A WOMAN who was rushed into hospital with a suspected stroke had to wait two days for a diagnosis after a series of scans, tests and treatments was cancelled or delayed.
Louise Ford dialled 999 when she felt the left side of her body go “funny” on Wednesday night.
When she arrived at Worcestershire Royal Hospital the on-call doctor told her it could have been the result of a migraine or even a stroke.
A spokesman for Worcestershire Acute Hospital Trust has since apologised and said the treatment she received was based on her clinical need at the time, but Miss Ford said she was left with no idea what was wrong with her.
But despite being checked in to Worcestershire Royal Hospital, scans, tests and treatments were repeatedly cancelled.
She said: “The whole left side of my body went funny and they said it was a migraine or a suspected stroke.
“They were going to give me a CT scan when I arrived but that was moved, then they changed it to an MRI scan that was going to take a few days, then Thursday I was supposed to have blood tests at 9am but had to wait until 3pm, and finally I was booked in for the MRI on Friday morning.”
But Thursday night, the 23-year-old’s symptoms got worse and an emergency doctor had to be called to the ward.
“He said my condition was either a suspected stroke or a potential blood clot in my brain and to take me for an MRI there and then, but after looking at my chart and seeing I was booked in for one the next morning, staff said to wait, and again that got cancelled and I don’t know what’s going on.”
Miss Ford, of Stonnall Close, in Severn Stoke, had been sharing her hospital room in the Acute Medical Unit with two others and said they all felt treatment and attention was lacking for their conditions, with one patient not receiving treatment from a nebuliser - a small device that can convert a drug from a solution into an aerosol for breathing in - half an hour after reporting breathing problems.
And it’s not the only time Miss Ford has been left feeling lacking, as when she gave birth to her son, who is one next week, he was sent home with an undiagnosed breathing problem.
Ann Carey, director of nursing for medicine, apologised to Miss Ford following her treatment while at the hospital.
She said: “We are very sorry that Miss Ford did not receive the level of care we expect for our patients.
“We have spoken to Miss Ford about her concerns and will continue to ensure that she is fully involved in discussions about her care and treatment.
“We welcome feedback from our patients and would encourage all patients to highlight any concerns over their care to the ward manager or matron whilst they are in hospital, so that any issues can be resolved as quickly as possible.”
She has now made a complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and was taken for an MRI scan Friday afternoon before being discharged and referred to a neurologist.
“It’s disgusting - you shouldn’t have to phone someone in London to sort you out when you’re in hospital,” she added.
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