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Phip, any news on obtaining the medical record
Started by Maria |
Posted: June 28, 2005 | |
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Hi Phip Just curious as to why it is taking the hospital so long to sort out your request. I am wondering about the form the legal department asked to fill in confirming that you would not be seeking a legal claim. As I understand the law the hospital have 40 days to respond, but I’m not sure about the disclaimer you have signed, as there is a legal protocol that is used when seeking claims for medical negligence, which states there is a 40 day time limit for the trust to supply the records. I was advised to use the statement when I asked for the notes, but I didn’t as I have no intention of using litigation. I used the data protection clause. In response the trust gave me forms and volunteered the fact that they would supply the information within 40 days. That will take me into mid July. I too am curious to know how others have fared with getting medical records. I have not gone down the official complaint route yet. I want to complain once I have all the facts. I know so little about what happened to mum in medical terms, I think her life was at risk from the symptoms, and they didn’t tell us that at any point. I also want to know what type of MRSA she had, from my understanding types 15 and 16 are the most infectious. I am going to use the charity AVMA to help me. I want them to explain the terminology on the notes before I speak to any health professionals in the trust, the problem is not knowing what to ask, so by going to someone independently first I can be prepared. I think we should share our experiences and put a link on Tony’s site with the pitfalls and things that do work when trying to find out what we are entitled to know. For people who have gone through the hospital trusts procedures and used PALS, and are still not satisfied with the answers then they should go to the Health Service Ombudsman – sounds like you have waited long enough Phip. In case anyone is wondering where I got the advice on the clauses to use – it was a journalist. 5226
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Re: Phip, any news on obtaining the medical record
Reply #1 by Maria |
Posted: June 28, 2005 at 17:07 | |
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Hi Maria, Finally yesterday I got Dad's records! There was a covering letter apologising for the delay! Some of it was down to lack of communication between the legal dept and the chief execs office - the legal dept is not situated within the hospital buildings. Some of it was lost correspondence between the two depts, and some of it apparently was down to hospital protocol dictating that they needed signed permission from each of the consultants involved in Dad's treatment before they could release the notes! I think you are wise to get some help with translating the notes - I have only managed to have a brief look at Dad's (was too scared to open them yesterday for some reason!) and it is mind-boggling and much of it could have been written in a foreign language for all I understand! There are copies of all his obs charts, lab reports etc and much use of abbreviations which at the moment I can't decipher. I think I might have to put an ad in the personals of the local paper asking for a new man but with the limitation that only medically qualified geniuses need apply!! The hospital suggested previously that I may wish to go down and meet with them, and I have been holding off on this until I had Dad's notes and could start to piece together the events surrounding his death. But I did lodge an official complaint first simply on the basis that I thought they had made errors in his nursing - I couldn't be detailed without his notes, but just the suggestion that I was of the opinion that they made mistakes along with me specifically asking them to treat my letter as an official complaint seemed to be enough to mean that I was entitled to notes without payment. That was a matter of principle to me - if the hospital made mistakes, why should I have to pay-out to be able to confirm to them that they had indeed made mistakes! I agree that there is maybe scope for a link on the site to help people with the complaints procedure, but maybe an easier way is for others to tack onto this thread their own experiences of trying to obtain information? When I was uncertain several other users gave me advice, and Derek in particular was (and continues to be!) very helpful in telling me how to go about things. To be honest, without this advice I probably wouldn't have the notes now! 5236
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Re: Phip, any news on obtaining the medical record
Reply #2 by Maria |
Posted: June 28, 2005 at 17:28 | |
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Phip The information I received from Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (http://www.cppih.org/icas.html) was to use AVMA http://www.avma.org.uk/index.asp. They can transcribe for you. I know what you mean about being afraid to read the notes. I was involved in the organ retention scandal at the Bristol Royal Infirmary and had to get documents regarding my daughter - it was heart rending. I'm glad I did it though for peace of mind. Good luck. 5237
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Re: Phip, any news on obtaining the medical record
Reply #3 by Tina |
Posted: July 11, 2005 at 11:16 | |
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My twin brother died in March 2004(heart failure) was one of the causes of death. He was DX positive with MRSA just 2 days before he died. I have gone through the complaints procedure not just because of the MRSA but his general care, or should I say lack of care. I am now at the stage of Independent Review with the Healthcare Commission, it seems to be taking forever but they told me that there is a backlog of 10,000 complaints...yes 10,000, and that is only the people who have took the time and energy to complain in the first place, I think that the real figure would be much higher if everybody put their complaints in writing but after your loved one has died some people think that there is no point, I know that my complaint won't bring my brother back but I would like to think that the hospital involved will take on board my concerns about his care and make sure that the same things don't happen to other people. I paid for the hospital notes and I did ask a friend who is a nurse to explain some of the wording , I also have a nurses dictionary which helps you to look up words that you don't understand.We owe it to future patients and their families to voice our concerns and complaints in order to try and stop it happening to any one else. email me at twintina48@aol.com. Thanks Tina Rowley 5541
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Re: Phip, any news on obtaining the medical record
Reply #4 by Bev |
Posted: July 11, 2005 at 11:40 | |
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i am really sorry tina to hear about your brother you share the same surname as my mum who died in 2003 and i totally agree with your comments about the figures being a lot higher than what they have said.. would you feel like you could add your brothers details to the roll call list of hidden victims ? 5542
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Re: Phip, any news on obtaining the medical record
Reply #5 by Maria |
Posted: July 11, 2005 at 14:17 | |
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Sorry to hear about your brother Tina (I've also emailed you). I agree that we have to keep on raising the profile and fighting back. When I obtained mums records I didn't think I could be more shocked. But I was. I won't go on about it here, but something really has to be done to stop thousands of people suffering because of incompetence. With regard to the medical notes, its absolutely fundamental if healthcare staff are not recording things or losing information, how on earth can the different teams look after the patient. I was staggered by some of the practices I saw in the hospital where my mum was interned (and I don't use the word interned lightly), now I have the records, I'm even more staggered! Needless to say I'm fighting on! 5545
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