Written by Ines, 86 years old [Black Caribbean].
In 2023, the 75th anniversary of the arrival of HMT Windrush was commemorated. Agnes Nisbett, of the Windrush generation, came to the UK in 1959, aged 21. Since then, she has dedicated her life around the healthcare system as a midwife, a nursing officer, and as a caregiver for her family members and friends.
Agnes was already a well-trained nurse back home, but she had to re-train herself doing all the basic training in the UK. But she persevered and worked her way up working as a midwife, retiring as a nursing officer at the Leicester Royal Infirmary in 2004. Throughout her career, she always wanted to become the best nurse and care for her patients best she could.
She herself has had fair share of health concerns over the years, but believes her health is as before, except for her slowing down.
“I still feel like I can do things quick as before, but I have made a point now to do it slowly because I’ve got to think about the risks”.
Her children keep on telling her to take her time so now she has had to re-educate herself. She is thankful to God that she only needs to go to her annual follow-up and hopes it stays like this.
“My gait is not 100%, I need to hold onto something to walk around and have a stick to walk outside. I sleep ok. I would say I am pretty healthy up to now.”
Agnes always introduces herself as a nurse before every consultation.
“Before I start to talk, I tell them who I am. It changes their approach to me.”
She had a horrible experience in the 1960s when she had an issue with one of her fingers, the doctor treating her ‘attacked’ her hand and poked the scalpel without informing her which left her in agony. The dressing also was too big so she went to a local Boots and re-dressed herself. That day, she vowed that whenever she is in a hospital, she would disclose her nursing background before starting any consultation. Even now she does it and she feels that the treatment she gets is completely different. The treatment she got was even more sad due to the fact that she herself was a nurse.
Agnes feels that older and vulnerable population are affected more in current times.
“Especially when you get older, they tend to look at your date of birth and they put you in a little box. They don’t see the person in you, they don’t have time to find out who the person is. I think when doctors see patients, they should not only look the notes.”
Agnes also talked about how much information the doctors give to the patients or their caregivers.
“I didn’t learn about my late husband’s diagnosis that he had been suffering from dementia, until around 7 years later. I don’t know why they had to keep it to themselves.”
She went on an 8-week course on dementia and then realised that the symptoms he had were of dementia.
“Had I known about it earlier, maybe I could have cared for him differently.”
Her main concern about healthcare currently is that healthcare professionals are treating the condition but not the person as a whole. They don’t listen to what the patients have to say.
“Just sit with the patient for a minute then you will know all they are having. It’s not only the diagnosis but the patient as a whole you need to treat. Please listen to the patient”.
Agnes feels that healthcare now is going downhill.
“I know technology has advanced, but a nurse is looking at the monitor more than the patient.”
She is also worried about the current waiting times.
“It was much better before when the country was not well off. There was wholesome care and even social care was better. If you spend 1 minute with the patient, just pull a chair and let them feel you are talking to them.”
She strongly feels that learning about patient care should start from early days of training. But with the staff shortages she feels it is very difficult to provide good care therefore, more professionals are required.
It’s not always the guidelines set out by the governing bodies that are important, care should be given bespoke to the needs.
“It’s important to listen more and absorb what people have today and deal with that.”
An interesting fact she set out was that people should get a chance to get a second opinion whenever they have doubt in care received. She explained it by referring to the recently developed Martha’s law where individuals can quickly acquire information from different care team if they have concerns about a person’s condition. She also wants the waiting times to be sorted, and stressed that it is affecting the older people more.