Expensive treatment!

[hanadr]

this morning I'm fuming
T1 husband has a severe ulcer on his foot and is being treaated by having his leg in plaster from toes to knee. It does seem to have helped a bit. The plaster has to be removed and replaced weekly and the foot treated. Last week, they decided the skin under the plaster had got too dry and asked us to bring along some tea-tree oil.I bought some at £11 for the pure oil. This week we fell foul of new car parking arrangements. We were charged £4.50 to attend the appointment and we've been asked to bring athletes foot powder for next treatment next week. Where, except in the plaster room has his foot been exposed to Athlete's foot Nowhere! He's been in plaster for 2 weeks!
The appointment can ONLY be at 0845 in the morning, so we have to get there in rush hour, which is a nightmare. We can't use buses, our passes are not accepted that early and taxis would cost even more.
I call it RIDICULOUS AND WRONG!
Hana

 

[jopar]

Not sure what's so wrong Hanna...

Some of us have quite a distance to travel for an hospital appointment, to get to 8.45 appointment at my main hospital I would have to leave (dependant on how I decided to travel) between 6.30 - 7.30, If I travel by public transport I'm going to have to walk 3 miles or so at some point... Doesn't matter which way I decided to travel I have to fund all travelling costs..

As to the Tea-tree oil and foot powder you've been asked to bring alone, common products found in many households, and you don't have to be in contact with athlete foot to suffer with it... As it's a fungal infection that can happily grown on it's own accord given the right environment, considering that hubby is T1 with badly controlled diabetes and has his foot encased in plaster, does but him at high risk of creating the necessary environment indeed.

I hope his treatment works and he's on the mend soon...

 

[lucylocket61]

If you are on a low income, you can ask the hospital to give you details of how to get a refund for the car parking for appointment. And some hospitals issue a car parking card or reduced rates of parking.

we have to pay car parking charges. We would have to take 2 buses, taking 1 hour to make the journey each way, as they have put the new hospital right out on the edge of the city and it is a nightmare to get to on public transport. And if we didnt use the car, the bus fares would be even more expensive than the parking fees.

 

[izzzi]

Hana,

I am with you all the way on this issue.

They should have issued prescriptions for everything relating to dear husbands foot ulcer.

Car parking cost is a poor excuse for yet another NHS blunder.

Appointment's is the only issue I can't argue with.

Nobody should feel harassed or stressed when making Hospital visits for whatever reason.
Also patients should receive the best treatment including all the necessary supplements to heal their wounds and their road to recovery.
After all we pay for it.

Roy.

 

[hanadr]

We only live about 4 miles from the hospital, but at rush hour, it takes us more than an hour to get there by car. T1 could not walk very far on his plastered foot. And it would be at least 2 buses and a walk between stops,which isn't practical I don't mind paying for parking, but this is a weekly treatment for an unknown number of visits. Until this week, the system was different and I paid up [£3] whenever, with only mild grumbling The foot has been constantly in dressings since September. the ONLY place it's been uncovered is in the hospital. The incubation period is 2 - 3 weeks. It certainly hasn't been uncovered anywhere but in the plaster room in that time. I've already supplied Tea-tree oil. Shouldn't they know it's anti-fungal[they asked me to get some] and put it on the lesions, not wait until next week to unwap the foot again and apply Athlete's foot powder?
Hana
Oh and we are both OAPs