Dear Kirsty Willis- Mace

I have today received a signed for letter from Amy Jane Blackmore at companion care Chippenham.

 I have sent my response to the letter to you as given the vile way I was treated by this branch of your company I have no desire to go near there ever again and will certainly not be recommending them for either their medical or customer care. You yourselves can forward such on to Chippenham for a response.

 The letter does show what I knew would be the case that Lilly’s death will be white washed over and the appalling way I was treated on Tuesday dismissed.

In the letter it is claimed that I called at 12.50 on Saturday and calmly stated to Kate I thought my cat had a hair ball or something in her throat but was otherwise well. With no mention of vomiting an appointment made for 3.45. As I said I could not get there earlier .The vet nurse saw an appointment in diary and thought if treatment needed we should see her earlier and called to rebook for 2 15.pm document on our computer trail.

 

What an absolute attempt to hide the truth  and lie

 

Fact on Saturday I called my local vet they were closing and I would need to wait for a phone call back. I did not wish to wait as I needed to know Lilly would be seen so I called you in Chippenham.

Fact I told the receptionist I had noticed my cat cough the way they do if they have a hair ball  earlier in the day but she had just done it again and brought up blood and was gaging but I could see nothing in her throat  I needed advice and to have her checked.

Fact I was told an appointment was available for the after 3.

Fact I did not say I could not get there much earlier.

Fact they called back and receptionist said she had spoken to the vet and she had said if Lilly had vomited blood they would recommend she was brought in as soon as possible I said that was a relief I would be there as soon as possible it would take about an hour to get there.

Fact if you did not believe Lilly was not vomiting or unwell as stated in letter claiming that’s what I said .Why did you call me back saying to bring her in as soon as possible.

Do you not keep recordings or notice such contradictions?

 The letter goes on to say Sylvia confirms I said Lilly was gaging and coughing and rubbing her mouth and a small amount of blood was on her paws and chin. No vomiting or diarrhoea motioned at this time.

 Fact Lilly was brought in because I was worried about her vomiting blood not for some supposed hair ball I have had cats for over 40 years.

Fact you called me back to offer an earlier appointment because you were concerned that if Lilly had vomited she should be seen sooner.

Fact: back to the above point if Lilly had not been reported as vomiting why did you tell me you needed to see her sooner. after all cats gag on fur balls every day so why would a cat I supposedly said was otherwise ok with nothing but a supposed fur ball need to be seen sooner??????????????????

 Fact: a small amount of blood was noted on her chin. Where did you think this had come from?

Fact: I was told you had examined Lilly and nothing was in her throat or causing her to choke and vomit there was no cuts in her throat. And asked If I would like a bowel scan or bloods as there was some gas in her tummy that could indicate a possible blockage.

Fact :I said  if there was nothing in her airways or affecting her breathing which is what she was brought in for then would the test really have a purpose. Any blockage should show on x rays already done and air would just be from gasping and vomiting earlier would it not the nurse agreed.

Fact n Monday when this was repeated to the nurse who took the call she confirmed that was what was said.

 Letter states she recovered from the anaesthetic normally as a young cat would

Fact but was not continued to be monitored. She recovered uneventfully despite being desperately ill from the emergency vets anaesthetic  so that means nothing if they are not monitored. Given that her temperature and heart rate were at the higher end as stated in the letter should she not have been monitored.

 The letter claims Both Sylvia and Stacey both of whom you trust felt she was well enough to return home that evening and suspected some irritant had come into contact with the pharynx.

The letter then goes on to claim I was offered either hospitalization at vets now  or  home monitoring I choose to take her home.

As if chose an incorrect treatment for her?

Fact :this contradicts each other you said she was fit to come home and simply suspected an irritant in her Pharynx and to look for vomiting or diarrhoea. I was told to watch her at home for Diarrhoea or vomiting and call vets now in Swindon if such occurred and given a sachet of gastro intestinal food?      .Lilly was brought home because of your instructions and advice.

Fact: when asked why Lilly sounded like a crisp packet I was told it was because she had probably swallowed an insect or something that had irritated her. So you knew she was breathing different. When asked where the blood had come from that was explained away from coughing gaging from swallowing an insect or such. So you knew she was bleeding.

 Letter says you called Sunday and I said Lilly was no better no worse and appointment offered.

Fact you did call on Sunday at 1 .30 in which you were her breathing was still the same but there was no vomiting or diarrhoea and that was what we had been told to look for asked if we felt she needed to come in that day or if we were happy to continue to monitor her we said we would bring her in the following morning if there was no improvement as we still thought she was breathing odd.

Fact :yes I did call back  5 mins later to book the Monday appointment why because I realised you had not offered me one

Fact: if it was you phoning to make an appointment for that day or next why did I have to call you back to make one when one was not offered???????

 Letter states if she was “vomiting some blood “any time Saturday or Sunday. You were not aware!

Fact she vomited blood Saturday that’s why you were called that’s why the vet felt she needed to come in sooner rather than wait for the appointment time I had been given. You yourselves say I said she was fit and well just a hairball. Hardly an emergency so would not have warranted you asking me to bring her in as soon as possible if that were the case.

Fact, if you were not aware she had vomited” some” blood as put in the letter. Why was it around the poor little loves mouth as clearly stated by you earlier in letter? Where did you think that come from?????????? There were no cuts on her any were.

And she never vomited blood again after that initial time on Saturday which was why I made that fatal call to you for help.

 It is ideal how in the letter you say without a post mortem you cannot say what killed Lilly and that nothing that occurred at your practice contributed.

Fact, your incorrect record keeping and diagnosis and lack of appropriate intervention with drugs.

