Monthly Archives: December 2017

Speed

Everyone accepts that things happen fast nowadays. Yet, some aspects of life can’t be sped-up; indeed, any attempt to cut-corners or accelerate the process usually has negative consequences… hangry, tired, listless – readmission. No matter the speed, the turning-over of activity, there is a certain bandwidth that is constant; walking, driving, peeing. The media –Continue reading “Speed”

UTIs – myths, facts and what Wellbeing Workers need to do – with Helen Sanderson

Dr Rod Kersh’s first blog for us is about Urinary Tract Infections or UTI’s. At Dementia Congress this year, we both heard a presentation about how home carers should respond to issues like UTI’s. It is fair to say that Rod didn’t agree with all that was said, so I asked him to share hisContinue reading “UTIs – myths, facts and what Wellbeing Workers need to do – with Helen Sanderson”

Colon

Today, I was asked for the first time, by someone who isn’t my patient, as to whether they should have a colonoscopy. This is, a fibre-optic camera inserted into their large bowel, preceded by powerful laxatives, sometimes accompanied by a hypnotic sedative and followed by, I imagine a smattering of wind. I found the questionContinue reading “Colon”

A response to Henry Marsh

In yesterday’s Guardian, Henry Marsh, the former neurosurgeon, wrote a short piece commenting on the treatment by the legal system and the media, of transplant surgeon Simon Bramhall – otherwise known as ‘SB’. Marsh expressed his opinion that although Bramhall had been stupid to write his initials with an argon laser on the liver ofContinue reading “A response to Henry Marsh”

Medically fit – today and tomorrow (3)

You hear this term all the time nowadays, at least, if you work in an NHS hospital, are an inpatient or carer or relative of someone who is occupying a hospital bed. Most often… Are they medically fit? When will they be medically fit? If they are medically fit, have you done the take-home medicines?Continue reading “Medically fit – today and tomorrow (3)”

Acute

You can’t lie in the same hospital bed for more than the average length of stay which in your case, for your disease, disorder or condition is 3.76 days.

DToC

Most readers of my blog will not have heard of this term. I suspect most of those working inside the NHS don’t know of its existence either… DToC – Delayed Transfer of Care. This is how groups of mostly older people are categorised once they are deemed medically fit – (another NHS neologism which tooContinue reading “DToC”

The Perfect Patient Pathway?*

On Friday, I attended an event where I learned about the Perfect Patient Pathway – I will call it PPP, or perhaps 3P for short, as it is a little bit of a mouthful, although entertaining in an alliterative sort of way. The event, run by the Good Things Foundation focused on examining the waysContinue reading “The Perfect Patient Pathway?*”

CRP – aka un-person-centred care

72 hours after admission Nigel has become distressed. Anxious and fearful, he wants to leave the hospital, he can’t understand why we won’t let him go, he feels we are trying to harm him, poison him, deprive him of his liberty.

Not many years left

I had another interesting discussion with a colleague today. She had heard about my plans to move hospitals and she wished me good luck. ‘I thought about leaving, but as I only have a few years left I am going to stick it out. I understand you have much longer… Go for it.’ This wasn’tContinue reading “Not many years left”

Stuck

I am stuck. I don’t know if this is because I am in a work-limbo; in the transition between the end of a decade working in Doncaster and a shift to Rotherham, or whether there is something deeper, perhaps more sinister going on. What, if I have run out of ideas? Many years ago, aContinue reading “Stuck”