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Treated with kindness, anxious about results

Posted By VCB8234

"Treated with kindness, anxious about results"

About: North Devon District Hospital / Accident and emergency Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital (Wonford) / Neurology

(as the patient),

I was taken into hospital with a sudden onset of what has turned out to be a neurological condition causing severe numbness down one side of my body.

I had to wait a long time in A&E in Barnstaple  but once seen (after 7 hours overnight waiting) I was dealt with kindly and efficiently. Immediate CT scan which was inconclusive so transferred by ambulance to Exeter for MRI (this was on a Sunday morning). I was then admitted for 2 weeks and underwent numerous tests and procedures to establish what was wrong. The staff on Bolham ward were kind and caring, working hard with some very difficult patients in the mix.

I would have liked more communication at times from the consultant team, but I do now understand that they were talking to other specialists, just not reporting all back to me as the Patient.

After discharge, this continued and I was brought back in for plasma exchange over 5 days. I was fitted in very quickly and my interaction with the lead nurse, Sobee, was at all times kind and informative. She did all she could to advise and reassure me about the procedure and helped me to understand how it might improve my situation. 

Having completed a 5 course of plasma exchange, I am still undiagnosed but apparently awaiting more results. I am experiencing slight improvements but still, need to have a full follow up consultation with the neurological team, which I am anxious to have as there are many unanswered questions and I want to know how I can help myself improve.

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Responses

Response from Bradley Hoskin, Senior Operations Manager, Neurology, Neurophysiology and Diabetes & Endocrinology, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust last month
Bradley Hoskin
Senior Operations Manager, Neurology, Neurophysiology and Diabetes & Endocrinology,
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 30/09/2025 at 08:59
Published on Care Opinion at 08:59

Hi VCB8234,

Thank you for taking the time to providing us with some details about your experiences during your recent admission. I am pleased to read that despite your long wait in the Emergency Department on our Barnstaple site, you received a swift transfer to Exeter for your ongoing care when it was decided that this was required after your CT scan. It is also pleasing to know that you found that the staff on Bolham were kind and caring to you during your stay on the ward.

Consultants by nature of their role visit the ward transiently to carry out daily rounds and reviews and are often liaising with specialists from other areas, reviewing tests and investigations and supporting the resident doctor team to diagnose patients and formulate treatment plans. Nonetheless communication with patients and relatives is very important particularly in an specialty such as Neurology, where multiple scans and tests are often required to support diagnosis and treatment. Therefore we will take this on board and see how we may improve communication going forward.

It is good to know that your experience in receiving plasma exchange, under the care of Sobee, was also positive and that you were scheduled in a timely manner.

It is always useful to received detailed feedback so that we can consider how we may improve our service and patient experience in the future. I will ensure this feedback is shared among our Neurology medical staff and Bolham ward teams.

I wish you all the very best with your ongoing care under Neurology and hopefully the team supporting you can continue to shed light on the underlying causes for your symptoms.

Best wishes

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Response from Sophie Hutchings, Governance and Operational Support Manager (Northern Services), Emergency Department (Northern Services), Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust last month
Sophie Hutchings
Governance and Operational Support Manager (Northern Services), Emergency Department (Northern Services),
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 01/10/2025 at 14:27
Published on Care Opinion at 14:27

Dear VCB8234,

I am sorry to hear of the sudden onset of symptoms which brought you into the NDDH Emergency Department and of your long wait to be seen when you arrived. I am pleased to hear that when you were seen the team were kind and efficient in arranging your on going care and treatment with our colleagues in Exeter.

I will share your feedback with the wider ED team. I wish you all the best and echo what Bradley said hoping that the Neurology team can support you further.

Best wishes

Sophie Hutchings
ED Governance & Operational Support Manager

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