I didn't think twice about paying £17k to save my dog
Reba broke her neck running into a cherry tree in the garden when she went out for her toilet break one Sunday evening. 'I found her lying at the base of the tree, struggling to breathe and purple in the face,' said Sellers, from Surrey.
Sellers, a dog trainer who specialises in separation anxiety, rushed Reba to the emergency vets, where they gave her painkillers and took x-rays. She was admitted to a nearby referral centre for
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Sky News
2 hours ago
- Sky News
Matt Hancock accused of insulting 'memory of every COVID victim' over inquiry comments
Former health secretary Matt Hancock has been accused of insulting the "memory of each and every person who died" over his description of the way patients were discharged into care homes during the COVID pandemic. Speaking at the inquiry into the government's handling of the crisis, Mr Hancock said discharging patients from hospitals to care homes in the early stages of the pandemic was "the least-worst decision" at the time. "It was formally a government decision," he added. "It was signed off by the prime minister. It was really driven by Simon Stevens, the chief executive of the NHS, but it was widely discussed. "Nobody has yet provided me with an alternative that was available at the time that would have saved more lives." When the pandemic hit in early 2020, hospital patients were rapidly discharged into care homes in a bid to free up beds and prevent the NHS from becoming overwhelmed. But there was no policy in place requiring patients to be tested for COVID before admission, or for asymptomatic patients to isolate, until mid-April - despite growing awareness of the risks of people without symptoms spreading the virus. The High Court ruled in 2022 that government policies on discharging hospital patients into care homes at the start of the pandemic were "unlawful". Nicola Brook, a solicitor for more than 7,000 families from COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK, said Mr Hancock's claim that the policy had been the least-worst decision available was "an insult to the memory of each and every person who died". She added: "He knew at the time that many care homes did not have the ability to isolate the people who would be discharged from hospital and that COVID was airborne." No apology or empathy from Hancock Matt Hancock has given evidence to the COVID inquiry many times before. He has been accused of being combative, bullish and insensitive. Wednesday's appearance will do nothing to diminish that criticism. This module deals specifically with care homes. The government's decision to allow mostly untested patients into care homes with their population of elderly, vulnerable residents is widely seen as its most controversial move during the health emergency. It resulted in the deaths of thousands of care home residents. At the time, addressing the country during a Downing Street press conference, Mr Hancock said a protective ring had been thrown around care homes. When challenged on that statement today, the former health secretary said it was "rhetoric". He had tried, he said. But it was impossible. Mr Hancock told the inquiry it was not his decision but a collective one that he was charged with enforcing. He stressed several times it was the "least worst option" because if he had not acted to create capacity in hospitals by transferring patients, the NHS would have been overwhelmed. When challenged with evidence presented to the inquiry that Mr Hancock "lied about the situation" and he had left older people to be "culled" because they could no longer contribute to society, Mr Hancock simply countered by saying he had had people in touch at the time thanking him for his efforts. And this was said to an inquiry room where people who had lost loved ones in care homes sat barely a few feet away. No contrition. No apology. No empathy. 'We were in bleak circumstances' Mr Hancock, who offered no apology at the inquiry, became health secretary in 2018. He resigned from the Conservative government in 2021 after admitting to breaking social distancing guidance by having an affair with a colleague. He added: "We were trying to do everything that we possibly could, we were in bleak circumstances." 4:59 The inquiry has previously heard there were more than 43,000 deaths involving the virus in care homes across the UK between March 2020 and July 2022. A civil servant was quoted earlier this week describing the figure as a "generational slaughter within care homes". 'Would my dad still be alive?' Sharon Cook, whose parents were living in a care home when the pandemic struck, said there was a "lot of confusion" about the guidance at the time. She told Sky News her mother tested positive for COVID and died three days later. She was allowed into the care home to tell her father, who had dementia, but after one visit, she was prevented from returning. A week later, her father died and when she went to the care home, she was told they had not attempted to resuscitate him. When she asked why, they showed her a DNAR (Do Not Attempt Resuscitation) form, which, they said, "had been in consultation with me". "If they'd been using the proper form, a more up-to-date form, I would have had to countersign," she said. "So I would have seen that, and then I could have exercised his right to have a second opinion. "So I'll never know if he would have survived, or not, but there was certainly a lot of confusion around care homes at the time that the guidance was being given. "And when I went back three months later to discuss what had happened, they actually said, 'oh, our mistake, we should have actually let you in. "If I'd been let in, would my dad still be with me? I don't know."
