Wednesday 28 February 2018

Angry about a TV show.

One of the TV programmes I didn't watch this week was about the world's most xpensive hotels. There is an immoralityAbout this kind of ostentatious luxury I can't stand. It's not just me that doesn't like it either. My old friend Pete always used to say that the poorest countries in the world always had the most expensive and luxurious hotels.

And I'm afraid it's true. You can be staying in the most poverty stricken third world country and yet living in ostentatious luxury.

Maybe you can understand why I didn't feel the need for a glossy travelogue about millionaires luxury holidays, which Is what the holiday show was about.

And no, I'll never be able to afford these kind of places for myself and I'm very happy with that.

Pete was right.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production\)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
ContCactme@gail.co.uk

Tuesday 27 February 2018

So tired.

Yet another tough day recovering from my hospital visit on Monday. Didn't sleep at all well and spent the day sleeping to catch up. So I seemed OK but I wasn't.

Will  need to keep an eye on this, if you will forgive the pun.

But Monday was absolutely exhausting, so it  may not be such a surprise as all that.

I still have things I mean to do before it's too late, let's just hope I can get them all done.



Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Monday 26 February 2018

Steep slopes.

I have no idea how Robyn got me up to Hospital and back but she did.

There was too long a delay to get a blood lest done in time and Dr Feelgood is slowly removing herself from my treatment. That's because we've reached the point where there isn't a lot that can be done. There are question marks - I could improve (which changes everything) but it's not very likely.

Meanwhile it was really cold, a freezing wind and snow. It pretty much killed me. As I said I had no idea how Robyn pulled it off.

It was this bad; I had to walk over the grass using a walking frame rather than on the pavement because it would have been less likely I would have broken anything if I'd fallen over.

I didn't fall but getting over the front doorstep was agony and dangerous.

It was my Everest and as Robyn said; you always wanted to climb Everest.

Now we have a killing cold spell to get through. I hope to make it but you never know.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com














































Sunday 25 February 2018

Tough decisions.

An altogether less fun day - I had a real struggle getting myself to bed last night, eventually needing Robyn's help. So today Robyn moved our bed to a room nearer to the front room although I'm not so optimistic. I see the boundaries of my world closing in on me.

Tomorrow I'm back up at Hospital, expecting some really bad news and a very tough journey as well. it's also getting very cold with snow forecast. it's desperate - I've assumed I'll be in a wheelchair the whole time and not sure whether I can cope with that. The only other alternative is 'Patient Transport', which is a nightmare in itself, one which I don't intend to share with you.

The struggle continues but it's now a real life or death struggle for me.

Will keep you posted. 

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Saturday 24 February 2018

Funk Soul Brothers.

I had a lousy day today and it's getting colder than ever, which I could do without.

It's about eight o'clock on a Saturday night and I'm eating a Tesco's Valencia Orange ice lolly, which is the memory of the day. On the radio is Craig Charle's Funk and Soul Show and I'm listening to the James Taylor Quartet.

I've travelled back in time and space to 2014 and I'm watching the band play at The Imperial Wharf Jazz Festival which no longer exists.

This is all thanks to my friend Theo who turned up to check that I was alright and brought with him a box of boiled eggs! Which I am now quite partial to but which seemed strange at the time.

The sounds of sophisticated Funk are echoing through the apartment blocks of the newly rich of London and being listened to by the likes of me.

I knew at the time how lucky that moment was even though I appreciate it that much more now. Actually I was quite ill at the time too.

I had hopes of catching the band again about a month later in Brighton but the concert was cancelled, as was it's replacement a month later. In the years since then there have been many reasons why I couldn't manage to see them but it doesn't really matter, I can still see them in my minds eye.

And I'm tasting frozen orange juice at the same time.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Friday 23 February 2018

The Tesco's Robin.

We've had a great relationship with the Tesco's at Ashford and I'm very sorry I can't make it back there again.

Just for old time's sake here is the Robin who occasionally visits the bakery department like we did;




And here in closeup;

 

Who wouldn't like that?

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Thursday 22 February 2018

Robyn's guest Blog.

It's been a while since I made it to Tesco's and to be honest it's probably not happening again.

Every week, someone approaches Robyn and this week she wanted to write a guest Blog for me.

