UNFORGETTABLE ADMISSION; The bruises on my arms pictured below are the result of a fall from a hospital bed, due to NURSING STAFF NEGLIGENCE.

HOW THIS OCCURRED

I was admitted to the ward with severe neck and shoulder pain. The nursing staff were aware of this and had been asked , no implored by me to remember to put up the rails properly as I had had a couple of near misses, at which time I nearly went over the side of the bed. This particular bed that I was in had two sets of rails, one on each side. I was sitting up in bed most of the time because I could not lay down because my neck wasn't able to touch the pillow completely.

THE DAY OF REMEMBRANCE

I was given my usual bed bath, as I could not venture into the shower, because my legs were still unable to move.. When I was admitted, I could not move from the legs down so it was very difficult to move in bed and I had to depend on the nursing staff to give me a lot of assistance. When they had finished the nursing staff were required to put both of the rails up so that I wouldn't fall out. In other words, they were responsible for my SAFETY while I was in this bed. Every now and then, I would have to ask them, no I would beg them to put the rails up correctly.

Later that morning, I was feeling quite thirsty and I reached out to the bedside table which is provided to put your things on, including water jug, glass and anything you needed to put there. As I reached for my glass, I put one hand on the bed rail and the other one on the glass, before I knew it, I was falling to the left side of the bed with the bedside table going down with me I reached out for the locker, which was normally beside my bed, and had now been moved. As I was not able to push my self back on the bed, I plummeted to the floor. My left arm struck the side of the locker, which was further back now, and my head hit the floor. I was unconscious for several minutes and when I came too, I discovered that no one had been in for some time now to check on me. I gave my buzzer a push and waited for someone to come.

After what seemed the longest time, one of the domestic staff appeared outside my curtain. She had heard me call. I asked her where the nursing staff were, I was pushing my buzzer so why didn't they come to see me? The light is on, so where are they? She went to get help. Two nursing sisters appeared shortly after. Why didn't you come when I rang you? I asked. They said you didn't ring, yes I did the light is on. On checking the buzzer at the back wall, they soon found that the connection had been removed when the locker had been pushed over the top. The pressure from that had pulled it out. I was helped back to my bed, asked a lot of questions .I saw a doctor who examined me and because I was complaining of a sore shoulder and neck, she sent me to have some scans done.

INJURIES SUSTAINED FROM FALL

As I was wheeled down to x-ray my body was beginning to feel the affects of the fall. My left arm was throbbing, along with my head. I was x-rayed in all the places that were involved in the fall and taken back to my room. I saw a couple of the nursing staff, but still not the one who had been responsible for placing up the rails that morning. The Sister in Charge of the Ward came to see me and offered her sincere apologies and said that this would be investigated and that we will get maintenance to check for any problems with the rails. I already knew what the problem was and it wasn't a fault in the rails, it was negligence on the part of the nursing staff. I found out later it was not the right thing to say "nursing negligence". My x-rays revealed soft tissue damage to my neck and a tear in the left rotator-cuff, also soft tissue damage to the left arm, where bruises were already starting to show under the surface of my skin.

MAINTENANCE CHECK

Maintenance ruled out any faults. I could have told them that. In fact, they even said, the "nursing staff" need to put the rails up m ore carefully to avoid you falling out again. No one apologised, especially the one responsible, she just went home after report. I stayed there only because I had nowhere else to go for specialist pain management. However, I did have a visit from the Patient Liason Officer every day who would check with me to see that everything was ok. Her role was to make sure I was happy with everything, and she stayed with me until I was discharged about 4 weeks later.

MY COMPENSATION BATTLE

Since I had never been in this sort of situation before, I engaged the services of a Law Firm, and endeavoured to try for some sort compensation payment. However, this did not turn out as well as I had hoped. The Hospital had a top Law Firm, which used my medical condition as a way of not having to pay much at all. The Solicitors took their share, I got the remainder. I learned that the only reason they admitted liability in this case, was to avoid being prosecuted in Court.

If anyone reading this is ever in the same situation as I was or similar, I would just like to say:

1. PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH VERY THOROUGHLY
2. SELECT A GOOD LAW FIRM
3. ENSURE THAT YOUR SOLICITOR IS NOT TOO FRIENDLY WITH THE OTHER SIDE'S  SOLICITOR   AS THIS COULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO YOUR CASE
4. IF YOU HAVE A PRE-EXISTING CONDITION, BE PREPARED TO  PUT UP A GOOD FIGHT TO WIN