Care Opinion

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I wasn't informed of his admission

Posted By Colste

"I wasn't informed of his admission"

About: Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital (Wonford) / Acute medical admissions (AMU)

(as a relative),

My elderly father was admitted to AMU West. But I wasn't informed of his admission so I had to phone 999 and report him missing as a vulnerable adult. He was last seen at 4pm so had been missing all night.

I understand that patients can ask for relatives not to be informed, but the bigger picture is he has a private package of care which hasn't been cancelled as I wasn't informed that he had been admitted. 

Is this really the best way for the next of kin to find a patient has been admitted to the hospital, by contacting the police to report them missing?

He is an elderly, extremely frail and vulnerable adult who at times does lack capacity, but I have to dial 999 to find out where he is. 

It added extra worry.

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Responses

Response from Alice Mann, Clinical Nurse Manager (Eastern Services), Acute Medical Unit (Eastern Services), Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust 13 months ago
Alice Mann
Clinical Nurse Manager (Eastern Services), Acute Medical Unit (Eastern Services),
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Clinical Nurse Manager

Submitted on 06/06/2024 at 09:03
Published on Care Opinion at 09:03

Dear Colste

Thank you for your feedback, I am sorry to hear your father has been unwell, this must have been a particularly stressful time.

You are correct, patients can ask that we do not inform their relatives when they are admitted. In UK law, as a Trust we have a duty of care to protect health information which includes medical records.

Due to the anonymous nature of Care Opinion, I am unsure if this is what happened on this occasion. If you would like me to look into this further, you can contact me via rduh.amumatrons@nhs.net. Please can you include your contact details and mark for my attention and I will give you a call. I will need your fathers consent before I discuss this with you.

Thanks again for taking the time to feedback.

Best wishes

Alice

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