Healthwatch Rochdale

Just had a consultation form through the post, it asked various questions including would you help. Sadly it does not ask who you are so they can follow up offers of help.

Is this just yet another case of paying lip service to customer/patient involvement?

If sent to you - don't they already know??? If sent as a flyer - perhaps they are just wanting to get a feel regarding how many replies and how many might be interested before repeating the excersize for 'real'???

Why should I be asked to help? Should the health service not be staffed by people trained to do so?

Perhaps they are looking for 'volunteers'! Best of luck with that one.

Pennine Acute is very proud that they have more than 1,000 registered volunteers, which is quite a high number compared to the 8,500 or so staff.

In her account of how her husband died, apparently of hospital acquired pneumonia, M.P. Anne Clwyd said:

Quote: "He was so cold under a thin cotton cover. A friend had asked if he could be moved from the ward into an empty room, but was told that it was being kept empty. I really do feel he died of cold."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/9724205/Ann-Clwyd-My-husband-died-because-people-didnt-care.html

When I was in hospital, I came across this disregard for keeping patients warm, with open windows and icy draughts on sedated patients under thin sheets and fans left blowing directly on unconscious patients. When I was well enough to go and find myself a blanket from a storecupboard, the nurses seemed puzzled at this behavior. Is there some aspect of nurse training that emphasises keeping patients cold?

This sort of malpractice defies words................

How many more, I wonder?

Guess it is just tough if you are one of the 5% of patients that do not get good service!

Or as the PCT would spin it 95% satisfaction......................