It takes people to make a company work - a lesson to be learned by people working in the NHS

I try to write only happy, positive posts... but I am sorry, sometimes it is not possible to keep it happy.

Although in this post I am complaining about something that happened, I think it is also one to reflect about how we perform in our own jobs, if we do anything similar to what happened here. 


My husband had surgical procedure and was discharged from hospital on the same day. Despite the general anaesthetic, he looked reasonably well.

As we were leaving, I noticed blood on this clothes. He returned to the ward to be checked and the nurse said it was normal. However, I should have contested at this point as she also gave him extra pads - she initially had given him only one. So, probably normal was to use one pad, not five.

We went home and 2 hours later the situation was the same, so we called to check. Once again the nurse dismissed our worries without even asking one single question about it, anything that would let her gage how much blood there was.

Another 2 hours later, I telephone the nurse again. This time I insisted in describing what I observed in detail and she decided it was a problem, but said I could not return to her hospital, and advised me to call the ambulance and go to a hospital further away.

I am trying to keep details out, but what I can say about the other hospital is:
1. They left him dirty for more than 5 hours and he was only cleaned and changed because I insisted and agreed to do it myself. This was a nurses' job, as I would not know to do it properly, and techniques to stop bleeding.
2. There wasn't a specilist and they had to call the doctor in the first hospital to ask for advice. 
3. They forgot to put his name in the system and we waited there for hours without need. Without water, medication, etc. They also didn't check on his situation for more than 4 hours.
4. Whenever I would go to check progress they would give a standard answer and in one occasion laugh at me. 

About the first hospital:
5. He should not have been discharged when there was any question about his wellness.
6. They should have allowed him to return in the evening because the specialist was still there.

It felt like his return would be an inconvenience for them and of course once he is out it is not their problem any more. Almost like I called the nurse 5 minutes before her shift was over. 

My point with all this is to share my sadness this time, I was really sad to see that all these people's behaviour, disrespect with someone's life. To leave him all dirty and refuse to clean the blood was terrible and dangerous, who knows what would have happened if I were not there? How many people turn up in A&E on their own and have no one to fight on their behalf like I did? 

The tools were all there, the knowledge was there, but the people were not there. The good attitude was not there, the good management was certainly not there. There were some cold, lazy people, although I must agree there were also few kind people too... In a hospital, there should be only kind people dealing with patients. And certainly there should never be any lazy ones. There is no space for laziness in an emergency department. Any delay could cost a person's life.

So here it is the thinking bit about my post.

A patient in a hospital is like a customer in a company.

In our jobs, do we always act with kindness? Do we always give to our customer our best service?
Even when we have our problems with the company or in our personal life, it is not the customer's fault and they should not pay for that. 

Today I read something interesting and decided to copy below:

Engagement is important to a company, as Walt Disney said:

"You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world.

But it takes people to make the dream a reality.“

I think Walt Disney was correct, like in so many other things he believed. That is why he was so successful.