"Appalling Patient Liaison"

On December 21st my mother passed on while a patient at Dudley Manor. I cannot praise highly enough the team in Ward 15 but my faith in the NHS has been badly affected by the Patient Liaison Service. What follows explains it and I leave readers to reach their own opinion.

My mother was transferred from ward 6 to ward 15 shortly after her admission. During the move her handbag was mislaid and was not found (in ward 19) for five days. in the meantime the keys to her apartment were removed. Since the handbag also contained her address I had to arrange for all of the locks in her sheltered housing scheme to be changed in the meantime, as well as reporting it to the Police. this would not have been necessary had my mother's possessions been properly recorded and the handbag been found sooner.

to make matters worse this frail lady was moved to a ward where novovirus was present.

I contacted the Patient Liaison Service via the hospital website to express my concerns in the meantime and did not receive a reply. I called and left two messages on the PL internal number twice asking for a callback but did not get one. On my next visit to the hospital (on I think the 19th) I visited the PL office and spoke to one of the PL team who expressed concern and promised to get back to me that same day. he didn't and hasn't since.

Things were then overtaken by the death of my mother but in my feedback form to the Bereavement Team I once again detailed the mounting failures of the PL service. Though an anonymous form i left my email address and phone number. that was over a week ago and still no response.

If i was a member of the medical team I would be appalled that my hard work had been undermined by appalling administrators. As a long standing defender of the NHS I am dismayed that these multiple failures destroy public confidence at a time when it is needed most if the NHS is to survive. These are basic and simple failings that could so easily be avoided and which will cost me and the hospital unnecessary additional time and money.