This is Care Opinion [siteRegion]. Did you want Care Opinion [usersRegionBasedOnIP]?
Care Opinion

Communication blackout

Posted By monoceroszx49

"Communication blackout"

About: Lincoln County Hospital / Urology

(as a service user),

I have to say I am most disappointed by what has happened in the last 6 months with the Urology department at Lincoln County Hospital. 

My father is an outpatient following cancer treatment and I am undergoing a series of day case surgeries myself. 

Both of us are now unable to make any contact with the urology department by phone. We ring and are put through to the urology secretary section. We leave voicemails as requested and neither of us ever gets a call back. We both have tried on various days of the week, using direct phone numbers we have in the letters we receive from the Urology department and via the main Hospital switchboard. Nobody ever picks up the phone or returns our calls. Ever. 6 months ago the department was very responsive and helpful. Now, it seems as if they have disappeared. 

When I failed to receive a letter scheduling the next date for my ongoing series of surgeries, I resorted to calling Grantham hospital. They emailed my query to the Lincoln Urology section and I still didn’t get a reply from Lincoln. 

In desperation I drove to Lincoln hospital (an hours drive from my home) and walked in to the Urology section without an appointment. They were very apologetic and sorted out my next appointment for day case surgery for me. 

Why did I have to do this? 

Why has the Urology section become totally unresponsive to external phone calls, voicemails and even internal emails from another hospital?

Is there on-going industrial action occurring that the public is unaware of? 

Has everyone left?

I would really like to understand what has changed and what is being done to bring the service back to where it was 6 months ago.

I have the greatest respect and gratitude for those who work in a medical capacity it the health service. It feels though that the system that is supposed to support them in their work has collapsed and they can no longer provide the support NHS patients thought their tax was paying for.

More about:
Do you have a similar story to tell? Tell your story & make a difference ››

Responses

Response from Mahima Gautam, Operational Service Manager, ULHT last week
Mahima Gautam
Operational Service Manager,
ULHT

Submitted on 30/05/2024 at 07:30
Published on Care Opinion at 07:30

Dear monoceroszx49

First of all, please accept my apology for experiencing lack of appropriate communication from Urology department. There has been staffing gap in secretaries team which has led to longer time in taking calls and delays in responding to call back messages. The department has now got adequate staff, and process in place to ensure answer machine messages are picked up in timely manner and patients called back soon. There is also a dedicated nhs.net account for Urology emails, which presumably is the email that was used by Grantham Hospital. Going forward, as there is a process in place and phones are manned daily, there will be some improvements.

Please do not hesitate to call me directly, call switch board and ask to connect to Mahima Gautam, if you have any further questions.

Kind Regards,

Mahima

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

Update posted by monoceroszx49 (a service user)

I am very grateful to you Mahima for coming back with a positive response.

I Am pleased to know that the problem was recognised and it sounds like it has been dealt with. I guess I will find out if/when I need to contact Urology in Lincoln again.

very best wishes.

Opinions
Next Response j
Previous Response k