Hospitals

[SPUGGIE J]

Now we all know that the NHS is taking a bashing and things are not good but has it realy reached this stage;

AN MRSA patient has walked out of hospital in disgust and is relying on private treatment to tackle the infection after losing faith in NHS doctors.
(Evening Telegraph)

I am not a fan of hospitals but when a patient does this then borrows the money to go private then should we not be worried? The private hospital beleives it is better equiped to deal with this illness which it could well be but should the NHS not have the same ability? Ok I know there are nursing staff look at this site and will proberly voice their opinion on the matter but as a profession does this not anger these nurses?

I have the benifit of private medical insurance through work so have no worries there but most people do not have this luxuary and would have to go NHS or find the money to go private. Is it not about time the NHS worried more about patients and there needs than govenment targets and
excess levels of management?

Sorry for the size but it has given me the willies.

[chav1]

that patient has a point and i can understand his concern

i had mrsa when in hospital and although most of the nurses washed their hands after handleing me or anything i touched some of them simply went on as usual and didnt take any preventive measures from spreading the dissease

i found out after that my pregnant girlfriend at the time should not have been allowed to visit me and boy how i could have done with the peace and quiet

[Margaret Pilkington]

Sensationalism......and selling papers is what this story is about.
MRSA has always been about. Many patients will already have the Staphylococcus bacteria on their skin.....where incidentally it does no harm. I worked at QPH up until my retirement 3 years ago. I know the hospital has a very conscientious 'Control of Infection' team.

The lady in question will certainly get better at Gisburne Park because they will isolate her in her own room.

Too many visitors, visiting hours that are too long.....visitors sitting and lying on beds.... not washing hands......all are implicated in the spread of MRSA. It is a problem that needs a multi-faceted approach......and the hospital may not be entirely to blame.

Hospitals need to test patients before they are admitted to see if they are carriers of MRSA.......of course this is only possible where the admission is a planned one.

Stories like this one just undermine the confidence of patients and staff alike.

[SPUGGIE J]

Well it seems that this is a thorny issue with some on both sides of the fence
but if theres smoke then there has to be fire.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Well, I wouldn't be worried about going into QPH.....but I would take adequate precautions about my own cleanliness. Nurses advise patients to bath before surgery and some of them do not heed this advice. If you go into hospital and there are not adequate hand washing facilities then ask to see the Nurse in Charge. Patients are also encouraged to prompt nurses and doctors who do not appear to have cleansed their hands.....many nurses carry alcohol gel to do this and you may see it strapped to their pocket.

As I said in the previous post the problem is multi-faceted and needs a multi faceted approach to tackle it........I think they are looking at reverting back to the more regimented visiting times, and looking at ensuring that only two visitors are present at any one time, that visitors do not sit on the beds and that they know the reason for this rule.

When I was Ward Sister I would challenge visitors (in a courteous way) about too many visitors at one bed and about sitting on beds.... I would explain the reasons for what I was doing, but many many times I was sworn at and abused.

[chav1]

i was told that mrsa will blow off somone as soon as they go outsid ethe hospital and that only people at risk are those who have open wounds etc

only going off what i was told by my consultant and he seems to be a pretty bright chap so i have no reason to doubt him

although his sewing leaves much to be desired lol

[SPUGGIE J]

A few months ago I was at the Western General in Glasgow and the advice did not come close to what you have. Wonder why I am cynical.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Too many visitors, visiting hours that are too long.....visitors sitting and lying on beds.... not washing hands......all are implicated in the spread of MRSA. It is a problem that needs a multi-faceted approach......and the hospital may not be entirely to blame.

And which on your list is not the hospitals fault?

[garinda]

Hospitals are trying to combat the problem, but there are very weak holes in the system.

All wards at the Royal Infirmary in Manchester were only to be entered and left by patients/nursing staff and visitiors who had cleaned their hands with the alcholic gel. This didn't apply however to the porters, who we watched every day going from ward to ward delivering great big bags of supplies, without even a glance at the gel dispensers as they came and went. This was on a ward were people already had infections. The person we were visting developed MSRA.

Seemed daft to me, you either follow procedure or you don't.

[Margaret Pilkington]

You choose Neil........ these changes have been driven by expectations of patients.
The patients are the consumers......and have you heard the saying 'the customer is always right'....? Patients wanted longer visiting hours...... they want everyone and their grandmother to visit, they don't want to be told not to sit on beds....... they bring food and leave litter lying in patient areas. Patients also bring their own MRSA in with them.....it is difficult to decide whether the bug was caught from someone else.... it is always assumed by the patient that this is the case......but some patients will be the carrier of their own bug.......on the skin it is harmless, but if it gets into an open wound, well that's when the problems begin. As I have said there is not just one answer to this problem.

When I first started nursing, children under the age of 12 were not allowed to visit except in exceptional circumstances (such as if a family member was dying - even then it was discouraged) this was because it was known that there was a risk that they would bring infection into hospital......and even worse, pick up something while they were visiting.
It is widely known that hospital bugs can be virulent......but as I have said before, in this post and in others......I would not worry about going into QPH.

[slinky]

Alcohol gel is no more as affective as washing your hands PROPERLY. people are under the Impression that this WONDERFUL gel will rid all problems............................ Well I think not.
Just please be aware that this Gel is not better than washing your hands. Yes I have used the gel at work, but AFTER I have washed my hands very, very, very, well first.

[SPUGGIE J]

Agreed I cheat at work and use IPA wipes after washing my hands but they stink to high heaven.

[lettie]

Margaret is right about the visiting and I believe the infection control team are looking at it now. We get daily abuse from visitors, especially when they are asked to leave or wash their hands. The nurses who carry gels are well aware that the gels only work after hand washing.

According to one of the staff on the medical wards the LET are targeting them, they have been sending reporters in masquerading as visitors who are then upsetting their elderly patients. They have been trying to access the ward at all hours of day and night and are becoming a pain in the neck for staff and patients alike. One of the things with the NHS is that the wards are so short staffed that the nurses/midwives do not have time to police the visitors. If we were to be policing the visiting then we would be neglecting the patients...

[Neil]

Originally Posted by lettie

Margaret is right about the visiting and I believe the infection control team are looking at it now...

I saw that when we were there. Big queues of people waiting to go into the ward to visit the new mum's and babies. Also big gatherings of people inside the ward waiting as well. On several occasions security were present to ask people to leave the ward. I wont be racist so I will let you guess who was abusing the rules.

[SPUGGIE J]

Neil its being honest not racist they would be exactly the same if the position was reversed.