Here it is!


Six weeks ago I went to Tesco early by happy accident. The shelter program I’ve been volunteering with since I’ve been here needed a meal cooked so I got up at 6 and went to Tesco to get the ingredients to make a Lasagna. It was heaven! There was no traffic, there were 10 cars in the whole parking lot and there were about four shoppers besides myself. The staff was happy and talked to me. Three staff members said “You’re here early!” one of them I’d never seen before.

I liked it so much that I decided that I was doing the shopping at that time from now on. This morning I had to drop off a letter to our doctor’s office so I went a little later, I went at 7. I got to an aisle and I saw the woman that I didn’t know again. This time she stopped and had a conversation.

                “Coming by yourself now?”

                “Yeah, Neil isn’t well.”

                “Aw, I’m sorry to hear that. I will never forget you two dancing in the store. Please give him my well wishes”

To be honest when she said “I’ll never forget” I thought she was going to recall one day when we were shopping and Neil laid down on the floor and refused to get up. It was just before his birthday in 2014 and I said I was going to bake him a cake. Then I asked a friend to bake it for me. It was a surprise for Neil and he was upset that I wasn’t buying any baking goods, so he laid down on the floor in protest until I bought the ingredients.

I wanted to cry! About two or three years ago their bakery played music and when there was a romantic song playing we would stop and dance (we also did this once in Camden Market). That’s before they renovated the bakery for the second time in as many years only this time shrinking it to half the size. Back then the bakery staff was nice and when you wanted anything they actually got it and bagged it for you. Now they are forced to stay in the back baking the goods and there isn’t anyone there to help you. A couple of them are really nice but none of the previous bakers are still there.

I’m sure that if you’ve been reading the blog for any length of time you know that things have been getting progressively worse for quite some time now. We don’t get to do the things we used to. We don’t have much fun anymore. And with the struggle you forget how magical life used to be. I like looking back at pictures of us from the early days before we had stresses like Visas, Chemo and preparing for the eminent. Sometimes it’s a gift to have someone from the outside tell you that they witnessed how magical your life was. Because when you’re in it day to day sometimes you forget.

Don’t Forget!
Robyn May
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Wednesday 21 February 2018

I need remission!

I had yet another tough day today, after a difficult night.

The District Nurse came round, and everything seems to be getting worse or no better. Which, to be honest is how it feels.

I'm back up at hospital next week and not looking forward to the journey or the news I'll  get.

So it's been another depressing time.

Bear with me, you never know with cancer, you get time off for good behaviour sometimes! I'm certainly due a spot of remission at the moment.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Tuesday 20 February 2018

I'll buy you one more frozen orange juice.

 
I'll buy you one more frozen orange juice
On this fantastic day
We'll walk the sunny hills of Madrid
Laughing all the way

And if you feel you wanna run down the ravine
A place that no one else has ever seen before

And I pick a flower from the road
And place it in your heart
We will hold our breath together
We shall never part

 
Frozen Orange Juice by Peter Sarstedt
 
 
Robyn has bought me frozen Ice Lollies (Finest) from Tesco's and they are fantastic!
 
A taste of summer, a taste of the Mediterranean. Either way, one of the things I always wanted to do was to pick oranges and lemons straight from the tree, something that never worked out for me.
 
This is as close as it gets but it's worth it.
 
Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)


Monday 19 February 2018

Oh dear me!

Difficult day - I have a medication which I had to stop taking because it was making me ill. Today I started taking it again but in a much smaller amount. That didn't work - it made me ill in roughly the same way, so I've had to stop taking it again.

Then I got Robyn to get me a load of stuff from my room and I've been throwing it out. For most people that would be easy
but I'm a hoarder and it wasn't easy. I ended up time travelling as I chucked out stuff I should never have hung on to in the first place.

So not a happy day, an ill day and a sad one too. And I still have a mountain of stuff to throw out and I have no one to blame except myself.

I'll cheer up tomorrow.

Neil Harris.
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Sunday 18 February 2018

i shall imagine life.

 
i shall imagine life

is not worth dying if
(and when) roses complain
their beauties are in vain

but though mankind persuades
itself that every weed's
a rose roses(you feel
certain)will only smile
 
e.e. Cummings
 
 
Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)

Hurry up spring!

