Recent Hospital Audit.

[robertFE]

I note from a recent hospital audit that some people who have been submitted to hospital find that they did not receive the care they should if they are either type 2 or type 1 diabetic.
It mentions the fact that some people due to being admitted has an in-patient could end up with high blood sugars or ketoacidosis or DKA, due to a failure on the hospitals part to either supply the correct medication (insulin), or allow the patient (if able) to self medicate.

Being Diabetes Type 1 myself I require a daytime insulin three times daily and a single night time insulin daily, yet in Sept 2011 when I was submitted to Cardiff General I was not given any night insulin (levimir) during my stay, the consultant simply not believing the requirement, and basically ignoring my repeated pleas, which meant that my blood sugars were high the whole time in the hospital; not a good sign, and luckily I don't live in that part of the country anymore, though admittance to an hospital still concerns me, especially after reading this recent hospital audit which did not provide recommendations of what people with diabetes can do to stay safe in the hospitals.
However, five recommendations have been by highlighted by another diabetes website, listed below;

1. Prepare for the possibility that you may be rushed to the hospital by having a diabetes supply bag ready for a loved one to bring
2. Share your diabetes care routine with a friend or partner who can be with you regularly during a hospital stay
3. Keep in your phone, wallet, or purse an up-to-date list of your medications, your normal insulin regimen, and the numbers of your normal medical care providers
4. Alert your primary medical care provider as soon as possible about your hospital stay
5. If you sense that you aren’t getting the care you should, complain early and often.

My main concern regards the above 5 points, in a hospital - if you are able - if you had not fallen and cut yourself has I did, whilst home alone - you tend to bring in your current medication, and supposedly the information regards your medicines should be on a NHS database..
Yet if a loved one brought in your medicines after you were admitted, whose to say they the staff would actually allow you to either inject, test, or generally self medicate?

Having to continuously state I needed a night injection of a different insulin than the one on me, does not bode well, for anyone.
I might be only a one of a few who has experience this, having a been a previous in patient, due to a needed operation, everything was fine, but this occasion - in Cardiff - that was an emergency, and wasn't diabetes related, yet I had to stay longer due to this big failure on the hospitals part, to try to level my blood sugars without my night time insulin dosage.
The trouble is, I had this experience over 5 years ago, and yet it seems the hospitals after this recent audit, are still having problems with us (us = diabetics)
Has anyone else experience this?

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

I can only talk as someone who has, in the last 3 years, 2 emergency admissions (massive internal bleed and a completely bonkers BP reading while at my mum's care home - very efficient care home staff). I have also had three routine surgeries. So I've been to Stoke Mandeville, High Wycombe, West Middlesex and Basingstoke. Also Maui in Hawaii (bonkers doctor said I was having a heart attack - I wasn't, they smelled my travel insurance) but that's just showing off.

I have had excellent care as regards to my BG whether I had my own medication or they topped me up with insulin which was much more of a concern when I was having surgery. Nothing more to tell.

 

[Shar67]

I think it is hit and miss, on one hospital admission I had they took all medication off of me, I need my Creon before meals but was only given it during medication rotation, so I couldn't eat. After one day I threw a massive wobbly and insisted they get me PALS or a clinical manager. I was given all of my meds back. Since that visit I never hand over any meds. If they want to prescribe me more and give them to me on rotation fine, but I will take my own meds when I need them
On another admission, I was given meds to stop diahorrea and another med to stop constipation both at same time, I had neither diahorrea or constipation, I had steatorrhea which needs Creon, the med they withheld previously

 

[donnellysdogs]

Had mastectomy last year and the diabetes care was dire in hospital! I mean, dire.
Complaint went to hospital and took 9 months for them to respond (after it had gone to CEO).

To me, all patients that are diabetic should have a question on admittance form (if a planned admission). "Are you happy and cofident to handle your own diabetes care whilst in hospital"... Yes or no....

 

[1abRat]

After a similar nightmare at a now closed down hospital I tend to hand over one set of pens (my old Novopen 4's) and keep my current set of pens myself in my bag.

I'll never hand over control of my diabetes to a hospital again, at least while I'm conscious!

 

[Daibell]

I've had two operations over the last 3 years in private hospitals and there has been no problem in me having and controlling my insulin. Just refuse to hand it over and offer to sign a disclaimer as I did to self-administer. Would be more difficult for relatives. Always refuse to be treated by 'Sliding Scale' as it is not necessary and with a typical nurse is plain dangerous.

 

[ickihun]

I was put on a sliding scale for both natural births and 2 different hospitals. It depends on the hospital.
If in doubt, do it yourself seems good advice. I self regulated both times til the birth.
The sliding scale gives at least some control whilst I concentrated on the birth. No sliding scale less control if you're rended unconcious about to give birth.
It was an aid I'm glad was there for support.

 

[Cumberland]

I note from a recent hospital audit that some people who have been submitted to hospital find that they did not receive the care they should if they are either type 2 or type 1 diabetic.
It mentions the fact that some people due to being admitted has an in-patient could end up with high blood sugars or ketoacidosis or DKA, due to a failure on the hospitals part to either supply the correct medication (insulin), or allow the patient (if able) to self medicate.

Being Diabetes Type 1 myself I require a daytime insulin three times daily and a single night time insulin daily, yet in Sept 2011 when I was submitted to Cardiff General I was not given any night insulin (levimir) during my stay, the consultant simply not believing the requirement, and basically ignoring my repeated pleas, which meant that my blood sugars were high the whole time in the hospital; not a good sign, and luckily I don't live in that part of the country anymore, though admittance to an hospital still concerns me, especially after reading this recent hospital audit which did not provide recommendations of what people with diabetes can do to stay safe in the hospitals.
However, five recommendations have been by highlighted by another diabetes website, listed below;

1. Prepare for the possibility that you may be rushed to the hospital by having a diabetes supply bag ready for a loved one to bring
2. Share your diabetes care routine with a friend or partner who can be with you regularly during a hospital stay
3. Keep in your phone, wallet, or purse an up-to-date list of your medications, your normal insulin regimen, and the numbers of your normal medical care providers
4. Alert your primary medical care provider as soon as possible about your hospital stay
5. If you sense that you aren’t getting the care you should, complain early and often.

My main concern regards the above 5 points, in a hospital - if you are able - if you had not fallen and cut yourself has I did, whilst home alone - you tend to bring in your current medication, and supposedly the information regards your medicines should be on a NHS database..
Yet if a loved one brought in your medicines after you were admitted, whose to say they the staff would actually allow you to either inject, test, or generally self medicate?

Having to continuously state I needed a night injection of a different insulin than the one on me, does not bode well, for anyone.
I might be only a one of a few who has experience this, having a been a previous in patient, due to a needed operation, everything was fine, but this occasion - in Cardiff - that was an emergency, and wasn't diabetes related, yet I had to stay longer due to this big failure on the hospitals part, to try to level my blood sugars without my night time insulin dosage.
The trouble is, I had this experience over 5 years ago, and yet it seems the hospitals after this recent audit, are still having problems with us (us = diabetics)
Has anyone else experience this?

I had an admission last year with a reading in A&E of 59.4

Was in for 5 nights with IV insulin plus I was allowed to self test and inject whenever needed (the first 3 days they wanted me to test day and night every 2 hours and woke me through the night to do this.

Every day a DSN would come and visit me

I could not fault the care I received but know that throughout the NHS the standard of care varies.