Annex A > Chapter 9 - The Split Service > Comments by those providing support and counselling
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Comments by those providing support and counselling
44 The Reverend Leonard Burn, a retired Hospital Chaplain to the Central Bristol Hospitals from 1981 to 1983, stated in his written evidence to the Inquiry that the split site `was inconvenient, but not a problem'. [45]
45 Father Bernard Charles, a part-time Hospital Chaplain at the BRI and the BRHSC from 1991 to 1996, stated in his written evidence to the Inquiry:
`It seemed to me that the needs of children receiving cardiac care were different from those of adults and that it was unfortunate that both were cared for, post operatively, on the same ward [at the BRI]. I obtained the impression that conditions were a little cramped, making it difficult for parents to be at the bedside of sick children for long periods, and that facilities for parents to rest and relax, and be accommodated, were lacking.' [46]
46 Canon Charmion Mann (Assistant Chaplain and then Chaplain at the BRHSC from 1988 to 1994) stated in her written evidence to the Inquiry:
`I felt it was probably disconcerting for parents to have two groups of carers [at the BRHSC and the BRI] looking after their child. There was necessarily a break in the continuity of care. We (the staff) within the BCH were aware that the BRI was not staffed as a children's hospital and felt that it was a shame that the site was split.' [47]
47 The Reverend Robert Yeomans (Spiritual Adviser to the UBHT from 1993) stated:
`I felt having children and adults together was particularly beneficial. It created a family environment and for many people it seemed to accelerate the healing process ... For many adults it put their illness into context, and they loved watching the children play...' [48]
48 The Reverend Helena Cermakova (Chaplain at the BRHSC and St Michael's from 1995) stated that she `did not sense during this time (early 1995, when I joined the BRHSC) that the split site caused any difficulties'. [49]
49 Mr Rhett Dunford, a social worker at the BRHSC from 1990 to 1994 before moving to the BRI, contrasted facilities at the two sites:
`At the Children's Hospital parents had accommodation and support of other families. It was a child centred environment. This was not available for them at the Bristol Royal Infirmary. It was difficult for parents if children were admitted straight to the Bristol Royal Infirmary as they appeared to miss out on some of the pre-operative preparation.' [50]
50 Miss Helen Stratton, Cardiac Liaison Nurse at the BRI from 1990 to 1994, told the Inquiry:
`Helen Vegoda felt quite strongly that it was her role to look after the parents at the Children's Hospital and my role was at the Bristol Royal Infirmary.' [51]
51 Miss Stratton said that she wished her role to be more integrated between the two sites:
`I was also aware that there was this cavern between the nurses at the BRI and the nurses at the Children's Hospital and I wanted in some small way to see how that could be improved, whether that was through communication, whether that was through going to the Children's Hospital and speaking with people informally and setting up the Paediatric Cardiac Nurses' Association which I did whilst I was there as well.' [52]
52 Miss Stratton told the Inquiry that this `cavern' related essentially to the two groups of patients:
`I know a lot of the nurses at the Children's Hospital felt quite strongly because they were trained paediatric nurses that the children should not be having surgery on an adult unit. Their views were obviously shared amongst a number of people.' [53]
`I think the split site meant that there was a communication problem. I mean, not between Helen Vegoda and I, in as much as we met on a regular basis, but I think with the nursing staff just because they were not both in the same hospital there were inevitably communication problems. I am not aware of any particular instance where I thought, "Gosh, you know if people had communicated that or the children had been nursed in the Children's Hospital all the time that would not have happened". I cannot specify instances, although I am sure people will be able to do that, but I cannot.' [54]
54 Mrs Jean Pratten, founder of the Bristol and South West Children's Heart Circle, told the Inquiry:
`... there were two separate managements, as I mentioned earlier, of each hospital so the whole of the cardiac services for children were not integrated in one unit; there were two completely different sections.' [55]
55 Mrs Vegoda told the Inquiry that before Miss Stratton took up her post:
`... one of the difficulties of the split site and the fact that I was going down to ward 5 was that I did not really get to know the nurses well. We did not sit together and have time to discuss the role. I went down there to see families and sort of came out again. That was not my base. So I do not think I necessarily developed a close rapport with the nursing staff, but that was the main reason, and also the fact that there was a lot of nursing staff and ... they were continually changing.' [56]
`... it would have been very helpful right at the beginning had there been somebody covering Ward 5. I think the split site was very difficult.' [57]
57 As regards the effect of the split site on parents, Mrs Vegoda told the Inquiry:
`I think the split site was really quite difficult for parents to cope with, for a number of reasons. Primarily that they had got used to the Children's Hospital and they then went to a strange building, a strange hospital and one that was not dedicated to children. So it was not ideal ...
`... I do remember parents commenting on the fact and being, I think, aware that this was not a paediatric environment. For example, I think some parents commented on the fact that the nursing staff were not particularly aware of feeding difficulties of, say, young children post-operatively. I cannot remember anything specific at the moment, but just a general awareness that this is not a paediatric setting.
`What particularly was commented on, and for some parents it was very stressful, was the first time they were shown around Intensive Care in Ward 5. They found that extremely difficult because it was a mixed unit with adults in it.' [58]
58 Mrs Pratten in her written evidence to the Inquiry stated:
`The split site proved extremely hard for parents to cope with. For many years the catheter lab was in the BRI and parents of children in the BRHSC were left anxiously waiting for their child's return at the whim of the ambulance service. It was always very hard for parents to have to face their child's open heart surgery in an unfamiliar hospital, with an age range of patients from 0-80.' [59]
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Footnotes
[45] WIT 0284 0010 The Reverend Burn
[46] WIT 0277 0009 Father Charles
[47] WIT 0273 0006 Canon Mann
[48] WIT 0274 0013 The Reverend Yeomans
[49] WIT 0272 0006 The Reverend Cermakova
[50] WIT 0384 0006 Mr Dunford
[54] T46 p.164-5 Miss Stratton
[59] WIT 0269 0010 - 0011 Mrs Pratten