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"My elderly mother living with Dementia"

About: The Princess Royal Hospital / Accident and emergency The Princess Royal Hospital / Older people's healthcare West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust / Emergency ambulance

(as a relative),

My Elderly mother, who is living with dementia, had to wait nearly 8 hours for an ambulance. She was in great pain with suspected fractured/crumbled thoracic vertebrae. The ambulance came eventually and took her in to hospital the the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford. My brother stayed at home to be with my elderly father also with dementia. There was no news during the night.

The next thing my brother heard was a phone call from my mother saying to come and pick her up, which he set out to do. He found her outside the hospital with a caring stranger who had been assisting mum all night in the A&E. She got into the car and he brought her home. She is now safe at home. She had had an x-ray which confirmed what was thought and she had been given paracetamol for the pain. My mum had been waiting for the frailty team to review her case.

The hospital were not aware that mum had left the hospital, indeed the following afternoon they phoned my brother to say they could not locate her. 

On telling the story back to the hospital when they phoned to say they could not locate mum, he did get a "sorry" but nothing more. Furthermore the frailty team cannot do a home visit apparently.

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Responses

Response from Marie Capper, Regional Head of Patient Experience, West Midlands Ambulance Service 11 months ago
Marie Capper
Regional Head of Patient Experience,
West Midlands Ambulance Service
Submitted on 13/08/2024 at 08:52
Published on Care Opinion at 08:52


Dear neilvx23

I am sorry to hear of your mothers experience and for the delay in acknowledging this feedback.

In order to look into this matter, I would be grateful, when convenient if you contacted our Patient Experience Team on telephone number 0300 303 0996 or pals@wmas.nhs.uk so we can take further details.

regards

Marie Capper

Head of Patient Experience

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by neilvx23 (a relative)

Yes certainly a long delay!

My brother and I have had a response from the Trust and they have acknowledged that they need to do better. Our mum is doing OK at the moment and has avoided re entering hospital.

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