My husband who has type 1 diabetes has been seeing his hospital consultant very 6 months for the last 6 years since moving to our current home. Prior to that he was seen once per year. His consultant retired last year and he has seen a new consultant once. He missed his most recent appointment due to having a hypo in the early morning (1.9 blood glucose), I phoned the hospital reception and very quickly explained that I couldnt get him to the hospital and explained again very quickly why.
This has happened in the past once and in the past a new appointment has been sent to us and all was well with the world.
This time we received a letter discharging him for failing to attend. I rang the consultants secretary and explained why he didnt attend and that I had phoned reception etc, she told me she would have to pass the message on and someone would ring me. A week passed and a diabetes nurse rang to say that my husband had been discharge due to not attending, I explained again why he didnt attend and that I had rung to explain on the morning. She told me she would speak to the consultant but didnt hold out much hope that he would offer another appointment and that if my husband felt he needed to be seen again he would require a referal from his gp.
I did say to the nurse that I felt this was very unfair, since the reason he is being seen by the consultant is exactly the same reason he was too ill to attend and that given the amount of appointments that the hospital has cancelled/rearranged (about 8 in the last 6 years) it was a bit rich to discharge my husband for being so ill.
As a bit of background around 5 years ago my husband was forced to retire from his job as a nurse in the NHS due to hypoglycaemic unawareness (sorry if that is the wrong term but it is the one his doctor uses). He has absolutely no idea if he is having a hypo or not and has lost all warning signs. He no longer drives and no longer spends any time alone due to the number of hypo's he has and the consequences.
I could write an epic on some of the near misses he has had but just one example how badly his hypo's affect him was my hearing him in the kitchen opening and closing doors and drawers, eventually I asked what he was looking for - "blood tester he replied, I'm high, I must be, I'm thirsty". I was suspicious since we dont keep his blood tester in the kitchen but anyway I got his meter, tested his blood - 1.3!!!!! (it is a wonder he was still upright and able to speak) so I told him he was having a hypo and needed to eat before he fell over - "dont be stupid - the machine must be broken, where is my insulin?"......
He fully intended to give himself a dose of insulin and if I hadnt been around and he had found his insulin I know he would have died that day.
I know this has been a bit of a long and rambling story but the crux of my issue.....
Can he be discharged under the circumstances?
Any advice what we should do?
Many thanks for reading this and for those who are able to reply.
Pollie
This has happened in the past once and in the past a new appointment has been sent to us and all was well with the world.
This time we received a letter discharging him for failing to attend. I rang the consultants secretary and explained why he didnt attend and that I had phoned reception etc, she told me she would have to pass the message on and someone would ring me. A week passed and a diabetes nurse rang to say that my husband had been discharge due to not attending, I explained again why he didnt attend and that I had rung to explain on the morning. She told me she would speak to the consultant but didnt hold out much hope that he would offer another appointment and that if my husband felt he needed to be seen again he would require a referal from his gp.
I did say to the nurse that I felt this was very unfair, since the reason he is being seen by the consultant is exactly the same reason he was too ill to attend and that given the amount of appointments that the hospital has cancelled/rearranged (about 8 in the last 6 years) it was a bit rich to discharge my husband for being so ill.
As a bit of background around 5 years ago my husband was forced to retire from his job as a nurse in the NHS due to hypoglycaemic unawareness (sorry if that is the wrong term but it is the one his doctor uses). He has absolutely no idea if he is having a hypo or not and has lost all warning signs. He no longer drives and no longer spends any time alone due to the number of hypo's he has and the consequences.
I could write an epic on some of the near misses he has had but just one example how badly his hypo's affect him was my hearing him in the kitchen opening and closing doors and drawers, eventually I asked what he was looking for - "blood tester he replied, I'm high, I must be, I'm thirsty". I was suspicious since we dont keep his blood tester in the kitchen but anyway I got his meter, tested his blood - 1.3!!!!! (it is a wonder he was still upright and able to speak) so I told him he was having a hypo and needed to eat before he fell over - "dont be stupid - the machine must be broken, where is my insulin?"......
He fully intended to give himself a dose of insulin and if I hadnt been around and he had found his insulin I know he would have died that day.
I know this has been a bit of a long and rambling story but the crux of my issue.....
Can he be discharged under the circumstances?
Any advice what we should do?
Many thanks for reading this and for those who are able to reply.
Pollie
