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The general atmosphere is one of disorganisation

Posted By Muma

"The general atmosphere is one of disorganisation"

About: Victoria Hospital / General Medicine

(as a relative),

My Mum was on ward 13 for over two weeks and hated it. Although the staff in general are lovely and some are indeed excellent at their job the general atmosphere is one of disorganization. Nurses often do not seem to have the time to listen or respond quickly to patient needs. Buzzers can take from 5 to 15 minutes to be answered, even for emergencies. Staff may respond to a buzzer but not be able to help, they promise to tell someone then cancel the buzzer and leave. And no-one else comes.

I could see my Mum's emotional state deteriorating from the day she entered the ward. I am grateful for the care the staff provided for us but I hope very much that she is never sent there again.

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Responses

Response from Esther Pow, Clinical Nurse Manager, Emergency Care Directorate, NHS Fife 4 years ago
Esther Pow
Clinical Nurse Manager, Emergency Care Directorate,
NHS Fife

Submitted on 25/11/2019 at 17:42
Published on Care Opinion at 17:42

picture of Esther Pow

Dear Muma

Thank you so much for your honest feedback about your mums recent stay within ward 13, I'm so sorry that your mum had to stay there for over two weeks, it must have seemed like a very long time if she hated it. It must be a distressing memory for both of you. The disorganisation that you describe has been recognised as an issue created with additional supplementary staff who support the substantive ward staffing. This has been recently supported by the addition of experienced leadership to the team who will help to direct and sustain stability and improvements. The time taken to answer call bells is particularly concerning and for future reference, I would encourage you to bring your concerns directly to the nurse in charge of a ward. It is never the intention of staff to delay care and I am sure they will be alarmed to hear about your experience I will pass on your valuable comments to the team in ward 13 as I am positive that this feedback will help to improve communication and response times to patient call bells.

If you wish to discuss this matter further I would be happy for you to contact me on 01592 623355 ext 20083.

I would like to apologise on behalf of the team, I hope your Mum has made a full recovery and remains in good health. However, should you have future concerns regarding a family members admission to hospital, please feel free to contact me.

Best wishes

Esther

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