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Blodwen

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  • First name
    Deborah
  • Last name
    Clarke
  • Country
    United Kingdom

About me

  • About me
    I’ve experienced serious life changing complications following surgery. I’m therefore very interested in patient safety.

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  1. Community Post
    Thank you but I’ve tried everything you mention and more. because I wasn’t really told the full extent of my complication ( enterocutaneous fistula), I never complained, I assumed it would heal or could be fixed. When I did take it up with the hospital they said they had no responsibilities for patients, private hospitals are merely hosts. The consultant was and is still seeing me, as I was private there are no other means of support. ( no PALS, no Community Health Council, no ombudsman ). AvMA have been helpful but say my only option is the legal route but I’m out of time. Phin just provided statistics to help you decide what hospital or surgeon to chose in the private sector. the regulatory body for Independent hospitals is ISCAS who will only help if you’ve put in a first tier complaint. But as I say I was told I had nothing to complain about. ( 3 stoma bags !). I cannot see where private patients are advised of any of this prior to surgery. How can that be right, I would have certainly managed my expectations better . thank you for taking the trouble to reply, it is much appreciated.
  2. Community Post
    Hi all I had. Life changing complications in a private hospital - long story and will never recover . Has anyone any experience or knowledge if what mechanisms are in place when these events happen - should there be an enquiry for example ? thank you
  3. Community Post
    Hi all, 7 years ago I had catastrophic complications following a hysterectomy. I’m not saying it was negligence but the damage is permanent , life changing and getting worse. I have an abdominal fistula and 3 stoma bags. It’s a very very long story. The psychological damage has been almost as bad as the physical. Had I know then what I know now I would have complained and ‘made a fuss’, but I did nothing partly because my life was blown apart and I spent 6 months in hospital being vein fed facing the possibility of never eating or drinking again. what traumatises mean to this day is the absolute lack of guidance and support. I had my surgery as a private patient because I was a carer to my brain damaged mother, I needed the op out of the way. There was no enquiry, or explanation despite having a perforated bowel, enterocuranous fistula, respiratory failure, sepsis - I could go on. Yet nothing was ever explained and now I’m out of time. No one but no wants to help, I’ve tried really hard but all I get is sorry but too late. How can this be right and has anyone any suggestions how I can get answers please . It just doesn’t sound right .
  4. Content Article Comment
    I had life changing complications during a hysterectomy from which I will never recover. I never asked questions because I was too traumatised and trying to concentrate on staying alive. I regret that decision and fell now I can never have closure as I am now out of time for answers. Just seems very unfair, like a double wounding - the Initial physical wounds caused by the surgery coupled with the psychological damage of no answers.
  5. Community Post
    Hey David, I suppose it depends on the type of injury and whether it’s a physical injury, a physcological injury or both - can you share some more information please ?
  6. Content Article Comment
    Really interesting article and one that resonates deeply with me. Before I continue I’d like to say my heart goes out to all who have lost love ones, so tragic and I’m so sorry. i had catastrophic surgical complications which left me unable to eat or drink ( I was vein fed for months but I can now eat ), spent months in hospital, suffered respiratory failure and sepsis. Five years on im still broken physically and mentally ( I have a very complex abdominal fistula, a sight threatening eye condition which is linked to the bowel problem and PTSD, depression and anxiety. When it happened it was somehow normalised and I was made to feel I should be grateful to be alive not sad my health had been so severely compromised. I never pursued it as I was too traumatised. I suppose there are two types of harm, where someone is to blame or when it’s ‘one of those things’. I was even told ‘ well you signed the consent form’ ( not by my consultant who is very kind). It’s been hell on Earth and still is yet there is no help. I’m now so traumatised about going back into hospital , I keep putting a much needed procedure off. I think things will get worse for people like me after Covid as there will be a lot of traumatised people out there. I am told ‘oh what happened to you is very rare’ ( so it doesn’t count ), to which I sometimes say ‘it’s only rare until it happens to you’. sorry if my comment isn’t appropriate, I can't imagine how it feels to lose someone through harm and don’t pretend to. I have lost myself though in all of this and my husband has lost his wife. I feel invisible and irrelevant.
  7. Community Post
    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.
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