Robyn brought me a crocus from the garden this morning. We'd been watching a programme about saffron but I had to tell her that it wasn't the same crocus - saffron come from what we call  the 'Autumn crocus' which does grow here, in places and used to be part of a big industry.

Just near Smithfield Market in Clerkenwell you can still find a little neighbourhood called Saffron Hill, where the crocuses used to be grown in what is now the centre of London.

It's not spring yet - the flowers come out because they are programmed to do that by the length of the days, which are getting longer by the week. But spring needs warm temperatures too and we haven't had that yet. it was cold again today and I'm fairly sensitive to that.

But you can feel my hunger for spring. A race as to whether I get another spring under my belt.

I feel entitled to another one.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Friday 16 February 2018

In the full glare of the sun.

If there was a time for being tough, I guess it's now. I had yet another hard day, when it should have been easy.

Robyn did the shopping at Tesco's very early and without me, whole I lay in bed late. Which ought to be good for me but wasn't.

It hurt.

She came back with good wishes from the security guard, who used to lend me the disabled cart. It was very moving. Often I get messages from the pharmacy or the fruit and veg guy or people on the check outs. I spent a lot of time there and it's nice to be missed.

But I was ill today, drowsing in the sunshine. Remembering other times sat in the sun in better places at better times of day.

After a long walk down to Kynance Cove on The Lizard in Cornwall. After marvelling at the red and green cliffs of the cove, formed from Serpentine rock. I climbed back to the cliff top and walked along The Lizard, stopping to lie on the summer grass, watching clouds as they smoothed their way across the sky, occasionally breaking to let the sun through so that I could shut my eyes and just bask in it.

Well, that's what I was thinking about as the afternoon sun flooded through the window onto my eyelids.

I'll miss it.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Thursday 15 February 2018

Spring? Not yet.

It was as though the sun came out today and the weather was milder. It's a bit of an illusion and I'm certainly not calling spring just yet but the winter eased for a moment and I'm not sorry.

It's been cold and miserable this winter and a real struggle. Yes. I know, it was always going to be a struggle but it was worse than it needed to be.

It's now the middle of February and high time Winter gave us a break. That's all I'm saying.

The District Nurse came today, after almost a week and it will be nearly a week before they come again. It's both good and bad news - for one problem things are improving for another there isn't anything they can do. I'm struggling on, with a bit of sunshine coming through the window in the afternoon to give me a hand.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Wednesday 14 February 2018

Heading for a fall.

I had a very lucky day today - I nearly had a fall but I didn't.

It's been a constant risk and a worry - having a fall would be a real problem with my crumbly bones.

This morning I was walking from the bedroom, using my two walking sticks when I had a freak accident. My sticks are made up of sections of metal that fit together and held tight but elastic that keeps them in the form of a stick. But when you want to you can fold them up - it's really useful.

As I was walking I trod on the rubber ferrule on the tip of one of the sticks, lifted it up as normal and then........the stick came apart just as I was about to lean on it.

As I said, I was very lucky, I recovered before I fell over but I got a shock and a wake up call.

ill have to be more careful as I stagger about.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Happy Valentines Day!

It's Valentine's Day today but I can't get to the shops any more, so no card for Robyn.

No Card?

I don't think so, I made my own for her. I'm not sure what she expects, it isn't exactly going to threaten any artists out there.

But it's the thought that counts and I hope that will be enough.

Anyway, you'll just have to take my word for it as I'm keeping my artistic efforts secret.

Happy Valentines day to everybody who is in love out there.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Monday 12 February 2018

Greedy for life.

I was out of it again today, waiting for the District Nurse to come round and change various dressings for me.

It's nearly a week since they last came round - mainly because we were off up at hospital last week. We cancelled them for that day and I think they felt they could wipe us off their list!

But Eby came round after we phoned over the weekend and all ended well.

I'm still struggling with the changes of medication although I still have hopes of some benefit from stopping the injections, apart from avoiding the pain and the blood. I'm impatient, I want improvements I have no right to, but that's the way people are....greedy for life.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me; neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Sunday 11 February 2018

Popsicle heaven.

It's February, it's freezing cold and I feel ill and I'm sucking on popsicles.

