A deaf man has blasted a NHS hospitals trust after doctors almost removed his testicle when he complained of a benign cyst without an interpreter present.
It could have been worse.
Staff at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital had wrongly believed that Andrew Wiley, 47, was begging to have testicle surgery during his consultation where he relied on lip reading and written responses to communicate.
Yikes!
Mr Wiley wasn't aware of the potential risks of the operation until he saw a surgeon this month with an interpreter present.
The NHS has a legal responsibility to ensure those with disabilities are catered for during appointments and procedures. KentOnline reports hospital bosses have said they are 'deeply sorry' for the distress they caused and have admitted standards were not met.
Standards in NHS hospitals are almost never met, are they?
People from the generations before the NHS was formed (my late mother-in-law and parents for instance) dreaded going into hospital because that was where you died. Admittedly back then hospitalisation was a 'last resort'.
ReplyDeleteStrange how the wonderful(!) NHS is still regarded with suspicion.
"Admittedly back then hospitalisation was a 'last resort'."
ReplyDeleteIt still is, albeit for vastly different reasons.