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My sons brain aneurysm

Posted By stonefc79

"My sons brain aneurysm"

About: General practices in Lanarkshire Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Glasgow / Neurosurgery (Ward 64 – 66) Scottish Ambulance Service / Emergency Ambulance University Hospital Monklands / Emergency Department

(as a parent/guardian),

My son had extremely high blood pressure, bloodshot eyes, blinding headaches.  He went back and forth to his GP and was given painkillers after painkillers, blood pressure tablets kept getting increased each time he went.  He tried A&E at Monklands hospital Airdrie numerous times and was sent away with painkillers. He asked every doctor he saw for a scan but was told it was unnecessary, even though he has a medical history

My son was rolling about the floor in agony.  It took for me to take him back to the GP and let’s say be a bit more assertive before they would refer him to ERU.  He got there and was told to take a seat in A&E. I tried explaining but no one would listen, after being taken through triage he lay in a corridor for more than 8 hrs before getting a bed, then in the early hours,  more than 5 hrs after that they took him for a scan to find bleeding and clots in his brain, called for a blue light ambulance to Queen Elizabeth hospital.

6 hrs later after I was so distressed and had to ask why we were waiting 6 hrs on a blue light ambulance did it appear.  Also the staff nurse said I wouldn’t be allowed to go with him to which the ambulance crew said yes I could.

We  got to Queen Elizabeth and they were amazing, Had another scan to discover another bleed, vessels and arteries at the front of his brain had burst so he needed 2 surgeries. 2 surgeons working on my sons brain, one after the other so they could operate with 1 anaesthetic.   He had his skull drilled into and a drain inserted.  He has two 6-inch scars on his head where they had to open up his head, they were put back together with staples.

My son is home now with very little use of his right side and has to think about what his family are saying to him. His speech has been affected too. This is a married man in his late thirties who used to drive (not now) and who used to work (not now) thanks to sheer incompetence from university hospital Monklands.  I think these doctors need to stop reading off a computer and text books and actually look and read the patient, and why did it take for me his mum to be hysterical before someone took notice?

I don’t think I’ll ever shift this anger, 

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Responses

Response from David King, Patient Experience Coordinator, Corporate Affairs, Scottish Ambulance Service nearly 2 years ago
David King
Patient Experience Coordinator, Corporate Affairs,
Scottish Ambulance Service

Submitted on 08/09/2023 at 14:53
Published on Care Opinion at 15:17

Dear stonefc79

Thank you for sharing your story. It's obviously been a pretty horrible time for you all and cannot begin to imagine what you have been through.

I am sure that University Hospital Monklands will be in touch but if I can help answer any questions regarding the ambulance aspect please do not hesitate to contact me at sas.feedback@nhs.scot

I do hope your son makes a recovery.

Kind regards

David

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Update posted by stonefc79 (a parent/guardian)

I’ve missed a call from someone regarding my post sorry, if you see this could you please call me back

Response from Sam Atkinson, Clinical Service Manager, Neurosurgery, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde nearly 2 years ago
Sam Atkinson
Clinical Service Manager, Neurosurgery,
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Submitted on 11/09/2023 at 09:43
Published on Care Opinion at 09:44

Dear stonefc79

Thank you for sharing your story. I appreciate this is a incredibly difficult time for you and your family.

I am the Service Manager for Neurosurgery at the Institute of Neurological Sciences, QEUH. If you require any further support, we will be happy to discuss with you the ways in which we might be able to help.

Please contact either myself at sam.atkinson@ggc.scot.nhs.uk or my Lead Nurse Pamela Philp, at pamela.philp@ggc.scot.nhs.uk should this be of any interest.

Best wishes,

Sam

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Response from Jennifer Montgomery, Improvement Coordinator, Quality Directorate, NHS Lanarkshire nearly 2 years ago
Jennifer Montgomery
Improvement Coordinator, Quality Directorate,
NHS Lanarkshire

Operational Lead for Care Opinion in NHS Lanarkshire

Submitted on 13/09/2023 at 16:42
Published on Care Opinion on 14/09/2023 at 09:26

picture of Jennifer Montgomery

Dear stonefc79.

Thank you for taking the time to share your recent experience on Care Opinion.

I am so sorry to hear about your son's brain aneurysm. This must have been such a worrying and frightening time for you all.

I am sorry that your son had to go back and forth to the GP while struggling with his symptoms and that it took you attending the GP surgery with your son and being more assertive for them to take action. GP’s are independent contractors and are responsible for investigating and responding to any concerns a person may have about the service; they are not registered to respond directly to feedback through Care Opinion. Can I please invite you to contact the Practice Manager if you would like a direct response about the service or you can also contact Primary Care Patient Affairs, I have included their contact details.

PatientAffairs.Primarycare@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk Tel no. 01698 752800 Option 2

I hope you son continues recovering at home.

Kind Regards,

Jenni

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Response from Morag McGhee, Deputy Chief Nurse, University Hospital Monklands, NHS Lanarkshire nearly 2 years ago
Morag McGhee
Deputy Chief Nurse, University Hospital Monklands,
NHS Lanarkshire

Submitted on 15/09/2023 at 14:17
Published on Care Opinion at 14:33

picture of Morag McGhee

Dear Stonefc79

Thank you for taking the time to post regarding your experience within UHM Emergency Department.

I am sorry to hear of your experience and the long wait within the Emergency Dept prior to getting a bed within our Medical Assessment Unit, this must have been a very worrying time for you.

if you wish to discuss this further please include the details in your communication with the patient affairs team as advised in Jenni's post above

I hope your son is recovering well

kind regards

Morag

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Update posted by stonefc79 (a parent/guardian)

I’m sorry I haven’t explained myself in what’s upset me, yes waiting in the corridor and waiting on an ambulance to get to QE was frustrating but we were relieved that my son was eventually getting admitted and more importantly a scan.

It’s that for months he had been back and forth to GP, A&E, OOH, and no one thought that high BP, excruciating headaches that wouldn’t go away, bloodshot eyes, a history of Arnold chiari malformation 20yrs ago and born with sturge Webber syndrome added up to a bleed, if only someone had just listened to me or my son and agreed to a scan then the weaker narrower veins in his brain might not have ruptured and it would have only been a bleed that needed dealt with, and he wouldn’t have suffered and been debilitated for the best part of a year and had his life changed.

I could go on and tell a dozen story’s related to his experience with the doctors he’s seen but we just have to adjust and get on with it.

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