The Dream

A little geocache maintenance walk. I went to check on one of mine up at The Dream (sculpture in main photo) in St Helens but I couldn't get to it as the jungle was impenetrable! Nettles, wicked brambles and other vegetation was chest high and dense plus the hazard of a deep ditch which was easily seen when I placed this cache but today, in places, it was hidden under the "jungle". I popped a new cache in not far away, got the co-ordinates for it and amended the cache page accordingly.
Extra is from the route up to The Dream.
Went to see Terry and he was weary, in pain but not full whack and he seemed pale and weak plus he felt cold and his abdomen looked more distended today. He slept a lot of the time I was visiting - not long periods, more catnaps although he was well asleep on some of them.
He rang me at teatime to say they were moving him but he didn't know why or what sort of ward. He had been in the loo when someone had shouted "Joe, you're being moved so you need to pack your things up right away." Joe is NOT his name - it may be on his birth certificate but he has always been called Terry from his middle name and it states "Terry" on the name board behind his bed! I can't believe they expected him to gather all his things together himself. They can't be aware of how bad he feels. Constant pain and fatigue. Anyway, he found out he was going to 3B so I looked it up on the hospital website and it said Trauma and Orthopaedics so I thought he must have misheard - it made no sense to send him there. I noticed 3D is gastroenterology so I thought ah, it must be there. No! They sent him to 3B around 7pm.
At this point he had missed his evening meal of sandwiches which were packed in his little case but he had no appetite as he was distressed after having gathered all his stuff up while feeling so ill.
It was a good job his visitors were there (sister and niece) as when the porter came for him he would have had to try to carry his stuff on his knee but thankfully his rels did that.
When I heard he had gone to 3B I thought that the hospital website must need updating but eventually I rang the ward to ask what type of ward it is. I asked politely saying I was just wondering as the website says it's trauma and orthopaedics. The nurse confirmed that it was. He will still get the same care though. She said he must have been sent there because there was no medical or surgical bed for him. This is incorrect as he was already in a surgical bed. I asked would the same team of surgeons be treating him and she said she wasn't sure if he would be treated by the medics or the surgeons. Oh great. How concerning is that!
I stewed on this for a while but after talking it over with family and ex colleagues (nurse mates who were shocked he had been moved there) I rang the bed manager. It was ages I was hanging on and finally the operator tried the other bed manager (surgery apparently) and she answered immediately.
I explained my concerns and she said I should take it up with the Matron for 4C tomorrow as it was day staff who moved him. I said I will but I wanted my concerns noted. She said he'll still have the same surgeons treating him - that was good to know then she said that it would be the Matron for 4C who assessed him as fine to be moved. Really? I've yet to see a Matron assess a patient - Matron usually asks the nurse which patients are fit to move. In this case I feel the surgeons should have been asked as I doubt they would have agreed to move him. However, if it had been a dire emergency maybe  but at least someone should have come to him and explained it and reassured him he would still be getting looked after by the same surgeons etc. Nope. Nothing from anyone. A couldn't care less attitude if you ask me. The bed manager started explaining to me about outliers but I didn't need to be told this so I thought best to say so I said I know how it works, I'm a retired nurse but I someone should have explained it and reassured him as he was left distressed. I also said that before I go I just want  to run this by her - he has an acute abdomen, cholangitis, pancreatitis and yesterday he was told he has a new blood clot in the main blood vessel leading from his pancreas to his liver. I really don't think he should have been moved.
At this point she said she would go straight to the ward and see the nurse about this and she apologised profusely even though it was not her doing. I thanked her then wondered if I had been bitter and twisted. I thought about it logically as if I had been the nurse on duty and I definitely would not have wanted him moved. I appreciate that there can be dire emergencies but even if that was the case there is no excuse for the lack of explanation / reassurance and if I was bitter and twisted well someone has to look out for Terry, the NHS doesn't seem to be stepping up.