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Boy, three, who died of sepsis would have got to hospital earlier if 111 operator graded calls life-threatening, inquest hears
A three-year-old boy who tragically died from sepsis might have been rushed to hospital earlier if a 111 operator had treated his call as a life-or-death emergency, an inquest heard. Mother Kayleigh Kenneford dialled 111 on the evening of July 7, 2022, desperate for help as her son, Theo Tuikubulau, felt seriously unwell. For 36 hours, little Theo had been steadily worsening, battling a high fever, flu-like symptoms, struggling to breathe, and refusing food and drink. Just a day earlier, Theo had already been admitted and discharged from Plymouth's Derriford Hospital with what doctors suspected was an upper respiratory infection. But confusion over emergency call grading systems sealed Theo's fate. At Devon Coroner's Court, it emerged that 999 calls and 111 calls use separate triage systems, and while Theo's breathing difficulties were classified as the highest emergency level, category one, by the 999-linked medical priority system on July 6, the 111 service ranked the same symptoms a less urgent category two the next day. That meant paramedics took a full 90 minutes to reach Theo after his mother first called for an ambulance just before 11pm on July 7. Theo was rushed back to Derriford Hospital, arriving just after 1am, but tragically died hours later from sepsis caused by a deadly 'invasive' Strep A infection.P Jon Knight, head of emergency operations at the South West Ambulance Service Trust, had reviewed the 111 call and was asked what would have happened if it had been made to his employers. 'My belief is based on the trigger phrase that the patient was fighting for breath at the time, it would have triggered a cat one through the AMPDS system,' he said. Mr Knight said he was dealing with 'hypotheticals' as to how quickly a category one ambulance that night would have reached Theo. 'It is really hard to commit to a time,' he said. 'It certainly would have been quicker than 90 minutes, would be my belief. 'I think with the right set of circumstances - if you didn't have an ambulance available in the area and you were bringing one from Derriford Hospital - you are probably looking at 30 minutes.' Louise Wiltshire, assistant coroner for Devon, asked Mr Knight about the evidence of Ms Kenneford in which she said she was told by the 111 call handler an ambulance would not be long. 'What I can tell you is within the training with our own service, we would not ask or allow our colleagues to give people average or any sort of indication of ambulance response time,' he replied. 'What we say to patients is: 'An ambulance has been arranged for you. It will be with you as soon as possible. If your condition changes or worsens in any way, call us back immediately.' 'We try to manage patient expectation in that way and give them a very clear instruction to call us back, regardless of timescale.' Mr Knight told the inquest that having reviewed documents relating to Theo's care that evening, the ambulance crew recognised he was seriously unwell and immediately took him to Derriford Hospital. 'I think the crew made all the appropriate and correct decisions in their decision to leave the scene and take Theo to hospital,' he said. The hospital was also alerted in advance that the ambulance was coming and staff were waiting for him, Mr Knight said. 'I absolutely support all of the decision-making that was made at the time,' he added. Andrew Morse, representing Theo's family, suggested if the call on July 7 had been assessed as a category one then he could have potentially arrived at the hospital by 11.45pm. 'On balance, given the testimony I've already given to the coroner, I think that that's a reasonable assumption,' Mr Knight replied. The inquest heard there was a paramedic crew who could have reached Theo within 33 minutes had his call been graded as category one. Megan Barker, Mr Knight's deputy, said: 'At best guess, if we compared that to the resource that did go approximately an hour and a bit later, it would have taken them around 30 to 33 minutes to get to Theo. 'We can guess that they would have spent a similar amount of time with Theo, so likely have had a hospital arrival time of about 30 minutes later. 'That puts us around maybe 12.10am.' The inquest before a jury at County Hall in Exeter continues.
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
The eight essential questions you should always ask your doctor in hospital
Spending time as a hospital inpatient is tough and, in some ways, not dissimilar to the experience of a long-haul flight (we're not talking premium economy here). Unwelcome noise can make sleep impossible. Shared bathrooms. Limited privacy. Neighbours coughing, spluttering or snoring. And, just as you are about to fall asleep, the lights come on and the food trolley arrives. Worse, you aren't awaiting an exciting business trip or relaxing holiday, but are living with the anxiety that ill-health, an operation or medical investigations can bring. Often away from loved ones and immediate familiar support, time in hospital can be scary and isolating. On the other side of the curtain, I recall with embarrassment my first ward round as a clueless medical student. It's a world of jargon, speed and uncertainty. Just getting to grips with the hospital hierarchy takes some time – even for a young doctor. But this isn't about me. It is about those on the receiving end of inpatient medical care. Those confined to a mattress designed more for practicality than comfort; those looking for answers. The following are essential questions that can ease the hospital experience, whether you find yourself, or a loved one, admitted. What is really wrong with me? Sometimes this is clear from the outset and a hospital stay is simply providing the treatment. On other occasions there is a more frustrating hunt for a diagnosis, using a combination of tests and investigations to inform the team. I once admitted a patient overnight with severe chest pain and arranged a barrage of cardiac investigations. It was not until the consultant ward round the following morning that the tell-tale blistering rash of shingles appeared across her chest. If you are unclear as to what the suspected diagnosis is then simply ask. The clinicians involved should have a working list of potential diagnoses, even if the final answer has yet to be reached. Sometimes time works well as a diagnostic tool. Why am I being constantly asked the same questions by different medics? One of the greatest frustrations patients report is the constant checking and clarifying of information during a hospital stay. Why have you come? Some are so fed up with being asked this question that they begin to wonder why they ever bothered. A&E receptionist, triage nurse, A&E doctor, senior A&E doctor, admitting