I REALLY don’t understand

Dear Doctor

I REALLY don’t understand how a health service could send someone who needs help for every basic functional need can be sent home when they live alone. Please. Explain it to me. What do you expect them to do?!

Now look, I understand you want beds for patients and you want to be rid of as many people a day as you can. But, honestly, would you want this to happen to a family member or even a friend of yours? And when someone has no help and nobody to take care of them, it’s hard for them to GET the help they need.

Bed space is limited. OK. Hospitals spend “too much” because there is a LOT of wastage…again agreed. But there are SO MANY changes that COULD be made to the system and nobody agrees what is best. And each department doesn’t care about another OR if by caring for their patient causes another department or service an issue.

When I am in hospital, I SEE what goes on in a ward. It’s hard to miss something staring you in the face with your own eyes because it is happening RIGHT IN FRONT of you.

So why not come together and WORK with different departments and services and seeing that the processes one patient needs can be worked out in terms of keeping the cost lower for EVERY department, not just one area?

I know you’re busy and have lots of issues to deal with, but this one I see or hear time and time again. There is not ONE instance of it but many.

Please tell me what you think. Have you just got so accustomed to it you don’t even see it anymore? There must be an answer that HELPS a patient be the centre of the focus. I am only throwing suggestions out here.

Thanks doctor. I do appreciate everything you do and I know nobody is perfect.

Yours

The invisible Patient