Sheerness mum Krystal Pearce left in tears after nurse at Medway Maritime calls her 'horrendous' and 'nasty'
Published: 00:01, 11 November 2015
A mum-of-two was left in tears when she secretly recorded a conversation between a nurse and another patient calling her “horrendous” and “nasty”.
Krystal Pearce, of St George’s Avenue, Sheerness, was admitted to Medway Maritime Hospital on October 3 with severe abdominal pain.
But shortly after her arrival on her ward, she alleges a number of nurses were rude and abrupt towards her, refusing answer questions about which professionals would be treating her.
After suspecting some of them were making unpleasant remarks, Miss Pearce put her mobile phone on voice record mode and placed it out of sight while she went for a cigarette.
In the covertly taken audio, a nurse can be heard speaking to another patient, calling Miss Pearce “horrendous”, “nasty” and complaining about how often she is at Medway Maritime.
Miss Pearce, who lives with her partner Lee Prior, 30, said: “I’ve been in hospital 10 times over the last two months and I don’t want to be doing that.
"When I heard the recording I felt distressed, like I was forced to discharge myself and I did, even in the pain I was in" - Krystal Pearce
“When I heard the recording I felt distressed, like I was forced to discharge myself and I did, even in the pain I was in.
“I cried my eyes out, it has been so hard on me.
“I wasn’t getting the care I should’ve been getting.”
Miss Pearce also said the experience left her petrified of being treated at the hospital again, which she was forced to do for further surgery on October 23, and will again later this month.
She added: “I just want the hospital to reflect on what they’ve done and how they have made me feel.
“They should treat me with the respect of everybody else, regardless of whether they’ve been in 10 times or one time.”
The 28-year-old also has a catalogue of other serious medical conditions and has been in and out of hospital for treatment for four years.
In 2011, she was diagnosed with painful spinal condition spondylosis, and also osteoarthritis is her knees and back.
These conditions requires constant treatment.
She has undergone a number of operations in the last few years, including two c-sections, having her gallbladder and appendix removed and suffering internal adhesions from surgical complications.
Last month, doctors at the Gillingham hospital found Miss Pearce, who is registered disabled and is a full-time mum to Ellis, eight, and Shayley, four, had abnormal and possibly cancerous cells in her cervix.
A Medway NHS Foundation Trust spokesman said: “Maintaining the highest standards of patient care is our highest priority and we take complaints raised by patients, staff and the public very seriously.
“We are currently investigating the concerns raised and will ensure any appropriate remedial action is taken in order to maintain the trust’s commitment to excellence.”
Transcript of the conversation
Nurse one: I was going to say don’t give the [inaudible], we know this lady, she’s very nasty. She’s in and out, in and out, in and out, in and out.
Patient: [inaudible]
Nurse one: She’s gone out. She comes and because every time she comes it’s different ambulances. She gets what she wants when she comes [inaudible]. She knows she’s not meant to get it. She gets better and she goes home.
Patient: [inaudible]
Nurse one: And then she is back again.
Patient: She was horrendous.
Nurse one: She wants her surgery and she wants it now. It’s not going to happen, she’ll have to wait like everybody else. And it’s not that far – it’s October 23.
Patient: Is that all?
Nurse one: Yeah, she has a date. You’ll have to just put up with it.
Patient: This is it, you have to put up with it
Nurse one: We all do.
Patient: She was horrendous last time.
Nurse one: I know, I know. That’s probably the 10th time I’ve met her.
Patient: Tenth?
Nurse one: [inaudible]
Patient two: It makes me angry, though. There’s generally [inaudible]
Patient: She’s asking everybody where you were last night. She was asking for all the staff ‘who’s on tomorrow?’
Nurse one: Because she knows it depends on who it is on...
Patient: How soft they are.
Nurse one: What she will get away with.
Patient: So she’s gone for a walk now.
Patient two: No, she’s gone out for a cigarette.
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Rachel O'Donoghue