Patient in England goes shopping with an IV pump.

[JPINFV]

Patient takes drip to shop - see amazing picture

A hospital patient was caught on camera dragging her DRIP into a busy Lancashire supermarket.

A Lancashire Evening Post reader snapped the amazing photo as the patient made her way through Booths, opposite the Royal Preston Hospital (RPH), as he sat in the shop cafe.

It comes just weeks after the hospital declared war on hospital infections with a new staff dress code, and months after complaints about patients visiting the shop in pyjamas potentially spreading superbugs, including MRSA.

Paul Edmondson, of Fulwood, was enjoying a cup of tea with his wife Karen at the Sharoe Green Lane supermarket at 11.50am on Tuesday when he came across the worrying spectacle.

The young woman, a patient at RPH whom we have chosen not to identify, was walking through the chilled food and drink aisle pulling along a drip stand only yards away from customers eating food in the cafe.

Paul was so alarmed at the sight that he snapped the picture using his mobile phone camera.

Paul, 54, a father-of-two, said: "I couldn't believe my eyes. I saw a member of the public talking to her and expressing concern that she was in the supermarket in that condition.

"I have every sympathy with the patient for whatever treatment she was receiving, but surely in light of the many hospital infections that are rife at the moment, this can't be right."

Hospital bosses are so worried about infection they are considering banning nurses from wearing uniforms outside the hospital.

A spokesman for Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, who run the RPH, said: "We request patients to seek permission from a nurse in charge or notify staff of their whereabouts, such as if they want to leave the ward to buy a newspaper from the hospital shops.

"There would never be agreement for any inpatient to leave the hospital premises to visit nearby shops with a drip inserted.

"Her actions are irresponsible. There is no evidence that this contributes to the spread of infection. However, our staff are doing their best to prevent or minimise the risk of infection but we also need patients and the general public to play their part."

A spokeman for Booths said: "We make every effort to accommodate the diverse needs of our customers within our company procedures, which state that we will not serve customers who are under the influence of alcohol, under age or abusive to staff or shoppers."

A shopper talks to the female patient who still has the drip in her arm. We have chosen to conceal their faces

Mass stupidity makes my head hurt.

[Jess]

Is that a foley bag we see there?!

[Just Plain Ruff]

she was actually a patient waiting in the ER there. You know their wait times are tantamount to what our wait times in the ER are here.

I mean when you got to do your shopping, IV bag and full foley bag be damned.

She just needed retail therapy - it was on her prescription

[DwayneEMTP]

She just needed retail therapy - it was on her prescription

[crazycanuck]

Though I do not in any way agree with this patient going to the grocery store in hospital attire with an IV and pole, I think there are some other important points to think about here rather than the obvious concerns and media attention to this.

1) Many people in that grocery store probably pose more infectious and health risk than this lady does and we have no way of knowing it.

2) What makes this such a problem for people? That she visibly has an 'illness'? That she could be carrying germs?

3) People go out all kinds of places on home IV therapy for who knows what. Yes, this is a different situation but we have no idea what infectious risk people pose in public places.

4) As mentioned in the article: many people who work in the health care field wear scrubs out and about before or after medical procedures and this has become so commonplace many of us don't even think twice about it.

The point is, ok so this wasn't the greatest move for this lady, but big deal....I think there are bigger fish to fry as far as infection concerns in the public. Plus with the UK wait times as here in Canada, the lady probably hadn't eaten in quite some time. I'd damn well go shopping too!

Hope she got me some food too

-cc

[DwayneEMTP]

Yeah, as CC said, all she really did was go out into public as a "sick person" and that made them uncomfortable. Too bad for them.

I once got a ticket for peeing on the side of the freeway. When the highway patrolman was writing me a ticket I asked what it was for. He said, "Indecent exposure, public urination." (I was in the middle of Montana out in some bushes). So I asked him to note on the ticket that nothing "private" had actually been exposed, and he did so.

So I went to court on it. (I was passing through but ended up staying 2 weeks so I could run this by the judge) When in the courtroom, with a hilarious judge, thank goodness…

I said, "Sir, how could it be indecent exposure, when I only exposed my back to anyone passing by? People often see my back, and I've never gotten a ticket for it before"

He asked, "Well, wasn't it obvious that you were urinating on the side of the road?"

I said, "Well, probably. So it's actually a ticket because people were offended to discover that I pee, even though they didn't actually see me peeing?

He said, "That makes it sound silly doesn't it?"

I said, "Does that mean that if I mention here that you urinate, that you must also now have to get a ticket? Because as people don't seem to have known that before, you can bet they're going to be offended!" (Yeah, not exactly the most amazing logic, but I was 22 and living in my van at the time...cut me a break.)

Thank goodness he thought I was funny, and not simply a smartass like most. (This was a little town, I can't remember the name, so it was just the drunks and yours truly, the evil peeing guy, in court)

He said, "How about urinating in public?" I said, "There wasn't much public there, so I don't see how it fits." He said, "It was, in fact, on public property." So I said, "Well, I was peeing, and if it was public property than I don't have an argument for that." He said, "$5.00 fine for public urination...see ya later."

Anyway, besides the fact that I am very fond of this story, my point in telling is that nobody was harmed. Some people became offended by my "peeing posture”, without being able to actually see me pee, there were no health issues (just me and the cattle), someone just needed something to squawk about.

Anyone in scrubs has more than likely been exposed to this lady's and at least a dozen other people's germs.

The lady went shopping, exposed mostly to her own germs. Unless she escaped from isolation, she wins the "clean" debate hands down.

This story is just plain ignorant. (Ok, theirs and mine, but mine doesn't hurt anyone... :wink: )

Dwayne

[Eydawn]

ROFL, Dwayne!

Well, if her cath pulls out and she oozes everywhere, that's icky. And it's hard to move with an IV in your arm sometimes! (No personal experience here... not me...)

Whether or not this is socially appropriate, she really shouldn't be out walkies when she's supposed to be hanging in the ER. That's what friends are for- to go fetch the Kinderbars or whatever it is she was after.

I know to always bring a book whenever I'm going to be anywhere near a hospital (as a patient or a companion) because they operate veeerrrryyy verrrrrrrrrrrrrry sloooooooowwwwwwwwllllly....... if there isn't a lot wrong with you. If there is, then it's hurry, hurry, ok you're not dying NOW, so now you wait.

*Shrugs* I think this is kind of a stupid move and indicates the mental functioning of the person out walkies... kind of like going to a job interview in your pajamas- it's going to get you a funny look or two and might get your pic in the paper!

Wendy

CO EMT-B

[JPINFV]

3) People go out all kinds of places on home IV therapy for who knows what. Yes, this is a different situation but we have no idea what infectious risk people pose in public places.

I guess I should be scared because one of the students in my class is on an insulin pump that is worn like a pager. OMG, the GERMS!!!!111oneonelevenone