The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) carries out outpatient appointments, day procedures and inpatient admissions. Patients are predominantly from Norfolk and north Suffolk, although some patients are referred from further afield especially to access specialist services.
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1963 responses from the local community
Told us a stroke was a virus
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Submitted by collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff11th October 2024
I phoned at 11pm for an ambulance as my husband was extremely ill with stroke symptoms, I told them he'd had strokes before. He was vomiting and I couldn't move him from the floor. The ambulance arrived at 6am and took him to A&E. The doctor there said he had a virus despite knowing my husband's history, which I knew was wrong. They tried to discharge him at 2pm. When I got there he was still being violently sick and couldn't walk. They made him try with a stick and then a frame but he kept collapsing. In the end the physio disagreed with the doctor and they performed a scan which showed that he had had a stroke. So it had been 27hrs since I called an ambulance and 8hrs after he arrived in A&E before he had a scan. He was then moved to a ward but was on a bed in a corridor. Nobody cleaned him up and he was covered in vomit. I have to say the stroke rehab team were brilliant afterwards, they came out to see him for six weeks.
Submitted by collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff11th October 2024
My husband has had three strokes which resulted in the loss of one eye. His remaining eye now has glaucoma so he saw an emergency optician and has been referred to Medicare for an operation. They've said they need the hospital's notes before they can do it and we've been waiting six weeks. He has an appointment on Monday for the stroke clinic which we waited 11 months for, however they told me yesterday it's been cancelled. This is upsetting and appalling. The frontline service is good but the admin is appalling.
Submitted by collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff11th October 2024
I was told a lump was benign and should be left alone. Three months later after insisting I wanted it removed due to its location I was told again it was benign. I saw a gynae consultant and told her I felt tired and unwell who replied "well you will be tired you've got cancer". I'd had no idea until that moment, I was in shock. She didn't explain anything just put me in a side room on my own with no drink or anything and told me to wait for a surgeon. No surgeon appeared after 90 minutes so I left as I was upset and wanted to see my husband. This was 9 weeks after I'd had the lump removed which I found out wasn't even tested for 10 days. When that gynae appointment was booked I told them I was going on holiday and they said it would be fine to leave it until I got back. If I'd have known I'd got cancer I'd have cancelled my holiday so I could be seen quicker. I've had 5 operations since April. I told them I'm allergic to opiates. The first op was a success but I was given an opioid painkiller afterwards which put me into a coma for 20 hours. My friends and family thought I was going to die. They don't listen! The nurses are rushed off their feet, it's not their fault. It's frustrating with the lack of communication between departments and that they don't listen to me. The hospital couldn't even tell me my blood type! I asked 5 consultants and even though I've had all these operations and I have blood cancer, nobody could see from my records. The haematoligist found it in the end. My blood levels are critical now and when I said that to the haematologist they asked me if anything significant had happened to affect them - he had no idea I'd had operations to remove tumours! Even my gynae exams are done without care. It hurts and I'm told "well it's going to hurt". I recently had skin cancer removed under my eye, which I've had previous skin cancers removed, and asked if they could remove a patch on my nose while I was there. I was told it wasn't possible as eyes and noses are different departments and I'd have to go back to my GP for a referral. I've done that and now have to wait 45 weeks! I'd been told I should be very quick getting any skin cancers removed as it can trigger rapid growth in other areas but now I've got to wait.
Submitted by collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff10th October 2024
My son went to A&E as he thought he broke something. He was put from one department to another which took hours, if he'd gone straight to x-ray it would have saved loads of time. He was in about six hours in the end. Each time he went to a new bit he was back of the queue.
Waiting for many hours with people in pain or distress in SDEC is your experience. A further senior doctor is needed. As in Ambulatory Majors there are more qualified nurses than needed. They sit or stand near screens. We don’t know what they are doing. A qualified nurse or HCA should go round the waiting room once an hour to check on the patients and give them comfort. It would make a lot of difference. Nobody seems to consider comfort so it must be set as a task. Often there will be nothing specific the nurse can do but they should not underestimate the value of just talking and sympathising.
Been waiting for foot surgery for 18 months now taken off active waiting list.
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Submitted by Anonymous6th October 2024
Waiting for surgery since 1st May 2023 told in July I had to go.to Royal London hospital to have surgery as hit targets of more than 65 weeks because I was unable to go because I have no one to take me or collect me as unable to walk after surgery just found put that they have taken me off the active waiting list so put on a deferred lists so they because of targets so peoe now who have waited less time than myself will get seen at nnuh and I have no idea when I will get my operation.
Submitted by collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff27th September 2024
I've got reflux and the medication I'm using might as well be plain water for all it's doing. They increased my dose but didn't tell me they'd sent it to my chemist so it sat there for two weeks. It's no better though. I asked them what my progress is and they told me I'm not being seen next until the start of 2026 and in the meantime I've got to suffer. I have been having cameras done which they do with sedation as it was horrendous the first time. They are nice in there and they're trying their best but it's such a long wait.
Submitted by collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff27th September 2024
I had problems with my water in my 50s but because my prostate issue was benign they left it. 15 years later I couldn't pass water at all, 900ml was drained off and I had a catheter. I was then placed on a waiting list just before the pandemic. For two and a half years I had a catheter while I waited which meant I had several UTIs. I contacted the hospital a few times to be told I was near the top of the list but they couldn't tell me where. I eventually went private as I couldn't wait any more.
Submitted by collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff27th September 2024
I broke my ankle and got it plastered within four hours. I was told to go back at 7am the next day for a plate but there was nobody available to do it. In the end there was a cancellation so it was sorted.