"Discharge care"

Parent’s live remotely and mother is type 1 diabetic with pre-eclampsia. Was admitted to KEH for scheduled emergency caesarean. Baby was born early and placed into ICU. Baby was provided excellent assistance by ICU (4 days) and nursery staff. Information and care of baby was well discussed.

This is really about the mother’s care during and after her discharge:

1. Booked in as private patients and were placed in a room with 4 other people.

2. Mother was advised that she would be discharged less than 2 1/2 days after caesarean unless pain was an issue. Parents asked to stay longer, and the staff in the nursery phoned the maternity ward to advise mother not ready to leave hospital and to not discharge yet. When advising staff in the ward during stay and on discharge of excessive pain (not being able to visit our baby in the ICU without a wheelchair due to excessive pain), pain medication was increased and mother was discharged (whilst still in pain), without a wheelchair being provided.

3. The following day, ICU staff advised to go to ED to gain high blood pressure medication due to throbbing headache and feeling faint and very sick. We were made to wait in Emergency for hours (missing critical diabetic meal, and time with baby in ICU) we were finally assessed, and provided high blood pressure medication.

The next day, after having a post-discharge check up with midwife, was advised to go directly to ED due to throbbing headache/high blood pressure and not feeling well. We were made to wait in Emergency for hours (missing critical diabetic meal, and time with baby in ICU) we were finally assessed, medication was increased. Mother spoke with two clinicians regarding confusion of dose prescribed. It seemed one of the clinician’s clarified verbally an incorrect dose (5 x recommended dose). Mother was asking in tablets and the clinician was talking in mg.

Mother went to ED for another script, after 2 days, which was provided without question. Parents went offsite to fill the prescription. Pharmacist questioned the short time for new script, and phoned hospital. Mother went back to hospital and sat in ED for hours again before being seen. Spoke with doctor who clarified dosage and was asked for blood tests due to potential kidney damage due to 5 x dose taken, in line with nurse direction. Mother and baby were both critical.

In our opinion, numerous visits to ED failed to see the critical care required for mother, and really should have been admitted for further care, preventing all of this mismanagement.