Nurses denied me fluids

I am 71 years old and unable to walk. I was a patient at Wrexham Maelor hospital recently. During my time on MAU I was placed in an 'Isolation Room' as I had been vomiting. I had got on well with the Nursing staff including the Health Care Assistants. On the day in question two of the Health Care Assistants had come into the room and we had a short chat together which ended in a bit of a laugh. They left the room qt approx. 0930. One of the HCA's asked me if I was Welsh and I said yes and she asked me if I spoke Welsh to which I also replied yes and then I spoke one sentence in Welsh and the HCA's left the room without a further word.

During the rest of the morning I did not see a single nurse. It came lunchtime and one of the Health Care Assistants brought my dinner for me but not given a choice as usual..

A number of times I attempted to attract the attention of one of the Health Care Assistants to request a drink of water (they were no more than 2.5 metres away but they ignored me - two looked at me and carried on walking. They had not supplied me with a jug of water as usual and not offered a coffee mid-morning nor a drink with dinner. Several times I made attempts to draw their attention and repeated on several occasions during the afternoon and into the evening. Each time I made attempts to draw their attention some would look at me but it was the same each time in that they continued to ignore me. Not even visited once by Ward Sister.

I was gagging for a drink. As a diabetic was I in any danger? Was I the victim of a racist attitude towards me?

jadeashton24 said:

hiya; sorry to hear you recently had a bad experience in hospital. I do not have any suggestions as to why the medical staff treated you in that manner; have you been treated there before? If yes, how was your then experience?

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Thank you Jade. I have been to the same hospital since 1971 and in total about 30+times since the. This includes a lengthy period on Life Support from December 1999 to March 2000. My experience is not a one-off and despite the fact I owe my life to Wrexham hospital I found this experience most frightening and upsetting. When a person cannot walk and my powered wheelchair at home, I am dependent on staff to give me water etc. as I said in my post this was not offered and it was only the fact that my wife would arrive at between 2 - 3 pm that gave me comfort. I have made a complaint which they denied all that I reported. Their reply even mentioned that I was seen to be mobile during the afternoon. This of course is completely untrue. I am due to meet some of the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board next Tuesday 27th March so hopefully a face to face may prove positive. I have informed them I am not seeking any form of financial compensation, but merely hope it brings about a better understanding.

slip said:

This is awful, I feel for you. but I doubt you'll get any meaningful resolution or even an apology. At best they may say there was confusion within the care team - one thinking the other had taken care of your needs. Was there a nurse calling button you could use or did use? Sounds as though you've been through the mill and not just recently. Take care.

But the other thing is was it what you said to them in Welsh that offended them?!?

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Thanks for your reply. It was never made known to me about the bell and difficult to look because of my condition. That said I should have asked for it as I have been in-patient often enough. What I said in Welsh was "I do speak Welsh and that I was proud to be Welsh". I would never offend any one of nationality, colour or language etc. and believe it or not my Mother's family hail from Cheshire, Bolton, Manchester, Fleetwood, Thornton Cleveleys and Blackpool and, wait for it..... born in England myself (Chester).

dbr10 said:

Terrible experience. Good luck.

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Cheers. Many thanks for your support.

Cheers. Many thanks for your support.

Diakat said:

Hiya @Galanthus
Sut oedd yr cyfarfod? Hope they recognised their errors.

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Diakat said:

Hiya @Galanthus
Sut oedd yr cyfarfod? Hope they recognised their errors.

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Dydd Mawrth nesaf ydwi'n ei cyfarfod. I have a meeting with some senior members of the Health Board next Tuesday.

Diakat said:

Hiya @Galanthus
Sut oedd yr cyfarfod? Hope they recognised their errors.

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JMK1954 said:

I find this story really frightening. Make sure that you take some paperwork explaining how long you have needed a wheelchair and why to the meeting. Good luck.

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Thank you for your kind words. They know about the powered wheelchair which I had from the Posture & Mobility Centre at the hospital 2 years ago come May and prior to that I was given a manual wheelchair in 2000 following my lengthy period on life-support which left me with mobility problems. So they should know by now but I think they were attempting a cover story for their neglect by saying I had been seen to be mobile at a certain time.

Mel dCP said:

Aw, cariad. That’s awful. Sending a cwtch from the Rhondda xxx

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Bless you too cariad. A cwtch from the Rhondda has made me feel real good. Cheers. xxx

jadeashton24 said:

hiya; sorry to hear you recently had a bad experience in hospital. I do not have any suggestions as to why the medical staff treated you in that manner; have you been treated there before? If yes, how was your then experience?

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Went to my arranged meeting re-complaints from my stay in Wrexham Maelor hospital and things went well and had some positive results.

1. My wife was with me and three personnel from the Health Board were present - Head of Nursing, Patient Experience Officer and the Senior Sister from the Ward I made a complaint against.

2. They accepted fact that I did not receive any drinks usually provided by staff (tea, coffee, jug of water etc.) after 0815 and Senior Ward Sister genuinely expressed her apologies for this and said the issue had really upset her.

3. I gave them what my thoughts were that made the Health Care staff take it upon themselves not to supply me with any fluids and that reason was that one member of the Health Care staff took umbrage because I spoke a sentence in Welsh in reply to her question “do you speak Welsh?” and turned this into a racially motivated issue.
The members of the Health Board would not accept this. However much I attempted to convince them they would not accept. My reasons for this I told them was that as soon as I spoke the sentence in Welsh the ‘guilty’ one as I saw her, prompted the other one to leave the room at which they both went.

4. I was assured by the Ward Senior Sister that she has arranged that Health Care and Nursing staff check every patient to ensure that each one has access to fluids.

All in all I am satisfied with that outcome but still a little upset concerning 3 above.

Thank you all for your kind words and support.

jadeashton24 said:

hiya; sorry to hear you recently had a bad experience in hospital. I do not have any suggestions as to why the medical staff treated you in that manner; have you been treated there before? If yes, how was your then experience?

Click to expand...

Went to my arranged meeting re-complaints from my stay in Wrexham Maelor hospital and things went well and had some positive results.

1. My wife was with me and three personnel from the Health Board were present - Head of Nursing, Patient Experience Officer and the Senior Sister from the Ward I made a complaint against.

2. They accepted fact that I did not receive any drinks usually provided by staff (tea, coffee, jug of water etc.) after 0815 and Senior Ward Sister genuinely expressed her apologies for this and said the issue had really upset her.

3. I gave them what my thoughts were that made the Health Care staff take it upon themselves not to supply me with any fluids and that reason was that one member of the Health Care staff took umbrage because I spoke a sentence in Welsh in reply to her question “do you speak Welsh?” and turned this into a racially motivated issue.
The members of the Health Board would not accept this. However much I attempted to convince them they would not accept. My reasons for this I told them was that as soon as I spoke the sentence in Welsh the ‘guilty’ one as I saw her, prompted the other one to leave the room at which they both went.

4. I was assured by the Ward Senior Sister that she has arranged that Health Care and Nursing staff check every patient to ensure that each one has access to fluids.

All in all I am satisfied with that outcome but still a little upset concerning 3 above.

Thank you all for your kind words and support.