Dozens responded after the Evening Post featured the case of Christopher Doran who discharged himself from the Royal Preston Hospital when surgery for haemorrhoids was put back. And although some criticised the treatment record of the area’s major trauma centre, most took to social media to back doctors, nurses and other staff for the way they or their relatives had been treated.
“RPH isn’t a bad hospital,” insisted Adrece Richards on Facebook. “Bad experiences don’t make it a bad hospital.”
And Kate Procter added: “Please don’t blame the frontline staff for NHS incompetencies. It’s the way the NHS is run that is the problem.”
Mr Doran, of Harling Road, Preston signed himself out of the hospital after delays on the day he was due in theatre. Having been nil-by-mouth since midnight he was still waiting at 1.30pm and was told if he wasn’t called by 5pm the surgery couldn’t take place that day. There were no guarantees for the following day either.
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“I was disgusted,” said Mr Doran. “Even though the pain was very bad I decided I couldn’t keep putting myself through that, so I signed myself out.”
Zoe Eastham, who alleged her mother had died after initially being misdiagnosed, said: “Good on him for discharging himself, he’s probably much safer at home.”
But Helen Ratcliffe gave the opposite view. “I will never ever call the staff at RPH. They saved my mum’s life twice.”
Chief executive Karen Partington commented: “Our priority is to always to provide the highest standards of care.”