Fact, speak to the poor vet that had to sit with Lilly and battle to save her life.

 In The  letter she goes on to say she spent an hour and half with me Monday despite having patients yet makes no mention of the appalling vicious and callous way I was treated on the Tuesday and does not apologise for such.

 It is very clear by this letter and the incorrect medical notes that have been kept, which when questioned about on Monday in the presence of the nurse who was there at the time of Lilly coming in and during the conversation on Monday who freely agreed that although not on her notes Lilly had been brought in for vomiting blood and the earlier appointment offered because of such and breathing in a wheezy way shows the notes are incorrect.

This just demonstrates what we knew would happen especially after the appalling way I was spoken to and threatened with having  the police called on me on Tuesday for daring to question their care.

It seems very clear the best thing to ensure this does not happen again and to do that the best way as it is quite clear followings the denials and lack of responsibility or acknowledgment that they should perhaps have offered different treatment is to make others aware of Lilly’s death and the circumstances of it.

 As I said originally this is not about blame that cannot change what has happened or ever bring Lilly back or take away the suffering she went through.

 This is however about a Requesting medical advice and treatment from what I had believed to be national vets that could give Lilly the treatment and help I had gone to them for.

Having first-hand experience  now though of being given incorrect advice and keeping incorrect records and then denying such and added to that is the appalling callous treatment vented on me on Tuesday I can conclude and have nothing to show or assure  me anything different, that  this is simply a case of  the bigger the company and organization ,Profits and balance sheets are more important than treatment  or wanting to learn from errors or faulted judgements or  engaging in customer relations. She is after all dead now so why waste any more time on it and who cares how we speak to the owner now.

 As for my not wanting treatment for Lilly ask the emergency vet who was kind enough to do all she could to save Lilly we told her although we did not have the cash on us that night it did not matter how much Lilly’s care was we just needed her helped and fixed and we would pay whatever it cost. When she said Lilly needed antibiotics as the blood she had vomited Saturday was likely on her lungs. We even asked how the other vet could have got it so wrong and not given the antibiotics when she was told Lilly vomited blood, not really something you would ask in the middle of the night when petrified what was happening to a kitten you had been led to believe had simply swallowed something that irritated her if not true.

 

Yours Mrs   S------

 From: Kirsty Wills-Mace

Sent: Friday, June 27, 2014 6:52 PM

To: liz

Subject: RE: Companion Care Chippenham Complaint

 

Dear Mrs -------------

 I am in receipt of your email sent to me this afternoon, since which I have been travelling back from my work commitments in veterinary practices, and now catching up with emails.  I am sorry to hear of your dissatisfaction with our response.  I am however now out of the office over the weekends and will be able to respond further to investigation and consideration next week.  I will be in touch within 7 days.

 Kind regards

 Kirsty

 Kirsty Wills-Mace

Operations Manager West 2

Tel Support Office - 01367 820820

  Dear Kirsty Willis-Mace

 Thank you for letting me know you received my recent email and for taking the time to look into this most distressing and frankly concerning matter for us.

 The purpose of this added email is to ask that when you look into the information and concerns I have already brought to your attention along with the points and questions raised following receipt of the letter delivered to me from the vets in Chippenham with their explanation and claims for my bringing Lilly to them and the treatment given for such I have since my earlier email discussed its contents with various people and professionals to get an unbiased opinion.

 Since doing so it has been brought to my attention that along with the points and question I have already raised since and before receipt of that letter, it is now also necessary to ask why if Lilly had, as claimed by Chippenham companion care, been presented to them for a suspected fur ball, why after the initial exam for the supposed fur ball in which she was supposedly found to be normal, the vet found it necessary to give her Pain relief.! Pain relief should only be administered with caution to an animal in case of an adverse reaction  to it .So why would a cat presented for nothing  but a supposed  possible fur ball showing no signs of pain  or distress need pain relief.?

 Why if it was as claimed by Chippenham companion care she was presented for nothing other than a fur ball when she started to gag and find it difficult to breathe again as I was putting her back in her crate after being told nothing was wrong with her did they feel the need to rush her over to the table and find it necessary to do over £330 worth of medical treatments .Somewhat excessive and quite an overreaction would you not agree? Or is it normal practice at companion care veterinary practices to do unnecessary procedures and treatments in order to increase the bill.

 Why if Lilly was presented to them  as simply a short haired  fit and normal cat with a possible fur ball was she given pain relief when a non-drug based inexpensive fur ball treatment  or grooming advice would have been a normal safe remedy.

Why when she gaged did they rush her over for immediate treatment that is not the normal action of any trained vet when presented with such any vet with any understanding of cats and fur balls would, when seeing such in a cat with NO other visible or reported symptoms as claimed by them, would simply have said fur ball remedy or a little cod liver oil in her diet will help prevent such.

 

As you will I am sure now see for yourself , having now had  to discuss the letters contents with other people including  professionals I have to ask why unless you at companion care are simply there to perform and administer unnecessary treatments and procedures so as to increase your profits and present client's with  large bills for such, it proves Lilly was presented for the symptoms I have told you she was presented with. If however you believe such treatments and procedures for a healthy fit cat with no signs of pain or distress and no other reported symptoms and just a suspected fur ball (as they claim Lilly was)  is normal and warranted  then such needs investigating by the appropriate governing bodies as such practices are as you know not allowed both on a consumer rights and sales level and under medical practices.

 Once again thank you for taking the time to look at this deeply distressing matter ,that has now since the response by Chippenham ,become concerning for both the original reasons but now as pointed out to us also on a separate level.

 I will await your findings and response should you need any thing else please let me know

 yours

Mrs-------

29th June 2014