A Pinchbeck man who claims he was “treated like a dog” in Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital says he never wants to be admitted there again – in spite of the recruitment drive for nurses announced last week.
Martyn Glencross (41) said: “Both times I was there I was badly treated by the nursing staff and like a dog by one of their head consultants.
“I was left in agony without my pain medication on more than one occasion. When I complained they investigated and all I got was a half-hearted ‘sorry’ and not one from the people responsible but one given out like a automated reply.”
Plans to take 20 new nurses from Greece, Portugal and Spain at Pilgrim as part of a £7million recruitment plan by Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) were announced in the same week reports of a new staffing crisis at Spalding’s Johnson Community Hospital were confirmed.
However, in spite of the shock situation at the Johnson Hospital, reaction from Free Press readers showed Pilgrim Hospital, expected to remain in special measures until at least spring next year, still has a long way to go to gain patients’ trust.
Mr Glencross said: “My illness is very complex as I suffer from a mixture of conditions that range from a broken spine and heart condition, high blood pressure, reoccurring stomach hernias, chronic asthma – just to name a few.
“As you can see, my hospital is very important to me as is the care I receive.
“I’ve told my wife and family that if I need an ambulance I am to be taken to Peterborough as I would rather die in the back of an ambulance than die or be treated like I was in the Pilgrim.”
Managers at ULHT, which runs Pilgrim were heavily criticised by the Care Quality Commission in a report which highlighted low staffing levels, poor training and inconsistent patient care.
A spokesman for the Royal College of Nursing, the professional trade union for nurses, said he was aware of staffing issues and problems at both hospitals.
He said: “We are monitoring the situation at the Pilgrim but from what we hear recruitment from Greece, Portugal and Spain is going well and is hoped to improve the situation there.”
Eiri Jones, director of nursing for United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “I have been delighted to meet the newly qualified nurses as they start their career with us here at ULHT.
“I have already seen examples of excellent compassion in care by the new nurses and we will continue to support all our nursing staff to ensure we deliver care of the highest quality to our patients.
“These new nurses will enable us to build on the excellent improvements in care we have already made, at a time when the acuity and dependency of patients with more complex needs is increasing. We believe that by upporting our clinical staff through robust induction and ongoing training we will continue to drive improvements in care, enable us to deliver compassionate, high quality care and meet the individual needs of our patients.”