"Complaint about poor service provide by..."

Every 4 weeks, myself along with 4 other patients (all of us have MS), attends the Medical Infusion Unit on Adelaide ward, to receive an infusion of Tysabri/Natalizumab .

The last 2 months we have experienced delays in receiving this treatment, which have been caused by the Pharmacy department.

Last month (19th June) the medication was not waiting for us when we arrived.

The MS nurse on duty then had to go to Pharmacy and wait for it to be released, so delaying all the start of our treatment for over 1 hour, which may not sound a very long delay, but the ward has two sets of patients to deal with on these days. One in the Morning and a second group in the afternoon, any delays in the morning has a 'knock-on' effect for the afternoon patients and staff.

This month, upon my arrival on the ward (along with the other 3 patients), I was informed by the Ward Sister, that once again, this medication had not arrived.

She also confirmed, that at this time, the medication was not in the hospital.

Soon after this our MS nurse arrived and she confirmed that the prescriptions had been submitted to Pharmacy, one week before (as they always are) on July 10th. We then received a number of different ‘stories’ about where the medication was.

The Ward Sister went down to Pharmacy, only to be told that there was a refrigerator in Pharmacy that had been Quarantined and that the medication could be in there, but no one knew for sure.

Soon after, when the MS nurse made one her multiple trips to Pharmacy to find out what was happening, she was not given that ‘story’ but no one could tell her where the medication was, except none of it was there!

The Ward Sister then found she had 2 lots of this medication in her fridge on the ward.

By this time it was 10.15, so we agreed between ourselves, which 2 out of the 4 of us would receive treatment first, whilst the other 2 (including myself) would wait. Eventually after much chasing, the ‘missing’ medication was ‘found’ and the MS nurse was able to bring this to us.

This was at 11.45 and our treatment finally started at 12noon, instead of 9am as it should have done.

Pharmacy has not only let us, the patients down, but the MS nursing team who had had to chase for something that should have been on the ward the night before, in preparation for our treatment. They have also made the Nurses on Adelaide ward, who do such a fantastic job, treating and looking after us, be made to deal with patients who are upset at all the delays, which are not of their making.

Please confirm that this will be taken as a serious complaint about the lack of service being provide by the Pharmacy Department at the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

C Chapman

PS The department we attended is not on the list below and have been trying (without success) to find the correct place to complain to. If I do not hear back with a satisfactory response, I will take this matter further.