Fril patients asked to give themselves soil in A&E

Filly patients in the emergency department of Kent Hospital were “asked for soil” because there was no one to take them to the toilet, the employees have said.

Patients from Medway Maritime Hospital in Gilingham faced waiting for more than 50 hours, with no access to washing facilities, some “sitting in their own stool”, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) was told.

An inspection by CQC in February 2024 evaluated the emergency department as “needs to improve” and issued a warning notice for violations of health and social care rules.

Jene Black, Chief Executive Officer of the Medway NHS Foundation Trust, who runs the hospital, apologized to the patients and said that improvements were made.

A CQC report published on March 5 described patients who said they “saw the crying” on the phone “, but” no one seemed to be “.

In a trip on 21 February 2024Inspectors said they found that the emergency department “was not suitable for the number of people”, 14 patients in a revival area designed for nine people and 15 people in the corridor of the department are being treated.

One patient said that he was “sitting in his own stool throughout the day because there was no available to help”.

Another patient told the inspectors that they were sitting on a chair in the corridor for 55 hours.

When he asked the employees if they could take a bath, they were told whether they could only wash themselves with water from the toilet sink and wash themselves.

Inspectors also saw a patient passing the urine in a bottle with “without any secrecy curtain”.

Some employees also described a “poor culture” and feared vengeance to raise concerns.

Five employees told the inspectors that they were threatened with disciplinary action or were targeted to speak.

Patients, relatives and employees approached the CQC before inspection how patients faced “derogatory experience”.

CQC said, “Examples included patients who could not get up and take themselves to the toilet, they themselves were released into the soil and left in dirty clothes and bedcloths for hours.”

Employees also stated that “frill, bed-bound patients themselves were asked for soil because they did not have enough employees to take them to the toilet” said.

The CQC report evaluated the hospital’s emergency department as a “need for improvement”, earlier “good” rated it.

The hospital was “insufficient” for safety, found in the report, but was “good” to lead well.

Reacting to the inspection report, Ms. Black said: “We are very sorry that despite the best efforts of our hard -working employees, during the last February inspection, the inspection team found that our care fell below the standard that everyone should expect in his need time.

“We have made significant reforms during the previous year so that patients participating in our emergency department are treated soon, taking care in more suitable areas for their needs, and proper and compassionate care is obtained.

“We believe that a lot has to be done for us, especially to reduce the delay for patients waiting to be admitted in a ward, so that each patient receives high level of care that we aspire to provide.

“Employees all over the hospital continue to work with our ambulances, community and social care partners, to improve the care of all for patients participating in our emergency department, together.”

The reforms highlighted by the trust included better waiting times and a new ward for breathing and heart conditions, which was opened in April 2024.