junior doctor, speciality doctor, inpatient consultant, allied health professionals, the list goes on. It is not unusual to repeat your story 10 times over. Is this inefficiency or a system designed to provide so many safety-nets that hopefully little falls through? The truth is that your story matters. What you say and how you describe it – the history of the presenting complaint – is still the greatest diagnostic tool that we have. Take a pain in your chest for example: does the pain worsen with exercise and exertion? Yes. Can you press your chest wall and reproduce that pain? A 'yes' here might mean we can discharge you home after some simple safety checks with pain relief for musculoskeletal chest pain – a chest sprain, if you will. But a 'no' could point to a cardiac cause and require a series of more invasive inpatient investigations. Think of the tedious repetition therefore, as vital clarification rather than onerous interrogation. Medical decisions are based on a clinician's internal algorithm, not dissimilar to those flow charts you might have used at primary school to identify an insect. A badly placed 'yes' can lead to an incorrect diagnosis. The chart says caterpillar when, in reality, you're a bluebottle. Don't be baffled by the questions; instead, try to clarify in your own mind the exact events that have brought you here. It's not always easy. How long will I be in here for? The time you stay will vary drastically depending upon the diagnosis, the investigations required and your speed of recovery. Bed availability on specialist units, space in the scanner and emergency cases in the operating theatre can all extend hospital stays for logistical reasons. The most urgent cases usually take priority. What is going to happen today? Once admitted, the ward round, which usually happens each morning, is the key interaction of the day for medical updates and progress. A gaggle of enthusiastic healthcare professionals surround the bed, usually headed by the most senior doctor available from the team. This may be the consultant, but could also be a registrar or other junior doctor depending on staff commitments. Nursing staff and other allied health professionals often join the round too. Results are reviewed, medicines prescribed and that all-important plan for further management is created. Now is your chance for questions. The team of onlookers can feel somewhat intimidating, but do not be afraid. By involving yourself in your care you will be empowered to more clearly understand the path that lies ahead. For those unable to fully engage, it may be possible for an advocate to be present at the ward round or to arrange a meeting later in the day with a doctor from the team. Use your time wisely. Hours of boredom will no doubt ensue during your stay, so make a list of questions or concerns. This can prevent the inevitable stage fright when the team finally arrives at your bedside. Get timelines for further investigations or procedures and the working diagnosis. What tests am I having and why? Blood-pressure tests, heart-rate tests, oxygen-level tests. Tests, tests and then yet more tests. They are all part of the 'early warning scores' – a way for hospitals to identify patients who may need more immediate medical attention, which are calculated from your vital signs to determine how stable you currently are and therefore how frequently your 'observations' need to be taken. A quieter night is on the cards for those steady and stable, with closer monitoring for those more clinically unwell. Infuriating as the visits can be, do not underestimate the importance of the opportunity for a brief catch-up with the nursing team to discuss medical issues, request pain relief or simply share a joke or story. Keeping morale high helps everyone on both sides. Those staying a little longer will become overly familiar with the daily blood taking visit from the Dracula-inspired phlebotomist. These tests can provide vital clinical information for your team, but are not always essential every day. Sometimes the default position is simply to test, so if the daily ritual is becoming burdensome, check in with your doctors to establish whether such regular testing is essential. Perhaps the Count could have a day off? If I have more questions, who can I talk to? If you are uncertain or concerned about any aspect, start by discussing matters with the nurse looking after you. If they are unable to clarify things, then request a discussion with one of the doctors from the team. You will have a named consultant responsible for your overall admission to whom you should be able to speak should the need arise. For matters relating to logistics and your experience on an inpatient ward, the Ward Manager is an excellent first port of call. If you find that your concerns are still not being addressed, you can contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) team at the hospital, who can provide further support and information. How can I get out of here? Once a diagnosis has been reached and treatment delivered, the attention of most patients quickly turns to the quickest escape route. This can be frustratingly slow. Physiotherapists must ensure that you are safely able to mobilise. The all important 'stairs assessment', whilst sounding like a legal requirement from Building Control, is designed to ensure that those who have to negotiate stairs in their home environment can do so with minimal risk of falls. Occupational therapists may work with you to help optimise your home environment, ensuring that you can manage daily tasks such as cooking, washing and putting the kettle on. For those in need of more support, social workers may be involved in arranging a package of care to support you at home, or to help find a placement in a residential or nursing home. When the great escape seems tantalisingly close, the final hurdle, which I can liken only to the inevitable wait at the airport baggage-reclaim carousel, is for the pharmacist to deliver any medications required for discharge. Stringent checks and overstretched teams mean this can make even the most bureaucratic customs official seem efficient. If your ultimate exit is reliant upon hospital transport, I recommend a good book and patience of a saint. What happens after discharge? Accompanying you out of the door should be a 'Discharge Summary'. A copy of this will be sent to your GP for information and further action where required. It is well worth taking a photo of this in case the important document disappears in the baggage-reclaim chaos. This document should detail the events of your stay but, crucially, also any follow-up plans, including details of upcoming outpatient investigations and appointments. Any prescribed medicines are also listed on this document with instructions on when and how they should be taken, so keep this at hand to accompany that reclaimed baggage from the pharmacy team.
