READING 5: HERBERTS WIFE IS LOSING HER MIND

24, Railway Cottages Littlebrook Berks RG12 6RU 31/01/2000 The Chief Medical Officer Berkshire Health Authority Marsden House Gentlemens Walk Reading Berks RG2 3TS Dear Sir, I am writing this letter to complain about the treatment received by my husband Herbert, at the hands of the doctors during his recent stay in Longthorpe Cottage Hospital two months ago. When Herbert complained to the nurse that after the operation, he couldnt remember his name or what day it was, she admitted that apparently there had been a minor problem with administering the anaesthetic during the operation, but that everything would be back to normal in a couple of days. That was two months ago. He only went in for an in-growing toenail operation and he came out a completely different man. Since Herbert left hospital, his personality and sense of judgement have utterly changed from the way it was before. Whilst I will admit that before his operation, Herbert was a bit forgetful but it was never anything serious. For example, he would occasionally lose his glasses, then turn the living room and occasionally his green house upside down looking for them only to find that they were perched on top of his head all the while. But now he calls me Gert all the time, confuses day and night and worse still, he doesnt recognise our faithful old Terrier, Mutt and keeps shooing him away. Poor Mutt, hes totally confused.

On top of this, he gets up in the middle of the night and goes off to his allotment to tie up his dahlias. Last month he wandered off to the Post Office in the village and then forgot what he went for. Last week he went to the barbers twice!! Ive never seen him with hair so short. Hes practically a skinhead now. But the last straw was the other day. I had been on the phone to Marjorie, my neighbour. Shed phoned me to tell me about her bad knee. I remember Herbert leaving the house whilst I was talking to Marjorie but I just thought hed gone out to the back garden to get some fresh air. Well, it turned out that he had been to the tobacconist to buy a cigar. I thought that was strange, he doesnt smoke cigars. He used to smoke a pipe when we first met 45 years ago but he hasnt smoked since he had his gall bladder operation in 1966. But then I remember hed shown a lot of interest in that documentary about Winston Churchill on the telly the night before. Anyway, when he eventually came home three hours later, he walked around the house a bit, looking in all the cupboards and then he accused me of getting rid of the upstairs toilet. We dont have an upstairs toilet. I told him -well at least not any more. Weve lived in a bungalow since Herbert retired from the potato crisp factory 15 years ago. He said he saw a builders van going down the street and he is convinced I got them to come and take the toilet away. Now I cant do anything to persuade him hes mistaken. I need help. If things dont get back to the way they were before Herberts operation, I think Im going to lose my mind. I spoke to Marjorie. She used to be a District Nurse. She said I should write to you and complain. I think the Berkshire Health Authority should compensate me for all the trouble theyve caused me, and what about if Herbert has to go into an institution? Who will pay for that? I want my old Herbert back, and I expect a satisfactory answer from you very soon or I will be left with no option but to seek legal advice on the matter. Yours faithfully, Sally Wiggins

You are going to read a letter complaining about hospital treatment. For each of these five questions, click on the answer A,B,C, or D that you think best reflects the information given in the text. Mrs Wiggins is writing because A her husbands toe operation is in-growing B the anaesthetic caused an allergic reaction C Herbert suddenly started smoking a pipe D Herberts behaviour changed

Their dog A keeps chasing cats away B isnt recognised by Sallys husband C gets up at night and goes to the allotment D is a faithful old boxer Mrs Wiggins A has a bad knee B needs help in dealing with Herbert C needs help to rebuild the toilet D has to cut Herberts hair twice a week

Marjorie A works for the Health Authority B has had a gall stone operation C works as a District Nurse D told Mrs Wiggins to write a letter

The word utterly means A imperfectly B thoughtlessly C entirely D incompletely