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Terrible, terrible, terrible service.

Story from nhs.uk

"Terrible, terrible, terrible service."

About: Manchester Royal Infirmary

I was referred to A&E by my GP. I spent about 8 hours waiting to be seen. I would have been since much sooner if I was drunk, a criminal or at least 70 years of age. There are no screens to tell you when your turn is ready and if you miss 3 audible call-outs, you would need to start over again.

When I did see the consultant they do not seem to not to take me seriously. I asked whether my condition could be related to a vitamin B12 deficiency despite my B12 blood levels being abnormally high. I was told by the consultant that that would only happen if I was taking Nitrous Oxide and then said "you told us on the form you didn't take any drugs" in a tone that seemed to insinuate I lied on my form. More frustratingly the consultant asked several times why I had not been referred sooner by my GP and most of the consultation seemed to be revolved around this rather than my actual issues. I am not my GP so I wouldn't know.

Either way, I spent about 10 minutes being examined by the consultant to be told they think it was sciatica in my leg and carpal tunnel syndrome despite my GP strongly suggesting it was something else and his tests showed nothing for CTS. They did eventually agree to an MRI scan of my spine. Next I went back into the waiting room, where I was told that the canula would be taken out and then I would be free to go. I was told "You can pick up your medicine tomorrow, as you've been in pain for so long, so it won't make a difference." A few minutes later I had the canula taken out and told I "was free to go". I get home and then I got a call saying "Where are you? You medication is ready". I told them I was already home and I was told that I had been "free to go".

Next morning I went back to the Hospital pharmacy to pick up the prescription. Only for them to tell me that for the medication I was prescribed I would need a special form. Went back to A&E, waited 40 minutes to be told it was ACU who would sort this out. ACU knew nothing about this and waited another 40 minutes for them to sort out the prescription. The ACU staff were actually really helpful and understanding.

After a couple of weeks I had a MRI Scan of my spine. Which subsequently led to a scan of my brain and another of my spine. In regards to checking my results. My own GP practice has told me to contact ACU as GP's cannot make MRI scan referrals.

I have just spend 3 hours on a Friday afternoon attempting to reach ACU reception and absolutely no join. The phone just keeps ringing and then cutting off. There was one instance when the line was "User Busy". I tried through the switchboard, but when the attempted to connect the call, it was just the same ringing out. So I think now is the time to leave a review.

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Responses

Response from Manchester Royal Infirmary 8 months ago
Manchester Royal Infirmary

Submitted on 24/10/2024 at 12:52
Published on nhs.uk at 12:52

Dear Patient,

Thank you for your feedback on your experience at Manchester Royal Infirmary’s (MRI) Emergency Department. We sincerely apologise for your unsatisfactory experience and the distress it caused. The Trust is dedicated to providing the highest standard of care and addressing areas needing improvement. Your feedback has been shared with MRI’s Clinical Director for Emergency Assessment and Access.

The Clinical Director apologises for your long wait to see a doctor. Priority is determined by a process called triage. Regular tannoy announcements are made about waiting times, and three calls before discharge is standard in many Emergency Departments. If there is a concern about an individual, a call is made before their removal from the system.

Regretfully, MRI’s Emergency Department is under significant pressure, leading to longer waits. Investments have been made in staff, rotas have been reconfigured, and alternative access pathways explored. Waiting times have decreased for most patients over the last few years, but unacceptable waits still occur. The Clinical Director assures you that reducing wait times remains a priority for the department and the Trust.

Without knowing the specific details of your experience, commenting on your prescription concerns is challenging. The special form you describe could be due to the prescription being for a controlled drug, but this would not usually happen in the Emergency Department. A 40-minute wait for a prescription is lengthy but not uncommon in a pressured urgent care system. The Clinical Director apologises for any inconvenience and frustration caused.

The Clinical Director also apologises for your frustration when trying to reach a busy number. Currently, more staff cannot be deployed at ACU reception. Test results are available on the MyMFT app and, should you wish to access your results there, you just need to set up an account. The Clinical Director is sorry if this was not explained to you after your initial visit.

Addressing your concerns around staff attitudes will be difficult without more information. Receiving an MR scan indicates your concerns were taken seriously, though the interactions you describe are still below our expected standards, and the Clinical Director is sorry for your experience.

The Clinical Director acknowledges the poor communication you experienced and the frustration it caused. He will remind staff of their responsibility to ensure a seamless discharge process.

Should you want the Trust to investigate your concerns further, please do not hesitate to contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on telephone 0161 276 8686, or email pals@mft.nhs.uk, quoting reference number PO24/00097.

Yours sincerely,

Patient Experience Team

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