We bought them last summer, the summer that never happened. But now in the middle of a bleak winter I've been finding popsicles a real luxury. Today, Robyn was out and came back with a pack of ice Lollies with different fruit flavour layers.

It's an unbelievable treat. it's fair to say that life is a struggle and I haven't reacted too well to one of the new medications, so this has been a real bonus.

It brings back so many memories; back in July 2013 my mum was very ill and I'd been caring for her. We suddenly had a real crisis and then got help from the local authority. She got a new treatment and I was able to have a rare night out with The Ska Souls, skanking to a Two-Tone beat in a swelteringly hot July. I came home and ate a lemon popsicle during a hot, hot evening. Basking in the glow of a night of good music and fun.

In many ways that's a whole world away from today, but the ice lolly was still a great pleasure.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Saturday 10 February 2018

No more needles.

I'm having a rough time at the moment but in one respect it has got better. I had a thrombosis in 2013 as a side effect of one of the medicines I had been given. It looked like they then gave me an overdose of Warfarin which gave me a very bad reaction. It may, of course just been that Warfarin was the wrong drug to give me - there are studies that indicate that now.

Anyway, as of autumn 2013 I was put on daily injections and I've been giving them to myself ever since. I've had growing problems finding places I could use as a site because by my calculation I've given myself 1550 injections so far.

I had a nasty episode when I had a really nasty allergic reaction on my stomach, where they are supposed to go. So, Mainly I've been injection my thighs - on a strict programme
to spread them out so I don't get another reaction.

Recently I had problems with bleeding and moved back to my stomach to give my legs a break.

Anyway, I've now been put on pills, so no more injections.

I'm glad, I was tired of doing it. But when I started it was a laugh and I used to collect the outlandish places I'd done it. In the toilet of 'The Cotton Club' Jazz bar in the Red Light district of Amsterdam, where they play live jazz on Saturday afternoons for football fans coming back from Ajax. Behind the bar is a mirror with the pictures of the original owners - broken only by what appear to be very neat bullet holes.

In the tiny toilet of 'La Myonis', my Algerian restaurant on the fringe of Belleville, one of the more 'interesting; Quartiers of Paris. Or in a toilet in La Pigalle, even more 'interesting' after dark.

More eventful was doing the injection in the toilet of the ferry coming back from The Isle of Wight just as the boat hit a big wave and the needle flew up in the air landing in my thumb rather than in my thigh.

In a toilet at RADA, at the BBC Maida Vale recording studios - there's history for you.

The places reflect what we were able to do when I was still mobile.

Happy days.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Friday 9 February 2018

Farewell to the Red Lion, Isleworth.

Today brought more sad news - if you've read this Blog for any length of time you'll know that music and dancing played a big part in its early days.

Sadly, even as my health has deteriorated, the old venues I used to go to have shut down as well.

Today we got the news that the owners of the lease of 'The Red Lion' Isleworth are experimenting with stopping all live music as of the end of this month.

Among other things, this was the home of the Jazz club that rehabilitated me after I broke my ankle and after numerous days when I got bad news about my cancer - in the evening I'd be GROOVING.

But the most important thing was that this was where I met Robyn, where we became friends and planned nights out that developed into something more.

Its over now - a couple more weeks of Monday nights if you want to go. I can't do it any more, so its already over for me.

I also miss The Hobgoblin in Staines, a completely different kind of music, but unique in its own way.

I guess music just doesn't cut it for any one anymore.

It's sad.

Here's a taste - Derek Nash back in 2016 giving it some swing, as I was too.


Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Thursday 8 February 2018

Should have gone to the park instead.

My trip to hospital turned out to be long, painful and ultimately very depressing. We got home after five o'clock and I had difficulty getting over the front doorstep, I was so tired.

As usual, I did wonder whether I'd have been better off going to the park for the day.

My treatment was cancelled when the results of the blood tests came through. I'll be waiting a fortnight and doing another set of tests but if they are confirmed, it's the worst kind of news.

I've got a lot of things to be getting on with and I'll not dwell on what's going on until I have confirmation, then I'll set it all out.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Wednesday 7 February 2018

Getting ready for tomorrow.

I took it real easy today - tomorrow I'm up at Hospital and not looking forward to that or to the journet. There's always the possibility these days that they will keep me in. That's even worse.

