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Care Opinion

An attempt to avoid A&E

Posted By Snuffles

"An attempt to avoid A&E"

About: Lanarkshire Community Services / GP Out of Hours service NHS 24 / NHS 24 (111 service) University Hospital Wishaw / Emergency Department

(as a parent/guardian),

My daughter sustained a sudden onset, unexplained back pain at school on the Friday morning.   I picked her up and phoned the local GP.   I was told I would have to complete an online form in order to be triaged which I duly done.   The call handler called us back in 3-4 hours and advised that we attend A&E.   As my daughter was in so much pain and it was Friday night, one of the busiest and unruliest nights of the week, we decided to keep her as comfortable as possible and contact 111 in the morning if things had not improved.   In the morning at around 7. 30 am we contacted 111 as she had been in pain all night and had not slept much.   We waited a further 3 hours to speak with a nurse who then sent us to out of hours GP service - a further 4 hour wait.   The out of hours GP then called A& E to see if they would be able to help before recommending that we go to A& E.   At A& E it was a further 4 hour wait to see someone.   So in total my young daughter waited from 11. 30 am until 7 pm the following night to see someone, 16 hours wait whilst directly in the system. Just want to stress that everyone we met and spoke to along the way were lovely.

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Responses

Response from Shona Lawrence, Clinical Governance Lead, Nursing and Care, NHS 24 4 years ago
Shona Lawrence
Clinical Governance Lead, Nursing and Care,
NHS 24

Submitted on 17/12/2019 at 14:49
Published on Care Opinion at 14:49

picture of Shona Lawrence

Dear Snuffles

Thanks for sharing your story on Care Opinion. It sounds as though this has been a worrying time and I hope your daughter is doing much better. From what you have described, I can understand your strength of feeling in relation to her journey of care taking so long.

The Care Opinion Team has kindly tagged NHS 24 to your story as you called 111. It looks as though the call to us was deemed safe to wait for a call back with follow up care arranged at the Out of Hours Service.

Last weekend was indeed a very busy time and here at NHS 24 the number of calls to 111 was extremely high with a demand of 17,329 calls. This was 2,485 more calls than this time last year. It seems as though other services such as the Out of Hours and A&E had an equally pressured weekend.

It is appreciated that it is a long time for patients and families to wait when they are concerned for themselves or a loved one and a timely patient journey is what we all strive to achieve. It is really good of you to finish your story on a positive note for the staff involved in your daughter's care.

If you wish me to arrange a review of your contact with 111, then I would be pleased to do so. I can be contacted on 0141 337 4582 or by email at Patient.Experience@nhs24.scot.nhs.uk

Thanks again for getting in touch and I wish you, and your family, a happy healthy festive period.

With regards

Shona

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Update posted by Snuffles (a parent/guardian)

Thank you for your response, my daughter is doing much better, thank you. Whilst I think your response explains the time delay at each stage. It does not explain why we had a diverted route of 7 hours to see the out of hours GP when I believe NHS 24 should have discerned to send us straight to A&E. in short it excuses the time at each stage but not the poor decision at one stage.

I do appreciate that our NHS staff work incredibly hard and I understand that you have to wait to see them. What I do expect is the correct descision when I do.

Thanks again

Response from Shona Lawrence, Clinical Governance Lead, Nursing and Care, NHS 24 4 years ago
Shona Lawrence
Clinical Governance Lead, Nursing and Care,
NHS 24

Submitted on 30/12/2019 at 16:12
Published on Care Opinion at 16:12

picture of Shona Lawrence

Thanks so much for getting back in touch and I am delighted that your daughter is doing well. I hope you both had a lovely Christmas.

I understand your concern in relation to the time taken for your daughter to be seen and that this would have been stressful for all.

In order to fully understand the service provided by NHS 24, it would be good if you could contact me with some additional information which means that I could arrange a review of the call to NHS 24. This would enable us to determine whether a referral for your daughter to be advised to attend directly at A&E would have been appropriate.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Shona

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Response from Rick Edwards, Service Manager Surgical & Critical Care, University Hospital Hairmyres, NHS Lanarkshire 4 years ago
Rick Edwards
Service Manager Surgical & Critical Care, University Hospital Hairmyres,
NHS Lanarkshire

Submitted on 30/03/2020 at 10:38
Published on Care Opinion at 10:38

picture of Rick Edwards

Dear Snuffles,

Thanks for taking the time to acknowledge the staff you met and spoke to including those at University Hospital Wishaw; it means a lot to staff when people recognise their professionalism.

I see that Shona has invited you to contact her to discuss some of the issues you have raised and I can only apologise for the wait you experienced in the Emergency Department.

I hope this finds you both well.

Kind regards

Rick

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