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Care Opinion

Not at all patient centered

Posted By annoyed12345

"Not at all patient centered"

About: Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust / Adult mental health

(as a service user),


Appointments

Appointments


My mental health worker at malham house, works part time, I also have a job but some how I am expected to miss work to suit her schedule. I was not given a choice about who I see, or what times I am available, I work the same 4 days each week, and it would have been easier to assign me to someone that works on the days I am off.

Staff attitude

Staff attitude

I was left feeling sub human, like my needs are irrelevant. I cant ever contact my key worker over the phone because they are always in meeting, or not yet there when it opens at 9am, and at lunch time they are out of the building.

Many people have jobs,and therefore there should be some provision to allow patients to contact their key worker without having to take extra time off work.I have been trying to contact my key worker for over 2 weeks, I even left work early on 3 occasions. The receptionist is unhelpful just say they do not my workers schedule.

I am not asking for 24/7 avaliability, but not being able to even speak to your key worker over the phone for 2 weeks is very wrong!PALs is frustrating too due to their limited opening hours, the phone line opens late, closes early, and is also closed during lunch time. 

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Responses

Response from Linda Rose, Head of Nursing and Patient Experience, Nursing Professions and Quality, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Trust 6 years ago
Linda Rose
Head of Nursing and Patient Experience, Nursing Professions and Quality,
Leeds and York Partnership NHS Trust

Submitted on 16/11/2017 at 11:08
Published on Care Opinion at 12:19

picture of Linda Rose

Dear annoyed12345

Thank you for your feedback.

I have contacted Malham House and PALS and will discuss the issues you raise directly with them. I will post you an update within 10 working days.

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Response from Linda Rose, Head of Nursing and Patient Experience, Nursing Professions and Quality, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Trust 6 years ago
Linda Rose
Head of Nursing and Patient Experience, Nursing Professions and Quality,
Leeds and York Partnership NHS Trust

Submitted on 29/11/2017 at 11:43
Published on Care Opinion at 13:35

picture of Linda Rose

Hello annoyed12345

I have spoken to Malham House and the PALS team as promised.

We really don't want anyone receiving services from us to feel irrelevant. All of our contacts are important to us.

I have noted and discussed a similar complaint on Care opinion in relation to the issues you raise and in part have provided a similar response where appropriate.

Your experience sounds frustrating and unhelpful.

Having spoken to the team, they explained that they do have a number of care coordinators at Malham House whom work varying shift patterns and hours. The team tries to do their best to allocate the right service users to the right care coordinators based on having the appropriate clinical experience and skills; but also in terms of what will work practically for the service user. It is always in the service users best interests to help them to stay in work and receive the right treatment.

The team are sorry about the experience you describe and agree that the circumstances could have been managed more proactively in terms of matching need and availability.

In addition, the team has been supported recently with temporary administration staff and they have agreed that they will ensure that regular staff are clear about explaining the process of following through requests and messages for care coordinators when they are not available.

If you continue to have any difficulties with the service you are receiving, can you please contact either the Clinical Lead or Clinical Team Manager at Malham House whom I am sure will help to resolve this matter and provide an improved response to your individual circumstances.

In relation to the PALS team. You described PALs having limited opening hours and the late opening of phone lines. You also described the service being closed during lunch.

I have spoken directly to the PALS team leader.

Staff in the PALS office are a key part of our services.

They arrive early in the morning and are available to answer the phone until 4pm every day (Monday to Friday). Answer machine messages are picked up first thing the next day.

The office is closed between 12.00pm and 13.00pm. Part of this time is for our staff to take a break but the other half is used to ensure that they are provided with time to respond to urgent reports and confidential phone calls.

The team leader is really flexible and if the times are not appropriate for an individual, it is possible to make an arrangement with her at a time convenient to the enquirer. She has done this before- for example with people who work 9-5 hours.

I hope you find my response helpful and please don't hesitate to get in contact with the PALS team (palslypft@nhs.net) if your issues remain outstanding.

With kind regards

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