Netcare Pinehaven Hospital Complaint

Carenet complaint - NTC***

I was a patient in the Orthopaedic Ward from Thursday 14th March 2024 and lodged a formal complaint about the shocking care which I received in Ward 2, along with patients in bed 2, 3 and 5. Firstly, I handed in my private medicine in a clear plastic bag to the nurses on my arrival on Thursday and received my medication on Thursday night. Friday morning, I did not receive my medication because I was going to surgery. On Friday night, I waited and waited for my medication to arrive and when I asked the male nurse on duty in our ward, he informed me that there was no medication other than what the doctors had prescribed. I told him that I had given the packet to the nurses on Thursday, and he was adamant there was nothing. We all waited till after 11h00 to receive medications and were all very upset because we did not want a male nurse changing our bedpans or nappies and requested a female nurse instead. I told him to find my chronic medicine and was again told it was not by them. Eventually I asked for the night Supervisor who came and saw me. I explained the situation to her, and she told me they did not have my medication and I told her that was impossible as I had given it to the nurses. She then told me that I must search my bags which she went through with me, and none were found. I told her this was unacceptable as the medication was over R2000 and it needed to be found or I would open a case. This individual told me to then open a case against her in her personal capacity. A little while later, it miraculously appeared with my sticker on. She informed me that the male nurse was new and was still finding his feet which is unacceptable as he was *********** and useless. We were provided with a glass and jug of water on Friday morning and did not receive any other replacements which were still the same on Sunday when I was discharged. The food was appalling to say the least, and everybody complained about the complete lack of empathy or understanding from the nurses. They ignored people’s emergency calls and we waited for such a long time to get assistance without seeing anybody but could hear our alarms ringing at the nurses’ stations. Their attitude was too horrific and the lady in bed 5 laid in a wet nappy with soaked bedding from 14h00 till late that evening. Irritation at having to collect full pans also seemed to be an issue??? The male nurse simply ignored the patients when they asked him for assistance as he was clearly unable to do what he was supposed to do and kept ignoring patient 2 who's leg was lying out her bed and she asked him for assistance four times before I told him what she wanted. He just told her he didn't understand what she was saying. The patient in bed 3 had to go for x-rays and when the porter arrived, she told him she needed to use a nappy and had to go to the toilet but he ignored her so she wet her pants and was very upset. Eventually they took her down to x-rays and she received pureed food which she complained about and every time, she was given worse food than the previous times. The nurses were blatantly ignoring her, and she was getting very upset. Patient 5's drip in her neck was bothering her and they struggled to try and change her dressing as it got stuck and they battled to get it sorted out. She was extremely upset and was in pain and her bed tray was too high so when she tried to eat or drink, she messed all over her shirt and when she asked for assistance, she was told by the nurse to simply raise herself up. Really!!! The bed tray didn't work so they eventually gave her another one. My compression socks did not work on Saturday night as nobody bothered to check them, and I told the physio what had happened on Sunday morning. I heard such good things about Pinehaven and didn't hesitate when the paramedics told me they were bringing me there as Flora had no aircon. The night supervisor also told me that they were struggling with the aircon unit on Friday night as it was unbearably hot.

On Friday night when I asked for a sleeping tablet, the male nurse wanted to give me an injection in my bottom, and I asked him why it was necessary as I already had a drip? He then proceeded to administer it into my drip.

Patient 3 had to use a nebulizer and was given a childs oxygen mask which she complained about and was told that it was all that was available. She was battling to breath and kept asking for assistance. On Saturday night, she then received a larger oxygen mask and when she asked if it was sterile, she was told it was, but she was not happy with the condition it was in and complained. The lady nurse then went and got her another one and she again asked how it had been sterilized? The nurse simply went and threw both masks into the bin and went to get a brand new one which the patient complained about and insisted that she wanted the other disposed of one's back as she had to pay for it. The sister went and removed them from the waste bin and gave them to her and was not happy with the patient who I do understand was challenging but I would have done the same.

When I asked for a bedpan on Saturday night whilst my husband was there, nobody came and eventually my husband went to the toilet and got me a bedpan and disposed of it immediately. The nurse then came back and told us we should have waited for a nurse???

Furthermore, the patient in bed 5 was upset by the same male nurse in question as he wanted to give her sleeping pills which she refused as she said that they were not Stillnox. He continued arguing with her and told her the tablet was just another colour until she showed him her own medication which was blue in her drawer. She informed me that she would also be getting her family to take this matter further as it was simply unacceptable.

I was also asked by a nurse, Sharron, as to how many times I had used a bedpan and when I told her it was twice in the afternoon, she said that it had not been recorded on the iPad? I then asked the nurse in question who simply said she forgot?

The patient in bed 2 was also put into a chair and was left the entire morning with her head hanging on her chest with nothing to support her neck and her physio ladies assisted her to try and get her comfortable. Despite speaking to the senior sisters did not seem to help as we got the feeling, they were all trying to hide away the problems therefore the daughter of patient 2 gave me an email address to contact them to inform them about what had happened to me as she had problems in December when her mom was there as well and asked me to please report this shocking behaviour.

When I was discharged, we waited for a porter to take me in a wheelchair downstairs and he never appeared, so my husband pushed me in my walker downstairs without anyone being the wiser.

This is obviously extremely concerning to patients who are paying exorbitant amounts for medical aids and service to be provided and again, this is simply not acceptable.

The doctors who took care of us were amazing and it is very disappointing that the after care received pulls them down and is not fair to them.

My husband and I insisted on urgent feedback from senior management in this regard by no later than Friday morning, 22nd March 2024 as we do not believe that the management or Care Officer are competent and have no confidence in the nurses who are currently looking after the patients in this ward as this matter is critical to all who have been involved and may be subject to further abuse suffered at this hospital.

Therefore, I suggested that the management please contact the families of the patients involved urgently as they will confirm what I have reported in this complaint which has also now been referred to our legal team for representation.

Rene Phelps