The Hippocratic (Hypocrisy) Oath - the Myth of 'do no harm ...'

Due to the subject matter that we cover, we are passed lots of examples of what is REALLY happening in hospitals and what is REALLY being done by those that are supposed to be there to protect us. Unfortunately the good apples are rare and far out numbered by the bad apples. Please read and keep in mind ...

General Gynaecology

(Incident occurred in 1991 - told first hand to Anna) A women went into a hospital appointment to be examined for external gentiles. She was asked to undress and put on a gown. When the doctor came in he brought in at least 10 student doctors with him. No permission or warning had been given to the young person. Her gown was then pulled apart and the doctor proceeded to examine her breasts with no consent or necessity. The woman looked to the nurse that was there is terror, however she was just given a look of 'nothing I can do'. The women left the hospital and cried all the way home. She has no memory of what happened after that part of the examination. She was young and had never been touched in that way before!

(Incident occurred in 1993 - first hand for ALW) A patient went to her female GP with a question about her external gentiles. The GP suggested that she be referred to a Gynaecologist at the hospital. The patient said she only wanted to se a female doctor. The GP explained that there were none at her local hospital. The GP said that the doctor she would refer her to was a good doctor and would ‘treat her as a lady’. Reluctantly the patient agreed. She went to the hospital but was informed that she would see Doctor X as the doctor she should have seen had left to ‘play golf!’ A female student doctor came in to ask questions and ask permission to be with the doctor as he did the examination. The patient agreed to this. The ‘main doctor’ came in with the student and looked at the patient. The doctor could not see what the ‘problem’ was. He knew that the ‘problem’ was external however his fingers kept entering the patient’s body. The patient said though gritted teeth ‘its EXTERNAL NOT INTERNAL!!’ The doctor asked the patient to show him the ‘problem’. The patient was very embarrassed and uncomfortable doing so. He still could not see it. The student who had been at a distance was asked by the ‘main doctor’ if she could see the ‘problem’ and immediately come over and pointed it out to the ‘main doctor’!!!
The patient was left very upset and cried most of the way home. Unfortunately the patent was too shocked and upset and did not feel able to lodge a complaint IF she knew that she could do so. She also felt that she would be believed if she did.

Under General Anaesthetic ...

( Incident occurred in 2001 - told first hand to Anna a few months later) A midwife wanted to extend her knowledge and went to see how a abdominal hysterectomy was performed. She was shocked to discover that before the TAH was undertaken (patient under general anaesthetic) many student doctors were lined up to practice internal examinations.

Caesarean Extraction ...

( Incident occurred in 2000 - told first hand to Anna a week or so later) A student doctor was watching a caesarean extraction. After the baby had been extracted the surgeon **pulled out the ovaries** for the students to see what they looked like!! We are trying to find out what damage this would have caused the patient, what her increase of ectopic pregnancy would be and so on …

Hysterectomy ...

( Incident occurred in 2002 - told first hand to Anna about a month later) A newly qualified nurse went to work on Obs and Gyn ward. A patient was due to have a hysterectomy. The patient was under the impression that she was only to have her uterus removed. The nurse over heard the surgeons talking one said, it is just the uterus, the other said, ‘no I am taking everything out’. The nurse asked a more experienced nurse about this asking if the patient be consulted about this. The nurse said it was nothing to do with the patient, it was up to the doctors what they did.

( Incident occurred in 1980's - 1990's - told first hand to ALW about 2002) I was sitting down discussing post pregnancy hysterectomy with a doctor. A doctor that did not like what I was saying … I said that I believed that I was used as teaching practice. The doctor started to argue with me and then went quiet and had a certain look on her face. I asked her ‘what is it?’. To her complete credit she did not brush me off with rubbish. She explained slowly and carefully (as something was being dragged from her memory) that when she was training to be a doctor that she had witnessed c/s patients chosen to be used as teaching practice for a hysterectomy. I had to highlight to her that with SO many volunteering for hysterectomy OR those that have cancer etc why are c/s patents used. She had no answer other than what she had witnessed.

Breastfeeding ...

(Incident occurred in 2001 - told second hand to Anna a week or so later, by a differnt midwife) If your baby is over 9 lbs you wont be able to breastfeed it. (said by a midwife)
(another Incident occurred in 2005 - told first hand to Anna from the mother it was said to) Mothers reply was, 'so how I was I able to feed my other child when he was 25lbs?'

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