Robyn did the shopping on her own, which is very sad for me - another chip away at my independence. In fact, I haven't been out of the house since I had my blood transfusions about three weeks ago, so tomorrow is going to be very tough.

Tonight, Robyn cooked me a very  special meal, just in case I start the new and last chemo because then I won't be wanting to eat anything. I felt very privileged.

These last couple of years have been very tough. If we ever had any plans it would have been to take advantage of the chemotherapy when it started, got married and gone on some travels, had some fun. Well, we just about managed to get married but all the chemotherapy treatments disappointed and we couldn't really do anything. I deteriorated fast and it's been a battle since then. I haven't given up the battle but I have slowed right down.

As I said, tough day tomorrow, wish me luck.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeter.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilaithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Tuesday 6 February 2018

Tough day.

Now today was a real struggle - I had a bad night which I wasn't expecting as well as a really painful day. I also had the joy of a visit from the District Nurse to change my dressings and that's quite a wearing process.

Then Robyn went out for a walk and I discovered that I'd lost my wedding ring. When we bought it I chose a ring that was far too small because I knew I'd be losing weight. But it's got worse and we've put a thing on it to make it tighter already.

So, I was hunting around for the darned thing and getting Robyn to look for it when she got home. In the end I found it, slipped  down the side of my chair but I was exhausted in the process and the pain just went on.

Now it's late at night and I'm worn out, preparing a cocktail of painkillers to get through the night.

This is going to be a very tough week.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Monday 5 February 2018

The Eagles won!

They did it!

The underrated Philadelphia Eagles won the Super bowl. I survived until half time and also watched Justin Timberlake. It was good to see a part of Minneapolis lit purple for Prince. 

I haven't been converted to American Football, it's too much like Rugby for my liking but I did have Robyn there to translate for me.

It was very strange to watch the whole thing without advertisements, which the BBC doesn't run. For us there were lots of gaps and quiet periods  which would have been completely different in the States. 

Eventually I went off to bed although I found it difficult to sleep. A slightly shell- shocked Robyn came to bed at four in the morning, trying to come to terms with the underdogs winning, as I'd guess is much of Philadelphia.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Sunday 4 February 2018

Go Beagles!

I'm in disgrace and Robyn's gone to bed early.

Then when I get tired and want to go to bed and need her help she's getting up to watch the Superbowl.

I don't know, I don't think I'll ever get the hang of this American Football thing. First of all it's got nothing to do with football - which I do know about.

Then I spent the day perfecting my chant - GO BEAGLES! and all I got was a very funny look.

It seems like I should be chanting GO EAGLES - I'm supporting the Philadelphia Eagles. In fact they seem to have a lot in common with my team Tottenham Hotspur, who, like The Beagles seem to underachieve.

Well, not tonight. I'm full of confidence that The Beagles will triumph.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Saturday 3 February 2018

It's OK, they bought an APP!

The Care Quality Commission, which is supposed to police quality at NHS Hospitals, made an annanouced inspection At St. Peter's back in September and 'Get Surrey' has reported on the visit.

But it's OK - the Hospital bought an APP, so everything's alright.



St Peter's Hospital inspection lists catalogue of failures including blocked fire doors, unsecured medication and infection risks
 
The Care Quality Commission made an unannounced visit to the Chertsey hospital in September last year.

By

Zosia Eyres,

 11 JAN 2018

Despite praise for its "compassionate" staff, a catalogue of failings was documented during the latest inspection of St Peter's Hospital .

 

Blocked fire exits, unsecured medication, infection risks and potentially unreliable emergency equipment were all spotted at the Chertsey hospital by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The unannounced visit on September 19 last year was focused on nursing care on the medical wards after the CQC said it received "information of concern".

Although Get Surrey reported that the hospital had 460 unfilled posts in November  , inspectors were "satisfied that staffing was planned and numbers of staff and skill mix were of a satisfactory standard" on the day of the visit.
However, the CQC report, published on Tuesday (January 9), reveals that 40% of staff on the acute care Aspen ward were "not up to date with mandatory training".

During the visit, a suction catheter was seen lying on the floor, stained scissors were found in the wrong place, the utility room was dirty - and contained six bags of used disposable bedpans - and paint was peeling, posing an infection risk.

