Nurse could have killed him!

My OH has been booked in for a colonoscopy on Monday afternoon, but as he was at the hospital last week he did his assessment face to face with the nurse. She wrote on the notes for preparation to take sachet a at 6pm and b at 9pm on Sunday. If he’d followed this he could have been 999 into a&e as this amount of laxative would have been enough to be dangerous for anyone! Fortunately for him I’m on it and noticed the corrected when he started the first dose.

I can’t express how much I’m worried about this because he has learning difficulties and I worry that if someone else gets this information they might not have anyone to prevent them from following this and could be in serious danger.

would you put a complaint in? He’s a frequent flyer at this hospital because they are treating his cancer, and he worries that it would be held against him.

  • Hello and thanks for posting

    I'm sorry to read about this situation.

    If you think there has been an error with your partners bowel preparation, then it's best to bring this to the attention the hospital staff. Unfortunately, we cannot do this for you as we are not involved in his care or part of the hospital.

    Many hospitals actively encourage patients to report safety concerns because it helps them improve services.

    Raising a concern should not affect his care. NHS staff are expected to treat patients the same regardless of whether they raise concerns or make complaints. 

    You may find it helpful to contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) at the hospital. They are there specifically to help patients and families resolve concerns and can often raise issues informally if that's what you both prefer.

    I hope this has been of some help. Give us a ring if you would like to talk anything over. The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.

    Kind regards,

    Celene