PALS

Reading the post that Chris left this morning reminded me of something I saw recently in a NHS ward in the UK. The Sister administering drugs to 27 patients on her ward, some of them via a breathing mask, some via injection in to their IV's and some injections straight into their bodies. Other's still were given oral medication in the form of tablets and pills.

She went all around the ward and not once did she wash her hands between patients. The man in the 26th bed had an injection into his tummy and the man in the 27th bed had medication added to his breathing mask and also injected into his IV. This scared me, because the man in the 27th bed was my father. But of course I couldn't start telling the SISTER how to do her job could I!!!

In the UK at every NHS hospital there is a department called Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) They are wonderful.

PALS is an impartial confidential NHS service that can provide patients, relatives and carers using the (Insert the name of the approiate) Hospitals with 'on the spot' help, support and information. PALS can liaise with staff and managers to sort out issues quickly. PAL's also;

• listens to your comments, suggestions or queries on the services that the Trust provides
• helps to sort out problems quickly on your behalf
• helps you decide what to do and advises you if you wish to make a formal complaint
• helps you get information you need about NHS services
• refers you to specialist agencies for further help
• supports patient and public involvement in the NHS

If ever anyone you care about is admitted to a NHS hospital, contact your PAL's officer, they can help. The wonderful officer who I spoke to arranged a meeting between the consultant, the sister and myself to discuss my concerns about my fathers care and the lack of simple handwashing between patients (the sister claimed she was too busy and didn't have the time to wash her hands, although she did concide that she probably should). And then she made sure that she came to see my father frequently as follow up, just in case he was feeling there was something he wasn't comfortable with about the ward but was unable to say directly to the staff or there were no visitors around, for example he was given a meal, but was unable to feed himself so it was just taken away from him. They also moved him to a new bed that was right next to a sink and from then on every member of nursing staff washed their hands before they touched him.