Abandoned in accident and emergency for 10 hours, left to eat her dinner next to an overflowing commode and patronised by staff who thought she was too poor to pay for private treatment.
This is one 88-year-old woman's dismal story of her treatment at Kingston Hospital.
Hilda Price, of Cleveland Road, New Malden, said she was "disgusted" by her 10-day stay in the hospital when she was admitted suffering with Clostridium difficile (C.dif).
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Miss Price claims she initially contracted the bug at Kingston Hospital when she was a patient on Canbury ward having an operation on an arthritic foot on March 2.
After being sent home on March 5, her condition worsened and she booked to return to the hospital's private Coombe Ward for treatment on April 1.
However, Miss Price said she was left on a drip for 10 hours by staff who refused to believe she could afford the private fees.
"They think because I am over 80 I must be senile - it is an insult.”
Hilda Price
Kingston Hospital confirmed Miss Price was admitted to accident and emergency on April 1 and was then transferred to their Medical Assessment Centre (Mac) for two days.
"I waited and waited and waited," Miss Price said.
"I asked when I was going to Coombe Ward but everyone ignored me saying did I know how expensive it was? I was treated like an imbecile."
Miss Price also said she was shocked by the dirty facilities in the Mac.
"It's diabolical -I had to eat my dinner next to a commode full of diarrhoea because they were so short staffed nobody came to move it - I rang and rang the bell but no one came."
Once she was transferred to Coombe Ward on April 3, Miss Price said she was outraged by the inattentive staff has been landed with a consultant's bill for £760 for what she said was someone, "popping their head in and saying hello".
"I'm so cross about the way they have treated me," she said.
"The staff got down on their knees to talk to me and asked me if I had made a will yet - they think because I am over 80 I must be senile - it is an insult."
Kingston Hospital pledged to "thoroughly investigate" the concerns raised by Miss Price.
"We were unaware of Miss Price's concerns until they were brought to our attention by the Surrey Comet and, therefore, have not yet had the opportunity to properly investigate the issues raised," a trust spokeswoman said.
"We expect high standards of care for all our patients and we would like to sincerely apologise to Miss Price if she feels that she did not receive this from the hospital."
this has been going on for years, i have given up going to hospital now. unless i need an op.
in 2002 i broke both my ankles and cracked my head open. since it was staurday and knowing kingston AE very well i decided to try and sleep it off at home. i collapsed in the morning and was taken to AE by ambulence.
i waited 9 hours for them to put a half arsed backslap on each leg and then told i had to stay over night because they didnt have any air boots left.
i never actually got a proper cast fitted.
i had physio sessions booked to help me get back to normal walking. however after turning up twice and my physio not being there i never went back. its not easy getting to a hospital with 2 borken ankles and its hugely disapointing being told 'we forgot to phone' twice.
this has been going on for years, i have given up going to hospital now. unless i need an op.
in 2002 i broke both my ankles and cracked my head open. since it was staurday and knowing kingston AE very well i decided to try and sleep it off at home. i collapsed in the morning and was taken to AE by ambulence.
i waited 9 hours for them to put a half arsed backslap on each leg and then told i had to stay over night because they didnt have any air boots left.
i never actually got a proper cast fitted.
i had physio sessions booked to help me get back to normal walking. however after turning up twice and my physio not being there i never went back. its not easy getting to a hospital with 2 borken ankles and its hugely disapointing being told 'we forgot to phone' twice.
I was taken to Kingston after being knocked off the back of my boyfriends motorbike. I had a serious knee injury but even after being brought in by paramedics, I was made to wait 6-7 hours before I was even given any pain killers. The only reason I was seen was because the pain had gotten so bad I was crying out, pretty loudly, in pain.
I was then given crutches and told to go home. No pain killers were given and I was half way out of the door before I was called back in for the nurse to book my physio appointment!
Total shambles.
I was taken to Kingston after being knocked off the back of my boyfriends motorbike. I had a serious knee injury but even after being brought in by paramedics, I was made to wait 6-7 hours before I was even given any pain killers. The only reason I was seen was because the pain had gotten so bad I was crying out, pretty loudly, in pain.
I was then given crutches and told to go home. No pain killers were given and I was half way out of the door before I was called back in for the nurse to book my physio appointment!
this to me sounds like just an old woman complaining coz she has nothing better to do.....i DO NOT believe what she has said to be honest. its just not feasable. But i can understand certain inadequeces (sp?) in the NHS. that i can believe. i have only been in hosp. twice ever and it was fine, and both times yeah i had to wait but so what.....other people were obv. worse off. i think people expect it to be like the portland tbh lol
this to me sounds like just an old woman complaining coz she has nothing better to do.....i DO NOT believe what she has said to be honest. its just not feasable. But i can understand certain inadequeces (sp?) in the NHS. that i can believe. i have only been in hosp. twice ever and it was fine, and both times yeah i had to wait but so what.....other people were obv. worse off. i think people expect it to be like the portland tbh lol
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