Furthermore, inspectors judged that a lack of consistency in the availability of equipment, for example there was no oxygen mask between two beds, "presented a risk of confusing or delaying staff responding to an emergency".

In terms of equipment, a resuscitation trolley was found to not have the suction tubing attached, which meant it was "not ready for use in an emergency". And an automatic defibrillator had not been tested regularly in line with policy, meaning that it "might not function in an emergency 
Medicine storage was found to be "not secure" on two wards; the report describes how on Cherry ward, the clinical room where medicines were stored had a key pad but at the time of inspection the key pad was fixed open and the room was not secure.

On Swift ward further drug cupboards and a drug trolley were found unlocked - and the medicine fridge temperature was not checked on two days during the week before the inspection.
A number of blocked - and one broken - fire exits were noted, including one which had a chair behind it which "could act as a source of fuel in a fire". Following the CQC's visit an email was sent out reminding staff of fire safety and a commitment was made to complete a fire audit check across the hospital.

However, despite these failings, patients spoken to "across all ward areas were positive about the care they had received".
One patient told inspectors that staff "understood their condition" and described them as "very good and compassionate".

The CQC spoke to employees about their experience at the hospital and was told that the atmosphere was "open and transparent" and that they felt "supported by the senior staff".
Good practice was additionally noted with regards to "the strategy and initiatives to prevent and monitor pressure ulcers", as well as "the planning and delivery of nursing care".

Following the visit, the CQC gave the hospital a list of things that it must and should improve.

Chief nurse at St Peter's, Sue Tranka, said: “We are always very open to visits by the CQC and welcome their feedback and report. Whilst we recognise there are areas for improvement, we were encouraged to see many good areas of practice noted by the inspectors."

The Care Quality Commission's conclusions
Action the hospital MUST take to improve:

The trust must ensure that all fire exits are kept clear and ward staff are aware of their responsibility to maintain this.
The trust must ensure the safe storage and security of medicines.

The trust must ensure safety checks and services on patient equipment are consistently completed.
 
Action the hospital SHOULD take to improve

Support and enable all staff to complete mandatory training

• Continue its strategy to make safety thermometer information more accessible to staff and patients.

Responding to the concerns raised, nurse Tranka said the identified issues are "not widespread problems across the hospitals".

 She explained that an 'e-checklist' had been piloted since the visit; this creates a daily list of the top ten issues raised by the CQC to be completed by the senior nurse leader.

Nurse Tranka said: "The app has been really successful, so our challenge going into this year is how we embed this good practice across our other wards.

"With regards to our mandatory training, the report refers to us not reaching our target of 90% of staff being up-to-date with their training requirements. 
"This is an ambitious target (which recognises the importance of this training) and last year we achieved 81% - which benchmarks well against other local acute trusts.


"When our hospitals are very busy we need to prioritise the needs of our patients and training sessions do get pushed back.

"We need to find ways to make training more accessible – such as e-learning modules – and we will be focusing on that this year.” 

As it was a focused inspection, the hospital's overall 'Requires improvement' rating from its 2015 report was not changed.
 
Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
 

Friday 2 February 2018

The Inquest into the death of James Phelan.

It's been a long time coming and I suspect the family of the late James Phelan will be disappointed by the outcome of the inquest. Three and a half years is too long to wait for an investigation into a death and that is probably The Coroner's Courts fault.

I've commented before on preliminary comments made by the Assistant Coroner which pretty much determined the outcome of this hearing, but I'll run through them again here.

James Phelan was an alcoholic who had stopped drinking and attended St. Peter's Accident and Emergency after suffering from the terrible symptoms you can suffer when you do this.

It certainly wasn't his 'fault' that he was ill, he was trying to do something about his illness and needed our support. 

There was a delay in seeing him with the result that he discharged himself from the hospital.

He then disappeared for a week and was only found after a massive Police Search - he had walked out of the hospital and died in severe weather conditions a matter of half a mile away on the side of a main road.

Here's the Inquest findings as reported in 'Get Surrey';
 
A Chertsey hospital which allowed a detoxing alcoholic to discharge himself failed to provide vital details that would have helped police after he was reporting missing by a nurse, an inquest heard.

