Brighton A&E nurses unable to care for patients because of overcrowding (From The Argus)
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Nurses at the Royal Sussex County Hospital say they can no longer properly care for patients following the worst week of their lives
3:39pm Wednesday 13th March 2013 in News By Emily Walker, Chief Reporter
Crisis continues at Royal Sussex County Hospital
Accident and emergency nurses say they are having the “worst week of their working lives” as they struggle to cope with overcrowding.
Nurses from the A&E department at the Royal Sussex County Hospital have contacted the Royal College of Nursing concerned that they are unable to deliver good patient care due to overcrowding and understaffing.
The hospital had to divert ambulances to other hospitals after once again declaring a “major incident” on Monday, March 11.
Patients and staff have been complaining for overcrowding and long delays for weeks.
The hospital has said they are doing everything they can to “resolve the acute pressure the hospital is under”.
For the full story of the crisis at the Royal Sussex County’s A&E see tomorrow’s Argus.
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Comments(12)
lillylou
says...
4:23pm Wed 13 Mar 13
Whats going on????
says...
5:26pm Wed 13 Mar 13
Worryingly nurses and doctors are not wearing correct clothing i.e. red aprons for infection wards, not checking to see if oxygen has ben switched on and no gloves for taking blood. Discharging ill patients too early to be admitted worse less that 24 hours later and for a longer stay 0 this must be a regular occurance.
One occasion in Feb 13 when admitted it was a very quite night in A&E where they were all fighting to treat patients as they had nothing to do. On that night in question one indignity I faced was going to the nurses station to be faced with at least 10 doctors/nurses chatting about anything from dancing to pubs and completely ignoring my urgency to tell them my mother was gravely ill in the bed at the far end. To be presented with continuous shouts from a Doctor of "Who's patient is it" when I interrupted and said "I don't care who comes she looks like she is really ill" I left them extremely angry and went back to her and was followed eventually by another doctor and nurse for which they said "Ooh yes, you do not look well"!!! They eventually moved her to a bay opp the station to try and sort her out. I really feel that if I was not present at that time I would have lost my mum.
On all occasions becasue of the lack of patient care at RSCH myself and sister has had to take time off work unpaid to care for them in hospital and also be asked by Nurses "Do you want a job" or being asked by other patients regularly for help - it is very worrying and completely ridiculous.
I am sure there are others out there who have been faced with other forms of poor care maybe even going back months or years.
Don't get me wrong the nurses and doctors are lovely but a lot more staff is needed at that hospital.
Someone at the top needs to look into patient care urgently before it is too late at the RSCH.
stir up
says...
6:58pm Wed 13 Mar 13
this is due to the Royal college of nursing changing the system and has taken away the nurses pride in their hospital in the past they trained at one hospital and and spent at least 85% of the time on wards with real patients, now there go from hospital to hospital and spend less than 25% of their time at the coal face hands on, the sonner we get back to the old style SRNs the better. they also need ward sisters and matrons with the power to sack without having to go through all the rubbish of warning letters etc.
Boing Boing.
says...
7:13pm Wed 13 Mar 13
After 7 weeks + 16 extra,( no bed/s), I've finally had my operation, that had had me desperate for 3 months..
RSCH shouldn't leave people "on the brink"- it's a wonder I'm still here and I don't care who knows it!!
Disgraceful.
HJarrs
says...
7:25pm Wed 13 Mar 13
Pretty Vacant
says...
8:00pm Wed 13 Mar 13
stir up wrote:Are you reading the same article I am? So the nurses at the ED at the county have raised their concerns at their current inability to care for patients safely and you seem to see this as a bad thing....simply put BSUH does not have enough beds to put patients in..so emergency admissions have to wait in the ED meaning there is no room for new admissions. In the meantime the poor staff are ignored or even bullied by the trust management.This is a problem that is being echoed in emergency departments up and down the country.
The problem comes down to the fact that nurse training is more about getting a degree and is mainly based on the theory of nursing not the practical care of patients.
this is due to the Royal college of nursing changing the system and has taken away the nurses pride in their hospital in the past they trained at one hospital and and spent at least 85% of the time on wards with real patients, now there go from hospital to hospital and spend less than 25% of their time at the coal face hands on, the sonner we get back to the old style SRNs the better. they also need ward sisters and matrons with the power to sack without having to go through all the rubbish of warning letters etc.
It has nothing to do with nurse training.
And as to your belief that matrons/sisters should be able to sack staff seemingly on a whim....
PS I think your confusing the RCN and the NMC. The former are a union/proffesional body whilst the NMC are responsible for nurse registration, and the training required to gain registration. Registered nurses are required to be on the NMC register, but can choose whether or not they wish to belong to the RCN.
FC
says...
8:12pm Wed 13 Mar 13
2: Charge the smokers for their healthcare
3: Charge the fatties for their healthcare
Job done, NHS saved.
davyboy
says...
10:40pm Wed 13 Mar 13
FC wrote:good points and well made. how many people who attend A&E really need to be there, i wonder? many could probably attend their GP but can't get an appointment. surgeries should be open like any other business, with appointments from, say 8-9am, then a walk-in session until 4pm, then appointments only until 5.30. proper office hours like anyone else. maybe even a late night until 9pm twice a week for those on shift work. just a thought. GP's are on good money, so they should at least earn it!
1: Charge the drunks for their healthcare
2: Charge the smokers for their healthcare
3: Charge the fatties for their healthcare
Job done, NHS saved.
Pants00
says...
11:12pm Wed 13 Mar 13
The dept has seen many ups and downs in the last 10 years with many different management changes and some times lack of support but still we come in do the job, cry over sad events that have taken place in our care with our pts or behind closed doors. We stay late when we have our own family's to care for so that we can try and make our pts feel better!
We go with out breaks most days and then get slatted for having a cup of tea at our desk! We can't win! I think the person who has brought this to the public attention needs a medal!!!
Please remember people that yes we are nurses and yes we choose this profession but we are still human we still care and we on the whole still love being nurses!
Pants00
says...
11:26pm Wed 13 Mar 13
Pikey-Biker
says...
7:32am Thu 14 Mar 13
stir up wrote:Point 1 Nurses on a 3 year course normally do 6 placements of around 6/7 weeks each so they spend at least a third of their time with patients
The problem comes down to the fact that nurse training is more about getting a degree and is mainly based on the theory of nursing not the practical care of patients.
this is due to the Royal college of nursing changing the system and has taken away the nurses pride in their hospital in the past they trained at one hospital and and spent at least 85% of the time on wards with real patients, now there go from hospital to hospital and spend less than 25% of their time at the coal face hands on, the sonner we get back to the old style SRNs the better. they also need ward sisters and matrons with the power to sack without having to go through all the rubbish of warning letters etc.
Point 2 I disagree with your idea regarding sisters/matrons having power to sack with out going through the proper channels, let the nurses nurse and let HR do what they do best.
Boing Boing. says...
3:55pm Wed 13 Mar 13