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Care Opinion

Access to maternity triage & physiotherapy

Posted By Wghpatient12345

"Access to maternity triage & physiotherapy"

About: University Hospital Wishaw / Maternity Care (Wards 21-24)

(as the patient),

I think it's really terrible that the entrance for maternity triage and maternity physiotherapy is at the far end of the corridor away from the entrance. Ladies attending maternity triage are, in a lot of cases, in no fit state to travel up stairs and along the length of the corridor. Similarly, pregnant women attending maternity physiotherapy have mobility issues yet have to walk to the farthest door for help. What makes this arrangement very inconvenient is that there is an entrance at that end of the hospital yet it's kept locked for no apparent reason. It's incredibly frustrating when I can park my car steps away from this door yet have to walk along the length of the hospital to gain entry only to walk the same distance back again to the ward. Why can't these wards and departments either be relocated or the door open?

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Responses

Response from Lyn Clyde, Chief Midwife / Operational Manager, University Hospital Wishaw, NHS Lanarkshire 7 years ago
Lyn Clyde
Chief Midwife / Operational Manager, University Hospital Wishaw,
NHS Lanarkshire

Submitted on 08/07/2016 at 15:46
Published on Care Opinion at 16:45

picture of Lyn Clyde

Dear wghpatient12345

Thank you for your email in regards to triage and physiotherapy.

I am keen to address your concerns in regards to the positioning of maternity triage.

Triage is at the end of the maternity unit due to the door which is a maternity entrance. Although the door is locked women are able to access this entrance as there is a buzzer system there which is connected to triage and traige can open the door to allow them entry. It is kept locked as care of the elderly is below the maternity unit and it is for the safety of these patients as I am sure you will understand.

I am extremely sorry that when you were attending triage this was not explained to you about the side door, please be reassured that I will address this with the staff in the unit to ensure they inform women which entrance to come to for admission.

I am sorry this has not helped your experience but your email has let us address this to ensure it does not happen to others in the future.

Kind Regards

Lyn

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Update posted by Wghpatient12345 (the patient)

I actually tried to use this door and stood for 5 minutes buzzing with no response. It was then explained to me by a nurse who happened to be passing and let me in that I couldn't ordinarily use that door in standard hours. I then mentioned it to a midwife running a class I attended and she reiterated that the door is not in use at all during the day and that I should submit my story on patient opinion to alert you to the inconvenient fact that when I attended physio and triage on seperate occasions I could not, and would not have been given, access through that door. Who knows how much longer I would have had to stand there buzzing with no response? These doors open from the inside out without the need of a buzzer or a pass. Therefore vulnerable patients can wander out freely regardless of whether the door can be opened from the outside or not.

Response from Lyn Clyde, Chief Midwife / Operational Manager, University Hospital Wishaw, NHS Lanarkshire 7 years ago
Lyn Clyde
Chief Midwife / Operational Manager, University Hospital Wishaw,
NHS Lanarkshire

Submitted on 19/07/2016 at 16:26
Published on Care Opinion at 22:46

picture of Lyn Clyde

Dear Wghpatient12345

Thanks for your reply.

Please be assured the maternity side entrance is used during 24 hrs for maternity triage. I am sorry you didn't get a reply at the door the buzzer rings in maternity triage. I have discussed this with the staff in triage and the only reason they think this happened is that they were all busy with patients at the time. I have asked staff if they hear the buzzer ring that they should ensure this is being answered by a member of staff.

I am sorry you were left standing with no response and although this doesn't help your situation and would like to thank you for bringing this to our attention to allow us to stop this from happening to anyone else.

I will ensure all midwives are aware that this door has 24 hour access to make sure women are all receiving the same information.

The doors at this entrance do open from the inside out but you need card access to get out of them from this door as well as in.

I hope this addresses your concerns

Again apologies that this has happened to you

Kind Regards

Lyn

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