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It's a long way and was a very disappointing journey

Posted By rackj84

"It's a long way and was a very disappointing journey"

About: Western Isles Hospital / General Surgery

(as a relative),

My husband recently got word to go for a pre-admission to be admitted the following day at 7am. 

I asked them when they would know if there was a bed, and they said when he came in, in the morning, but fortunately that afternoon, they called to cancel as there was no bed. 

He got another pre-admission and had to be in at 7am that morning. 

We got up at 5am to leave the house at 5.30am, and arrived at the hospital at 6.45am. At 12.45pm they told us  there was no bed, so we had to travel 40 miles home. It's a long way and was a very disappointing journey. 

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Responses

Response from Denise Symington, Patient Focus Public Involvement, Clinical Governance, NHS Western Isles 5 days ago
Denise Symington
Patient Focus Public Involvement, Clinical Governance,
NHS Western Isles

Lead Advisor to NHS Western Isles on Public Engagement and Service Change

Submitted on 27/06/2025 at 10:18
Published on Care Opinion at 10:18

picture of Denise Symington

Dear rackj84

We are very sorry for the disappointment and distress the unexpected cancellation of your relative's surgery has caused. Unfortunately a large number of the overall beds within the hospital are occupied by individuals who do not need to be in hospital, and have been assessed with agreement reached that their needs can best be met by care at home, or placement in a care home. Neither of these are currently available to meet the needs. As I am sure you can all appreciate, it is difficult to protect our elective planned workload when the number of delayed discharges is high..

Regrettably Covid is still within our communities, and having an isolation area for Covid, does not unfortunately equate to a safe place for post operative, or indeed any non Covid care. We do not have a covid ward that has nursing or medical staff attached to it. There is a nominal space where should isolation be required, we may utilise that area for patient's with contagious illness.

Again I can only apologise unreservedly for any distress this situation has caused for the patient and their family, and hope that we will shortly be able to re schedule surgery.

Denise Symington on behalf of

Lachlan MacPherson

Hospital Manager

Western Isles Hospital

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