'Treatment at hospital was appalling' (From Worcester News)

'Treatment at hospital was appalling'

7:00pm Saturday 4th February 2012 in News By Tarik Al Rasheed

PAIN: Donna Stimson is angry about the treatment she received at Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester. Picture by Paul Jackson.

A MOTHER has slammed the care her daughter rec-eived during a stay at Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester.

Marilyn Stimson, landlady of the Express Inn in Quest Hills Road, Malvern, said her daughter Donna was treated “appallingly” during a three-day stay at the hospital after she was admitted with a suspected case of appendicitis.

Miss Stimson, aged 32, was admitted to the hospital at about 4pm on Tuesday, January 24.

But it was not until almost 11pm that she was seen by a doctor and told she would be kept in overnight for observation. Mrs Stimson said: “She was given morphine and declared nil by mouth, and was told that she would be going for a scan. But that never took place and there was no communication as to why it had not happened.

“It got to a point where it was Thursday (January 26) and she had not had anything to eat for more than two days. She was stuck in a room with no communication and by that point she was getting really worried and upset.

“She didn’t know whether the pains were hunger or whether there was something wrong with her.”

After Mrs Stimson demanded to know what was going on, Donna was finally given something light to eat on Thursday and had a scan the following day before being sent home.

“But she was in that bed for all that time when she could have been at home, despite all the worries you hear about hospitals not having enough beds,” said Mrs Stimson.

She also says that during her stay, Donna was promised injections and stockings to prevent the risk of blood clots, but that these did not materialise for almost 48 hours.

“I think it is appalling that she could be treated like that,” she said. “I am not blaming the nurses. I think they are doing the best they can. But I think the system is absolutely disgusting.”

A spokesperson for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said: “We are sorry that Ms Stimson is unhappy with her care. We take all feedback very seriously and would encourage her to contact us so we can look into her concerns.”