Mother says NHS failed to give daughter safe care

A number one midwife who has led opinions into care failings within the NHS has criticised the well being service for “failing” to give her daughter safe care.

Donna Ockenden, from Sussex, says her daughter Phoebe, who has epilepsy and was having seizures, was left in a chair on her personal for seven hours after being transferred to hospital by ambulance.

Ms Ockenden led a evaluation into maternity providers on the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust and is presently main the probe into maternity care Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

The Department of Health and Social Care described Phoebe’s remedy as “unacceptable”.

Ms Ockenden mentioned Phoebe had begun having seizures once more after a nine-month hole when her medicine was modified, and made three emergency visits in October.

Ms Ockenden mentioned: “During the first two, I was with her and I was her advocate. It was still pretty rubbish.

“But for the third, I used to be in Dubai on vacation and awakened to messages about Phoebe being in A&E.

“Despite her learning disabilities and being known to the service, she was dropped off in the waiting room on her own. She is 20 but she is really vulnerable, and was left in a chair for seven hours still having some seizures.

“Initially she was left within the ready space on her personal. It’s simply unspeakable, it is completely disgusting and disgraceful.”

Ms Ockenden also described helping other patients who had been left on trolleys, including an elderly lady calling for water and alerting staff to a confused elderly man who was trying to leave the hospital.

She said: “I’m desperately apprehensive about this winter.

“Because I’m Phoebe’s mum, I am praying fervently that she doesn’t need to go into A&E any more but with her health complexities, we’ll be very lucky if we get through the winter without her needing to go in.”

Ms Ockenden didn’t need to title the hospital concerned in her daughter’s care.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson mentioned: “Phoebe’s experience is unacceptable and is symptomatic of our broken NHS.

“The Chancellor has introduced a £22.6bn injection into the NHS to get it again on its ft, so it may be there for all of us after we want it, as soon as once more.”