care you need, keeping you in until you are able to manage and in a safe condition. For the UK standard of care, this is very poor and complaining is the right thing to do.
 
Hope you're feeling better now.
You mention that staff in A&E took bloods, so I think it's fair to assume some was used to test for ketones, and results would have been checked before decision to discharge you. The failure to get arterial blood from wrist would have been for blood gases, not blood ketones. As you say, it is a very painful procedure, but even experienced doctors can't always hit the artery, as you can't feel for artery deep in limb, unlike a vein nearer the surface. An ECG can show all sorts of irregularities, many of which are completely harmless. If anything dangerously abnormal had been detected, I'm sure they would have investigated further / referred you to cardiologists. A fast heart rate usually accompanies a fever, so unless it was exceptionally fast, it's not a "red flag" symptom.
Definitely worth asking PALS to investigate, but I suspect they will say that you were stable enough to leave A&E, and that it was your responsibility to arrange transport eg ask a friend or relative to accompany you on public transport or in taxi.
 
actually i asked the question while they were butchering my pulse... I asked if there was another way to check and she said sorry no... we have to go into the pulse. Theres no excuse there. They should have kept me in under observation at the very least. There is absolutely no excuse for their poor level of care. I was seriously dehydrated, really ill, vomiting and live alone. Imagine if I had died from Ketoacidosis.... then there would be all sorts of petitions from diabetics for an inquest. I never died.... but I believe they should be held accountable for such poor care. A&E should be better trained in diabetes care
 
Hi. You can always ask for a complaint form at the hospital to submit but they are rarely read as they have so many. I'm afraid our NHS isn't just failing; it has already failed in many areas due to staff shortages and lack of funds. There are bright spots but it's a lottery. I can't suggest any better approach next time but hopefully there won't be a next time.
 
To start off with, they shouldn't be trying to get Arterial Blood gases. If they were dealing with DKA, veinous suffices. How high were your ketones when you tested?
 
Back
Top