What to do when you suspect negligence from a doctor and/or hospital staff?

[sutekj]

My dad is busy dying in the hospital. The doctor is being very unempathetic and treats my dad and family like we're a nuisance.

He was in for a cancer operation. They surgically removed cancer. While in recovery at the hospital the wound from the operation got infected, and now he had to be operated on again. And now it looks like he's getting worse by the day. He can't eat or drink and his stomach is being pumped constantly. He is getting depressed and feels like he's going to die. We see no end in sight.

So I asked the doctor (on my dad's behalf, because he wanted to know), when the pipe in his nose that's pumping his stomach is coming out, and when he can start drinking water again. The doctor got ****ing annoyed with me for that.

What I don't understand is how they can let the wound get infected. In my opinion it should never have gotten to the point where he needed a second operation.

So, what I want to know is if it's possible and worth it to move my dad to another doctor/hospital? Which channels can I go through to do that?

I just want to get my dad out of the hospital in as healthy state as possible. I can't take this ****. Seeing my dad like this is killing me.

 

[sutekj]

Barring that, is there anything anyone can recommend we do to help his spirit?

I think he just needs sunlight and outdoors for once, but that's not going to happen in the next few days.

 

[Grant]

my mother had back surgery many years back & got a really bad surgical infection.
it can be caused by a number of "contaminants".
one thing often overlooked is infections as a result of airborne bacteria etc. operating theaters should have a negative air pressure system to prevent this.
surgical staff often have no way of being sure that the system is operating efficiently - or at all.

If the doctor "full of crap" is his gp, then speak to the surgeon.
if it is the surgeon full of crap, speak to his gp, or oncologist.
was 2nd surgery indicated to treat the infection ?

moving someone to a different hospital is a prohibitively expensive procedure in terms of specialized advanced life support personnel as well as ambulance / equipment involved in the transfer.

my mother had a heart attack a couple of years back & was taken to cape town medi-clinic.
when they realized what was going on, she had to be moved to chris barnard hospital in the city centre.
because she was connected to ecg equipment & had certain drips connected to administer blood thinners etc, a specialised ambulance & crew were used.
the trip from medi-clinic to chris barnard hospital (less than 10 mins) was R3800.
in your dad's case a "surgical" transfer would be required - usually inadvisable due to the risk of surgical wound infection.

see if the hospital has a private ward with a verandah / patio - some hospitals have them.
even if there is no ward with a patio, a private ward allows (usually) "extended" visiting hours. one can often get permission to connect a dvd / media player to the tv in his room. he can then watch whatever he wants, whenever he wants.
get a couple of his old buddies to visit - continual visits from family can become a little boring & tiresome.

**edit
some doctors with appalling bedside manner are brilliant surgeons - it's just their "people sills" are somewhat lacking

 

[sutekj]

I'm not sure exactly why the second surgery was needed. I think it was related to haematoma that formed from the surgery wound. Not understanding why everything happens is why this is so stressful.

It's the internist that was difficult. I guess that's sort of like a GP. Half the problem I think is the way the nurse framed the situation before she let me speak to him. She said that "Mr ...'s family is upset and wants to speak with you". That didn't help. Really all I wanted to know is when he's seeing my dad again, and when he can start drinking water again. The not knowing what's going on is psychological hell, and it just doesn't seem like communicating with the patient is a priority for them.

I'm going to take him some audio books to listen to, to take his mind off his surroundings. Hope that will help.

Thanks so much for your reply!

 

[Arthur]

Until there is credible medical evidence to the contrary, it is presumed your dad is receiving the best possible medical care. Only another doctor can make that assessment. So your biggest challenge is getting that second opinion. There are only two ways of getting another opinion:
1. Persuade the current doctor or his superiors in hospital administration to obtain a second opinion, or
2. Remove your dad from that hospital and surgeon, and place him in the care of another.

Neither is easy, as you know.

My sympathies. This is a very hard time. May all go well.

 

[ProfA]

In my opinion the entire medical fraternity looks out for each other, so getting one to say another was negligent is basically impossible.

 

[Rickster]

some doctors with appalling bedside manner are brilliant surgeons - it's just their "people sills" are somewhat lacking

You have just described M.D. Gregory House.

 

[mercurial]

Name and shame

 

[Alan]

Sorry to hear. Instruct the doctor to transfer your father to another hospital. Another option is too sign him out and arrange/pay for a private ambulance to transport him to another hospital if you can't do it yourself.

Don't be intimated by their immense hubris insist it gets done don't accept no for an answer.

You could also contact this website if you think your father has been a victim of incompetence and negligence http://www.batchelor.co.za/ if you are in the W.Cape

Unfortunately though doctors are less accountable than even politicians.

In my opinion the entire medical fraternity looks out for each other, so getting one to say another was negligent is basically impossible.

That is exactly the case even if the patient's life is at stake.

 

[winner]

When a patient develops severe surgical wound infection, it is part of the management to open the patient up again and do a washout. The problem here seems to be bad communication from the hospital staff and family. Wrong but i don't think it qualifies as negligence. Another thing is that it is impossible to prevent wound sepsis. Yes there are infection control measures that should be adhered to but those are just reducing the chances not eliminating them. With cancers involved you might be talking about a patient whose immune system is no longer functioning optimally.

Wish you all the best for your dad and your family