This is Care Opinion [siteRegion]. Did you want Care Opinion [usersRegionBasedOnIP]?
Care Opinion

Lots and lots of waiting.....without...

Story from nhs.uk

"Lots and lots of waiting.....without..."

About: Royal Shrewsbury Hospital

What I liked

Haven't found anything yet.

What could be improved

Communication, waiting times.

Anything else?

I am writing on behalf of my partner, who has been suffering from chronic sinusitus for over 3 years.

When she was finally referred to the RSH, she had to wait 7 months an appointment. This was cancelled and put back 3 months. After seeing the specialist, he wanted allergy test done, and for her to return to see him in the summer - another 4 months away.

This summer appointment was cancelled, re-scheduled for another 3 months. 30 mins before the appointment was due we received a phone call informing us it was cancelled (The doctor had a Friday afternoon emergency). The Dr's secretary informed us he would hold a special clinic to catch up on the patient backlog. We waited a month before calling to see when this would be - only to be told there was no way this Dr would do 'something like that'....... back to waiting for an appointment.

She finally had an appointment scheduled for 3 months later - when she turned up she could only see the Dr's assistant - who told her she was 'imagining' the headaches and associated symptoms. He did agree that there was a problem and decided she needed an operation.

That was 5 or 6 months ago and we're still waiting to hear anything. My wife has been suffering for over 3 years with this severe condition, unable to breath properly or taste anything, with headaches and swelling so bad her eyesight is becoming affected. She has uncontrollable sneezing fits - that have even started happening at night and these are preventing her from sleeping properly. The condition is becoming worse the longer she goes without treatment.

All this and shes managed to once see a Dr, and once an assistant - Two 10 minute consultations in 3 years.

The NHS website itself states that some of the medication shes been prescribed shouldn't be taken for more than twelve weeks -and this is stuff shes had for 2 years now.

How has dealing with the RSH left me feeling? Helpless.....forgotten about and fobbed off.AppointmentsCancellationsReferralsAllergiesEmergencyTelephoneImmunologyConsultantsDoctorsReception staffWebsiteCommunication

More about:
nhs.uk logo
Do you have a similar story to tell? Tell your story & make a difference ››

Responses

Response from Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust 12 years ago
We are preparing to make a change
Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust

Submitted on 19/05/2011 at 16:32
Published on Care Opinion on 27/05/2011 at 09:32

Thank you for taking the time to raise these issues through NHS Choices. I apologise for the delay replying to you.

We aim to provide the best possible services for all of our patients, and we are very disappointed that your experience has not matched the standards that we expect for everyone in our hospitals.

Unfortunately the NHS Choices website is anonymous, and your contact details are not shared with the Trust. We would therefore encourage you to contact the Trust directly to discuss the issues you have raised so that we can understand them in more detail, and make sure this helps us to improve our services.

Please call our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on 0800 783 0057 or visit their office near the Main Ward Entrance. They aim to provide advice and support to patients, their families and carers; listen to your concerns, suggestions or queries; and help sort out problems quickly on your behalf. If you wish to make a formal complaint then the PALS service will be able to provide you with more information about how to do this.

You can also find out more on the Trust website at ww.sath.nhs.uk/patient_information/complaints.asp.

We look forward to hearing from you so that we can look into your concerns in more detail.

Response from Royal Shrewsbury Hospital 12 years ago
Royal Shrewsbury Hospital

Submitted on 27/11/2011 at 09:44
Published on nhs.uk on 28/11/2011 at 04:00

Thank you for your comments about the problems your partner has experienced with the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

We aim to provide the highest standard of care for all of our patients. Please accept our apologies that your partner’s experience clearly has not matched the standards that we expect for our patients.

Unfortunately the NHS Choices website does not share your contact information with the Trust. We want to make sure that your partner receives the right care, and we also want to look into the issues you have raised in more detail to help us improve our appointment systems.

We would therefore encourage you to call our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on 0800 783 0057 or visit their office near the Main Ward Entrance. They aim to: provide advice and support to patients, their families and carers; listen to your concerns, suggestions or queries; and, help sort out problems quickly on your behalf. If you wish to make a formal complaint then the PALS service will be able to provide you with more information about how to do this. You can also find out more on the Trust website at http://www.sath.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors

Thanks again for taking the time and trouble to provide feedback about your care, and please do contact us so that we can look into this further.

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful
Opinions
Next Response j
Previous Response k