Todays date 16 April 2013Dear Angie,The NHS is safe in who's hands?I was admitted (urgent) to Central Middlesex on 3rd April 2013 with COPD. and discharged on the 8th April 2013, still with a severe chest infection. I was re-admitted (urgent) on 10th April 2013 in collapse as a failed discharge. (This process also happened 6 years ago, so for it to happen again is unsatisfactory under any circumstances.)On the admission of 10th April, the LAS refused to stabilise me until I was in the ambulance and in panic mode, where upon I was given oxygen at 1ltr/ph, no nebuliser was given.On arrival at hospital, the A&E nursing staff stabilised me with oxygen at 2 ltr/ph and nebulisers along with fast push antibiotics administered via syringe through the cannula X2, there after through IV. again X2. The steroid was increased from 30mg Prednisolone to 40mg for the following five days. As my intake of steroids totals 15 days, I am now on the weaning off process over the next nine days.Yesterday the 15th April, my Consultant treated me and the condition with flippancy, something I found offensive. I stated that physio were to assess me as to mobility and the distance I could walk before I was discharged this time, as, at my discharge on the 8th, I was not mobile. I was told by the consultant, that if physio considered that I was unfit, they would be overruled. What sort of NHS are we being inflicted with?The discharge went ahead, on the afternoon of the 15th, transport was ordered around 3pm. I was informed that there would be a three hour wait. Transport eventually turned up at ten minutes past midnight on the 16th April. This in itself was extremely stressful. It also caused bed blocking. That in itself would have been a stressful period for the person waiting for the bed, who would have to have stayed in A&E.The COPD exacerbation which caused the admission on the 3rd April, was caused by the increase of PM 10 levels from the Horn Lane Industrial Site. This is another reason to apply the pressure on Ealing Council and Julian Bell and, force them in to positive action. I did notice that a 34 year old woman was diagnosed with Asthma, she lives on the A 40 in alignment to the Industrial Site. Her mother lives on Lynton Road and has COPD. I would say that a pattern is now emerging and, very serious action needs to be taken over the pollution issues. PM 10s are not acceptable especially with the Industrial site located within a residential area. Then we also have Cross Rail to contend with. Is there no end to the insanity of a Labour led council and the closure of A&Es and hospitals? A serious rethink is needed.YoursNikki
Nikki Howard ● 4901d