A community nurse from Croydon has demanded an ‘apology’ after she was left without a working shower for nearly three months by her local council. Martha, whose name has been changed due to her profession, was left unable to wash in her house despite numerous pleas to have the issue resolved.
Her daughter, who suffers from severe skin rashes, was also unable to take cooling baths which are essential for managing her skin condition. The ordeal left the pair struggling with their mental health, as they tried to find ways to stay clean while awaiting works to be completed.
“I felt so down all the time, I didn’t want to go out and do anything, I had no social life. I didn’t have any visitors because I’d been so embarrassed – I felt so weary all the time I just wanted to cry, my daughter was the same,” she said.
‘I feel let down and I want an apology‘
Martha’s daughter, who is unable to drive due to her epilepsy, was forced to take two buses to her friend’s house to shower while their bathroom was out of use. The Croydon nurse was also forced to shower at her friend’s house, which left her feeling frustrated as hygiene is an important part of her job role.
“As a community nurse you see open and heavy wounds – how would my patients feel if they knew I wasn’t showering before I visited them because infection control is top priority? People don’t seem to care,” she added.
While Martha’s shower was finally fixed last Friday (August 22), the experience has left her feeling unappreciated as a key worker for her local area.
“I want an apology. I feel let down that I am putting so much in as a community nurse that I’m not getting any support from my local council. It’s really disheartening, depressing, and it’s really affecting me,” she added.
During the three month period works were taking place, Martha says that asbestos found beneath her flooring was left exposed for around three weeks. She says the risks around this were not communicated to her, leaving her feeling anxious, as her mother had died from an asbestos-related illness nine years ago.
“When they told us there was bare asbestos we were so upset and it was so triggering for us and it brought back a lot of memories,” she told MyLondon.
Contractors were first sent by Croydon Council to fix a leak and treat damp and mould at Martha’s flat on June 3, which left her with an unusable shower. She called the council “most days” to ask when the works would be completed, but she was told that as there was still some running water in the flat she would not be able to move to different accommodation, before eventually being passed to contractor Wates to directly deal with the issue.
Martha says the completion date for the works was moved back numerous times by the contractor. At one point she was even stood up by one of the complaints handlers there who was meant to meet her at the flat, she says.
The work was eventually able to be completed within one day, after MyLondon approached Croydon Council to ask why Martha had been left without a shower for so long. This has left her wondering – “why did it then take them three months?”
‘We are very sorry for our resident’s experience’
A spokesperson for Croydon Council said: “We are very sorry for our resident’s experience and understand how difficult this situation has been for them. Following their visit to the Executive Mayor’s surgery, we have raised a stage 1 complaint so the matter can be formally reviewed through our complaints process.
“We recognise there were delays in completing their bathroom repairs and are now working to put this right. We are also arranging a visit from a Croydon surveyor, at a time that works for the resident, to inspect the rest of the home and raise any further repairs.
“Wates have also offered to meet the resident to hear more about her experience and how this has affected her. The resident’s feedback will be used to help improve services for other residents.
“We are very sorry for the impact this has had and will stay in contact with the resident until all the works are completed.”
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