Your personal experience of patient safety

Hello everyone,

We know there is much learning to be gained from listening to patient and families. This is particularly true when it comes to patient safety.  Have you had an experience that you'd like to share with us?

Maybe you identified a risk or shared a concern and were listened to and unsafe care was avoided? Maybe you weren't listenied to or you didn't realise what was going on and you or your family member were harmed? How did you find out about the patient safety incident? Was information shared with you that you needed to know? Were you supported? Was there an invetsigation into the incident and were you invited to contributed to it? Were lessona learned and acted upon? Have others learned from this experience, do you know?

I am not a patient but I met a lady in Ireland who was speaking at the same conference I was. Her husband sadly lost his life  due to a lack of resources / distraction in the operating theatre. I am going to contact her as she has been on my mind quite alot since my visit to Ireland. I think she would love hear about Patient Safety Learning. My Blog kind of explains why she has been on my mind.

https://www.belowtenthousand.com/single-post/2019/09/23/Rob-in-the-Emerald-Isle

Rob!

What a powerful motivator for continuing to share your work!

I am in awe of the skill you have in connecting with people and igniting their aspirations!

This lady will be no different and I can already see the grace that envelops her the moment she realises that her experience has not just been acknowledged at a deep level, but transcendently acted upon.  

Pete!

Hi I had a hysterectomy that caused life changing complications.  It’s a long story but I ended up with a fistula which means I have a connection from my small bowel to skin, it’s a real health burden. I have 3 bags.  When they tried to fix  the fistula two years later, that surgery initially went ok but then I had to go back to theatre for an anastomotic leak .  I returned to the ward and felt awful, ‘wanted to die’ awful.  I didn’t feel believed and as the week went on I deteriorated.  I had a naso gastric tube in as my gut was on stop, after a nurse aspirated the tube the drainage stopped - I got worse eventually suffering respiratory arrest. I could not breathe yet I was told I was having a panic attack until she saw the SATS reading of 68.  I ended up in ICU minutes from death.  I’ve never recovered and am now terrified of hospitals.  I don’t think I will ever feel safe again, difficult because I still have the fistula and have to spend a lot of time in hospital.  

Hello @Blodwen It sounds a ghastly experience. Thank you for sharing with us. We're going to be publishing something very soon on the impact that unsafe care has for patients and their families - not just when harm occurs but the aftermath, both physical and psychological impact. Best wishes, Helen