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Very slow response time for my 96 year old mother

Posted By Daughter who cares about her mother and about the NHS

"Very slow response time for my 96 year old mother"

About: Medway Maritime Hospital / Accident and emergency South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust / Emergency ambulance

(as a relative),

My 96 year old, deaf, partially-sighted, disabled (arthritis of the spine) mother recently had a fall in her flat at about 1 am. She lives in an Extended Care facility flat, so pressed her life-line and the on-duty carer immediately came to her. The carer called for an ambulance at 1. 15 am. No ambulance came until 4. 45 am, despite repeated requests for assistance from the carer (my mum was becoming increasingly distressed at being unable to rise from the floor, and was in tears).

The ambulance crew judged that my mother should be taken to A & E (Medway Maritime) as they were concerned about her BP.

At A & E my mother had to wait 4 hours before she was assessed by a doctor.

Fortunately, she was assessed as being suitable to be sent home (with the appropriate checks later carried out by Rapid Response on my mother in her flat).

However, she had to wait a further 2 hours before hospital transport was available to take her home.

Whilst the care delivered by all staff concerned was at all times exemplary, as far as I can judge, I feel that the waiting times involved (particularly for an initial ambulance/medical assistance) were shocking!

I felt distressed for my mother, for the NHS staff who have to work with such unacceptable time delays, and for any other vulnerable, elderly patients who may have to endure such an experience as this. I live 100 miles away from my mother, and have been unwell so was unable to attend in person on this occasion. My mother's carers were wonderful in coping with the long wait for an ambulance.

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Responses

Response from Patient Experience Manager, Medway NHS Foundation Trust 6 years ago
Medway NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 21/08/2017 at 09:34
Published on Care Opinion at 11:12

Thank you for your comments. We can only imagine how distressing your mother's fall was for her and her family.

We have noted your comments with regard to the delays in her being examined by a doctor and will share these with our Emergency Department team. We also note your comments about exemplary care and thank you for these.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish your mother well with her recovery from this episode of ill health.

Kindest regards,

The Patient Experience Team

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Response from Louise Hutchinson, Head of Patient Experience, South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust 6 years ago
Louise Hutchinson
Head of Patient Experience,
South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 21/08/2017 at 12:10
Published on Care Opinion at 12:37

picture of Louise Hutchinson

Dear patient’s daughter

I was so sorry to read about the very long delay experienced by your mother when she had a fall in her flat recently in the early hours of the morning and needed ambulance assistance. I can appreciate what a very worrying time it must have been for her, as well as for the carer and for you, so many miles away, and I am sorry that the delay in the ambulance arriving would have only added to this.

Clearly this is not an acceptable level of service and we should like to be able to look into the concerns you raise in order to establish the reasons for the delay. It would therefore be much appreciated if you were able to contact our Patient Experience Team to let them know where and when we attended your mother so that we locate the calls that were made, and they can be contacted by email to pet@secamb.nhs.uk or by telephone to 0300 123 9242.

Thank you very much for taking the time to feed back your comments, and please do pass on our sincere apologies to your mother, along with our very best wishes for her recovery.

Yours sincerely

Louise Hutchinson, Patient Experience Lead

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