"Very efficient"

About: Nightingale Hospital Exeter / Centre of Excellence for Eyes Nightingale Hospital Exeter Centre of Excellence for Eyes Exeter EX2 7JG

Posted by ReturnedExonian (as a service user), last month

I had to double - check with staff, that I was being dealt with by the NHS, as the process seemed way too efficient. I’m allowed to say this because I spent 37 years of my 40 year nursing career, in the NHS. Online and telephone screening prior to the planned procedure hopefully weeds out anyone unsuitable, so that my first physical appointment was on the day of the first surgery. All staff were excellent, kind and professional. They really couldn't have been better - the NHS at its best - and believe me, I’ve had enough experience on the receiving end of it at its worst. Fortunately I didn't have to wait until the second cataract became “bad enough“, and the second extraction was planned for six weeks after the first.
The only downside to the otherwise positive experience was having to engage with Dora, the friendly automated telephone assistant. I felt that I had to comply preoperatively, but there is no way that I would engage with that infuriating thing when I don’t have to. The closed questions were not always relevant, and dealing with a disembodied voice really stressed me out, something that my husband agreed with when I read this account out to him. “Dora” clearly saves you money, but I wish that we didn't have to speak to an automated telephone assistant.

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Responses

Helen Bowmer

Admin Services Manager (Eastern Services), Nightingale Hospital, Exeter (Eastern Services),

Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 29/08/2025 at 18:29

Published on Care Opinion at 18:29

Dear ReturnedExonian,
I am one of the managers at the Nightingale Hospital Exeter. Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback. I am really pleased that you found the initial part of the process so efficient. I will share this with the teams. I have also noted your comments about Dora and will take this to the leadership catchup. It is something that we are exploring so that we can capture data both pre and post operatively.
Many thanks for your comments, it is realy useful to have constructive feedback.
Best wishes,
Helen Bowmer
Admin Services Manager

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Helen Bowmer

Admin Services Manager (Eastern Services), Nightingale Hospital, Exeter (Eastern Services),

Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 02/09/2025 at 14:02

Published on Care Opinion at 14:02

Dear ReturnedExonian,
Can I ask that you provide us with a little bit more detail so we can look into this. Can you let us know which of the questions you did not find relevant?
Could you also give any more detail about the disembodied voice. I appreciate this is something that we may not be able to alter, given the remits of AI, however we may be able to feed it back to our provider.
If you are happy to please can you provide the above detail to: rduh.nightingaleexeterenquiries@nhs.net
Many thanks
Helen Bowmer
Admin Services Manager

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Update posted by ReturnedExonian (a service user) last month

I don’t remember specific examples, but as far as I can remember, questions were asked that might have been relevant prior to the first cataract removal, but not after that, and given that there was no human to ask, “ did you mean now or then? “, I’m not sure if I gave appropriate answers.
As far as the disembodied voice is concerned, I really can’t think of anything to say regarding improving it. I just do not like that sort of “ interaction “. However, I would add that on one occasion I had to repeat an answer three times, despite the fact that I don’t mutter, and that irritated me.

Helen Bowmer

Admin Services Manager (Eastern Services), Nightingale Hospital, Exeter (Eastern Services),

Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 25/09/2025 at 15:01

Published on Care Opinion at 15:01

Dear ReturnedExonian,
I just wanted to provide you with an update. My managers has spoken to the company that provides the courtesy call service. The first question that is asked is "in the past month, have you felt that your bad eye is affecting or interfering with your vision overall?”. We can therefore see how this is confusing as it is not clear whether you are being asked about the eye you have had surgery on or the second eye you are waiting to have surgery on. The company have taken that away to review and the question will be amended so it is clearer.
We have also fed back about the voice but I am not sure how much they will be able to change that.
Once again, many thanks for bringing this to our attention and hopefully we will get this amended soon.
Kind regards,
Helen Bowmer
Admin Services Manager

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Update posted by ReturnedExonian (a service user) 3 weeks ago

Thank you for getting back to me - much appreciated.

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Very efficient

"Very efficient"

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Update posted by ReturnedExonian (a service user) last month

Update posted by ReturnedExonian (a service user) 3 weeks ago

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