James Phelan, 42, died of alcoholic ketoacidosis when he discharged himself from St Peter's Hospital after paramedics had taken him there from his Hersham home on August 8 2014.


 


Woking Coroner's Court heard on Friday (January 19) that he never returned home.



 Assistant coroner Darren Stewart found there to be three failings by St Peter's Hospital accident and emergency (A&E) staff when dealing with Mr Phelan.



The first was the failure of an "inexperienced" nurse and the Manchester triage system used, which should have correctly labelled Mr Phelan's case as "yellow" and that he "should have seen a doctor within the first hour of his admission", the court heard.  



Second was Sister Patterson's failure to provide a detailed explanation into the consequences if Mr Phelan successfully discharged himself from hospital.



 And third, the assistant coroner mentioned how hospital staff in the A&E department failed to provide "vital information" to assist in Surrey Police's search for Mr Phelan.


He ruled out neglect on all three as "there are too many avenues at a certain period in terms of what would have happened next".


Drinking was a 'coping mechanism'



The father-of-two turned to drink as a "coping mechanism" following the death of his brother in 2010 which had an "impact" on him, the court heard.



After moving from Horsham to Weybridge and being made redundant after the financial crisis, Mr Phelan consumed two to three bottles of vodka a week, the inquest heard.


Mr Phelan, who worked as a banker, was taken into hospital on August 8 2014 when he showed alcohol withdrawal symptoms after taking a detox just four days earlier.


Before then, he complained about hallucinations and his neighbour mentioned how she saw him in the garden "as if he was talking to someone there".



When paramedics arrived he was adamant that the family should be absent while he disclosed symptoms and medical information.



At St Peter's Hospital, he was placed as a "green" patient, meaning he was the lowest priority patient in the A&E department.



Once he discharged himself, Sister Patterson rang his partner to notify her that he had discharged himself at 7.08pm and made his way home in "thunderstorm" conditions, the inquest heard.



More than an hour later, police were called after the same nurse reported him missing - he was labelled as "medium" risk.



The inquest heard how a deeper look into Mr Phelan's condition - which was not initially disclosed to the force - made him a "high" risk the following day.



The "high risk" meant that police were able to use the help of Surrey Search and Rescue and helicopter units.


 



After a week's search, Mr Phelan's body was found under a bramble near Abbey Moore golf course along St Peter's Way.


'Extremely generous, kind, witty and intelligent'


 A post-mortem examination revealed Mr Phelan would have died between August 8-9 2014.



When he concluded the inquest, Mr Stewart paid tribute to Mr Phelan, calling him "extremely generous, kind, witty, and intelligent". He praised Mr Phelan's family and loved ones for their "patience and diligence".


So what's wrong with that?

First, and perhaps most seriously, a hospital should be proactive when a patient disappears in bad weather and seek to dissuade them from leaving until they have been seen by a Doctor.

In fact, the Inquest had to be postponed due to the failure to take adequate witness statements near the time of the death, which means it is very unlikely that the paperwork is in order or that discharge procedures were actually followed at all.

Secondly, it speaks very badly to security at the hospital that an ill, disorientated patient can just walk out - it means that anyone can walk in by the same method. Which places all patients in danger and hospital property at risk.

The failure to warn the Police properly prevented a suitably urgent search to be carried out while there was still time to find Mr Phelan alive.

My real concern is that the Assistant Coroner made it clear from the beginning that he would be unwilling to issue a statutory notice to the Hospital that it had placed a life at risk and would need to change it's procedures to ensure that this did not happen again.

This prejudged the outcome of the hearing. Even though he highlighted three areas of concern he concluded that this did not amount to 'neglect'.

To me, if you take what happened as a whole, it amounted to a system that was defective in dealing with disoriented and distressed patients.

People suffering from Alcohol withdrawal symptoms are frequent attenders at A and E's - they are seriously ill and often die as a result of their illness. A failure to adequately care for them means that this situation will recur - other lives will be lost unless changes are made.

The same applies to any disorientated patient suffering from Alzheimers Disease, Dementia, Mental Illness as well as many forms of addiction.

It has to be a matter of concern.

Neil Harris
(a don't stop till you drop production)
Home: helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact me: neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com