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Serious lack of information

Posted By L-Smiley

"Serious lack of information"

About: Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust - City Campus / Cardiology Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust - Queen's Medical Centre Campus

(as a service user),

I was admitted to hospital with an abdominal infection, and treated with 2 antibiotics,  one of them intravenously.  After 2 days I experienced symptoms of a stroke, but tests showed I'd had a heart attack, and I was transferred to the Cardiac Unit for further tests.

Throughout my stay, my distress over the symptoms  and my anxiety at being in hospital were heightened by the serious lack of information about what was happening to me, what was wrong with me, and what medication I was being given. It was only when I read the discharge report that I discovered what some of these tablets were, and what further tests were (possibly) planned. 

However, I was discharged on strong medications with no follow-up appointment,  no advice, no indication of what might have caused the heart attack, and this has increase my anxiety further. I've had an MRI scan, but no indication of when, or even if, I will hear any results from it. Meanwhile i am struggling to recover from infection, antibiotics and heart attack, while coping with the uncertainty. 

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Responses

Response from Nottingham university hospitals last month
Nottingham university hospitals

Submitted on 02/05/2024 at 14:02
Published on Care Opinion at 14:02

Dear patient

Thank you for sharing your patient experience with us following your heart attack. We are sorry to hear that you felt misinformed and couldn’t get the information or answers that you needed.

Please be assured feedback like this enables us to work on communication with our patients within the department. I will pass this feedback onto the ward manager now so that it is shared with those who were involved in caring for you.

May we take this opportunity to wish you a quick recovery from what must have been a very troubling time.

Update posted by L-Smiley (a service user)

I am puzzled by this response. I have not given my name, or the wards on which I was treated, so how can my feedback be passed to the ward manager? Also, how can I have a quick recovery when I'm still not getting answers, so I still don't know what caused the heart attack and what, if any, treatment I need?

Update posted by L-Smiley (a service user)

Five weeks have gone by since I had the Cardiac MRI, and seven weeks since I had the heart attack, and I have still had no results, no information, no advice, and no appointment from the Cardiologist.

My GP has been told that a letter and report have been written and are awaiting authorisation, which is the same as what I was told nearly 3 weeks ago.

This is not good enough,

Response from Kelly Morley, Patient Experience Officer, Patient Experience and engagement, Nottingham university hospitals last week
Kelly Morley
Patient Experience Officer, Patient Experience and engagement,
Nottingham university hospitals

Submitted on 30/05/2024 at 11:30
Published on Care Opinion at 11:30

Dear Patient

Thank you for your response, initially you informed us that you had attended the cardiac unit so your concern was forwarded to the Management of the cardiac unit as anonymous feedback.

Sadly we cannot process any other details without you contacting us directly.We would need to obtain your personal and confidential details,this is something we cannot do online.

We really do want to help and if you have tried to contact the department yourself and had no response please contact our PALS service via Phone 08001830204 or via email pals@nuh.nhs.uk who would be more than happy to assist you with your needs.

Kind regards,

Kelly - Patient experience officer.

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

Update posted by L-Smiley (a service user)

Dear Kelly

Thank you for your latest response.

Yesterday I emailed your PALS service with my personal details and my concerns, and I am now awaiting the outcome.

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