Natalie's transfer from Lincoln City Hospital to
the Trent Cardiac Centre in Nottingham City Hospital took place today – eventually.
I mentioned in my previous article 'My Wife's Bovine Pericardial Aortic Valve has only lasted 8 years!' that the Consultant
Cardiologist in Lincoln had sent a priority request to the Trent
Cardiac Centre at Nottingham City Hospital for an operation to
replace the faulty bioprosthetic aortic valve that is neither opening
or closing properly.
We received confirmation a few days ago
that the 'Re-do' operation, as it is termed in official
correspondence, is to take place on the 9th April, and that she would
be transferred today, although we didn't believe it was written in
stone. She has remained as an inpatient in the cardiac department of
Lincoln Hospital until now.
It was not until 09:50 hrs. this
morning that Natalie was informed that the move would definitely take
place today. She was told then because I had telephoned the ward to
enquire if and when the transfer was to happen and the nursing staff
let her tell me.
When I popped in at 11:00 hrs., to
collect any laundry and other items that she didn't want to take to
Nottingham, she was already to go, bed space tidied and bags packed,
and waiting for transport to be arranged.
Transport Fiasco
Transport eventually arrived
approximately 6 hours and 30 minutes after she was told she was going. She left
Lincoln at about 18:15 hrs. and arrived in Nottingham at 19:45 hrs.
It is important that patients with
heart problems are not subjected to unnecessary stressful situations.
Today's transfer and transport fiasco certainly hasn't helped
Natalie's stress level. I think there has been an appalling failure
in the management of the situation. This is not the first time this
week that a cardiac-patient has been kept waiting until the early evening
before being subjected to a long drive from Lincoln to another
hospital; on that occasion a journey of probably two
hours.
The one redeeming factor of today was
that at 21:30 hrs. the nursing staff at the Trent Cardiac Centre
allowed Natalie to use their telephone to let me know she had arrived
safely, had a few basic tests carried out, and been settled in. I have
not been able to visit, and give moral support to her this evening, because of the ultimately very late arrival.
Follow-up article: The new Prosthetic Aortic Valve has been fitted
© Elliot Sampford 2014.
Follow-up article: The new Prosthetic Aortic Valve has been fitted
© Elliot Sampford 2014.
I hope everything goes well from now on, Elliot, and that you can get to see your wife easily despite the journey.
ReplyDeleteThanks Valerie. The journey is the least I can do: Natalie has got the work to do, getting well again after the operation.
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