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"Trying to check in for a scan, reception was shut."

About: Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital (Wonford) / Medical Imaging

(as the patient),

This evening I visited the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital (Wonford) CT Department Mobile van for a scan. I was asked to report to a blue portacabin where ‘our receptionist will check you in’. The cabin was shut and there was a note on the door saying, ‘ report to scanning reception’ in the main hospital’ I went into the women’s hospital where someone was kind enough to walk me to the ‘scanning reception’ all the length of the building where they gave me a ticket and a map to walk the length of the building again. Which I was in too much pain to do and I was then kindly in a wheelchair back to where I had started. There was another lady who could not see what she was supposed to do and had to walk the same distance.

It is unacceptable to make people who are in pain to walk this kind of distance and leave them so poorly supported, I found the whole experience very upsetting and disempowering. I have no complaints with any of the staff who were all unfailingly kind, it is the admin and lack of plan B and consideration for the patient/customer that is depressing, I no longer feel safe with the NHS.

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Responses

Response from Lisa Townsend, Patient Feedback Lead, Patient Experience Team, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust nearly 2 years ago
Lisa Townsend
Patient Feedback Lead, Patient Experience Team,
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

I take patient feedback and work with all departments at Royal Devon University Hospital NHS Trust to implement service change and improve the patient experience.

Submitted on 18/10/2023 at 17:11
Published on Care Opinion at 17:11


picture of Lisa Townsend

Dear Patient whoxant walk far

Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback. I am sorry to hear of your recent experience when you visited our mobile CT scanner.

I have discussed your feedback with the Administration Service Manager for Diagnostic Imaging. They have informed me that usual practice is to avoid booking any patients with mobility issues into the mobile CT scanner due to the distance from check in.

Usually the appointment letter will ask patients that experience mobility issues to contact the bookings team so that an alternative appointment can be scheduled that doesn't involve the longer walk to the mobile scanner. We are aware that there was a recent administration error that meant this request was not included within some letters. We would like to apologise for this and your resulting experience.

The letter has now been rectified to stop this being repeated in the future. We would like to thank you once again for your feedback and your kind words about our staff in the department.

Best wishes

Lisa

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