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[palwing] 30/8/2007 08:34

Update.. things improving. Now out of single room and on to a ward. Infection is clearing up and off antibiotics. Very slow improvement in health, but that could be due to infection holding back recovery. Should see progress from now on.

Re PTL charges. We have found the most cost effective way to use the phone is to call PTL and put credit on the patients phone. That way, the patient can phone you at 10p a minute when THEY want. This saves them answering the phone every 5 mins plus saving you nearly £1, just to get through.

I think this revelation could be why PTL dipped again recently..sorry all! (grin)

Thanks for your good wishes all....

[scribbler101] 29/8/2007 10:54

I'm so old I still think of it at Hyde Park Corner!

[richardbees] 23/8/2007 21:31

pal, thanks for your update.

imho the biggest problem is the total disregard of hospital rules - that I've seen in St Georges, Tooting, S London.

mobile phones there are now normal....so it only leaves the TV and NHS applications to produce revenue.

[palwing] 23/8/2007 18:48

Hi...quick update and thanks to all for your best wishes. The infection is still under control and he is now on Oral antibiotics..so there's hope yet. However, no ID of the problem as yet.

Scribbler.... I phoned in today "off peak" to his PTL phone at 39p minute. The first 35 seconds are filled with a load of talk about the PTL service, etc then it starts to ring...however, it's a dummy ring, as after another 15 seconds it goes into a computer generated message telling you who you are ringing and who to contact if you don't get through. After 1 minute 10 seconds it starts to ring for real. My old man answered after I had been on the line for nearly 2 minutes. So PTL had got nearly 80p already before I had even had chance to say hello. Hmmm..spent around 10 mins on the line, which as I said before, is not a prob for me. However, there must be people who would find this quite crippling I should imagine.

Thanks again all...and good luck.

[debaleb] 22/8/2007 12:53

If most hospitals are like the main one in Aberdeen then I think one of the biggest infection spreaders is the use of manual doors along the corridors, why on earth not have automatic one's like some hospitals do?!

One person infected touching a door handle could spread something on to tens of others and the cycle continues, madness!

[scribbler101] 22/8/2007 12:42

palwing - glad to hear some improvement. STILL no result re culture testing? Or don't they want to admit it? I would be tempted to call their infection control manager.

It relly is unacceptable in this age that hospitals are a SOURCE of infection.

The cost of phone calls is obviously relatively minor to anyone here - though not for some people. Would I be right in guessing that they make you pay for a minute's intro even when they can't put you through?

Is it always 39p or do you call off-peak? I thought 49p much of the time?

[debaleb] 22/8/2007 12:34

palwing

Pity you don't have a dialabus in your area, they come to your door and can wheel wheelchairs right into fixed slots on the bus.

Guess the nhs works differently in seperate areas.

[richardbees] 21/8/2007 22:00

Hiya Pal

"the area of inflammation etc is reducing in size"

- that's an excellent sign

all the best

rb

[robbie_3] 21/8/2007 10:27

I wish you better luck than my twin brother who just died of multiple organ failure through MRSA infection with a host of other bacteria that he caught while in hospital, attacked his organs and turned them to mush, the problem is MRSA is considered the norm these days.

[richardbees] 19/8/2007 21:49

best of luck, pal

[palwing] 19/8/2007 13:33

Hi Scribbler and Richard and Debaleb

Results of swab due Monday. Separate room with barrier nursing in a NHS hosp tells it's own story. Intravenous antibiotics being administered. Time will tell...

[richardbees] 18/8/2007 22:04

true....but it doesn't help if you're the one lying there in bed, although maybe of some potential comfort to the next of kin!

[scribbler101] 18/8/2007 21:56

Butchers who give people E Coli are prosecuted.

[richardbees] 18/8/2007 21:53

Agree, Scrib, but even if you're told, what are your options?

[scribbler101] 18/8/2007 17:14

I hope the infection is not MRSA/C Diff?

I would INSIST on being told. In fact I would be tempted to get an independent test if they say not.

If a sandwich maker had the hygiene standards and infection control of a NHS hospital it would be shut down. We are back in the days before asepsis, when infection risk was a consideration in deciding if you should hospitalise at all.

[robbie_3] 17/8/2007 23:54

The evil of mobiles - Scribbler for Pope! - Beatification beckons.

Speaking of Beatification, where's Spights these days.

[richardbees] 17/8/2007 21:52

palwing

My best wishes for your Dad.....I'm afraid he'll be coming to terms with the fact that our old traditional consideration for other people is no longer automatic behaviour......and you can't assume Peeps will have their phone on vibrate (or visitors will be restricted to less than ten)

Now use of mobiles is being allowed in Hospitals - it's open season...

I'm of his age and I 100% guarantee that he'a now lying there thinking "what the f#ck has the world come to?"

Richard

[palwing] 17/8/2007 20:46

Debaleb...why not let people use their mobiles but use "VIBRATE" instead of a ring tone? Not rocket science is it? LOL

Have you stayed in hospital recently? Trolleys rattling along every 10 minutes and nurses chatting about their ex boyfriends all night are far more of a nuisance.

[debaleb] 17/8/2007 20:43

Palwing

Imagine recovering from an illness or operation and having a mobile phone ringtone going off every two minutes, mobile phones should not be allowed within a 100 yards of any hospital.

[debaleb] 17/8/2007 20:20

Scribbler

People forget that patients have free board and lodgings, granted they'll still have bills at home to pay for but they get free food, the money saved on that pays the TV and phone.

If you save the time and expense of travelling to hospital by paying £2 per call I don't think thats unreasonable, if they could afford to do it cheaper they would.

I'm no shareholder here but think the job they do is brilliant and life changing, who would have thought that you could lie in a Hospital bed and surf the web, email, phone and watch the telly, great!

If they were making huge profits i'd be urging for a cut in call rates but at the moment if you want the service you have to pay for it, if you don't the tv's and phones will dissapear.

[scribbler101] 17/8/2007 19:00

I have to admit that since I bought 0.5m PTL I have become far more aware of the great disadvantages of mobile use in hospitals.