大象传媒

I have just attended a routine blood test at the local hospital clinic.

The nurse taking my blood was very helpful, but there are a number of suggestions that I have repeatedly made over the past year, that due to lack of continuity of staff (it's a different nurse each time) are never followed through.

The first is this. I bruise easily and the tiny round plaster that they consider fit for purpose to manage my wound simply isn鈥檛 adequate.

The main problem is the lack of continued pressure on the point where the blood was taken. Even if I sit there for ten minutes after the offending event with a blob of cotton wool pressed on the wound, I still have a tendency to bleed and this tiny plaster just doesn鈥檛 do anything to help. In fact it just makes it worse as the blood has nowhere to go and bleeds internally into the surrounding tissue resulting in a nasty bruise.

A simple solution would be to leave the cotton wool on (to keep pressure on the wound) and secure it in place with a piece of tape. I have experienced this in other clinics no problem.

Each time I see a new nurse I mention this to them and they say 鈥淥K I鈥檒l order some tape鈥� but it never happens. So I have to rush home and do a patch up job, to avoid any problems. I can't be the only one that has this problem, surely?

The second suggestion I have is this. The current appointment slip I am given is entitled [insert favourite bipolar medication here] Clinic written in big letters at the top. Fine, if you don鈥檛 have to show that to your employer to get out of work free.

But no way am I showing that to my line manager or HR officer cos it鈥檚 none of their business what medication I鈥檓 on. So to protect confidentiality, I suggest that they change the title to simply 鈥淏lood Test Clinic鈥� or use a coding system so that they know what it means but my nosey employer doesn't. I can鈥檛 be the only one working who is affected by this, surely?

The nurse today was happy to give me a compliments slip with 鈥淏lood Test鈥� on it for my next appointment.

Perhaps I should put these suggestions in writing to the NHS Trust, and see what happens.

I was once told by my consultant that nobody ever complains but perhaps they just feel too disempowered to do so.

What suggestions for improvements would you make or have you made to the NHS? Did they implement your suggestions?

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Advice and support for combating discrimination at work for people with bipolar disorder and other mental health conditions