"Poor call back service"

Dear Anonymous,

I am sorry for your reporting a delay in the response from the team regarding a repeat prescription to help with your wife's arthritis. Normally the team pick up the answer machine messages twice a day in the Rheumatology Department. Messages are relayed to the Nurse Practitioners who triage call backs according to clinical priority. Repeat prescriptions are one of their priorities and they do endeavour to respond to these requests in a timely manner.

I am sorry if this was not the case in your recent experience. I do hope that by the time you read this your wife has received her medication. If not then please don't hesitate to contact the Rheumatology Team on their Helpline number which is 0300 019 5302 explaining the time critical importance of the prescription. Alternatively you can telephone the main hospital switchboard and ask to be put through to the Rheumatology Nurses. You may be asked to leave a message if they are in a clinic at the time but they can give you nursing advice about managing symptoms and discuss having a supply of the necessary prescriptions so that your stocks don't run low and prevent you running out of medications.

Please accept my apologies for you and your wife's experiences of this service.

With Kind Regards

The Patient Experience Team