Care Opinion

Text size

Theme

Language

Videos in BSL or ISL
Help with language translation
Help with reading or listening

My Mum

Posted By JL59665

"My Mum"

About: NHS 24 / NHS 24 (111 service) Perth Royal Infirmary / Accident & Emergency Perth Royal Infirmary / General Medicine Scottish Ambulance Service

(as a relative),

I got a call one Sunday night from my mum saying that she was feeling a bot confused and that she wasn't feeling herself. I went straight up to her house only to find her very very drowsy and not making any sense, she was able to say that her head was very sore and that it came on suddenly.

I immediately called NHS24 for advice, the only problem i had is that i was on hold for 10.39 to get through to a call handler, i explained what had happened and was passed right through to a nurse practitioner. She listened to what i had to say and said that she was concerned about some of the symptoms and had decided to send an emergency ambulance for my mum. NHS24 were fantastic apart from the hold time however, my mum and i fully understand that they are a busy service.

When the ambulance arrived, the paramedics came in and straight away put me and my mum at ease. The way they conducted themselves with care, compassion and professionalism was absolutely fantastic. They were not sure if my mum had had a stroke or not so they decided Ninewells was the best place to go however, they called Ninewells and the doctor there decided that my mum should go to Perth Royal Infirmary.

Upon arrival my mum was treated promptly by a wonderful set of doctors and nurses who done a fantastic job, we are so lucky to have them in Perth. She was admitted to ward 4 at PRI and again the care she received was second to none despite it being an incredibly busy and fast paced admissions ward.

I would like to extend my most sincere thanks to all involved in the care my mum received, they all done an amazing job, thankfully she had not had a stroke but has been diagnosed with a neurological condition.

NHS24, Scottish Ambulance Service and Perth Royal Infirmary (A&E) & (Ward 4) we take our hats off to you and salute the hard work you do to help people in their hour of need, we would all be lost without you. We don't feel that you get enough thanks for the jobs that you all do in what are sometimes, very difficult circumstances.

Mum is now on the mend and hopefully we won't be needing you guys again, but at least we know if we do , you are only a phone call away.

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

Responses

Response from Shona Lawrence, Clinical Governance Lead, Nursing and Care, NHS 24 5 years ago
Shona Lawrence
Clinical Governance Lead, Nursing and Care,
NHS 24

Submitted on 16/01/2020 at 14:10
Published on Care Opinion at 14:10

picture of Shona Lawrence

Hi JL59665

Thank you so much for sharing the story of your mum's care. It sounds as though this has been an extremely worrying time for you all and I am pleased your mum is now on the mend.

It's fantastic to read your positive comments about the staff involved in caring for your mum. They all sound like a huge credit to the NHS and your story demonstrates excellent teamwork.

I am sorry for your wait when trying to access NHS 24, especially given your concern for your mum. There are times when access to the 111 service can take longer than we would like due to the number of calls we receive. We work tirelessly to ensure our staffing levels are adequate to meet demand on the service, however there are still occasions when a sharp spike in calls can mean a wait for some callers to get through. We appreciate this is not ideal and are working hard to improve this. Should wait times be extended for some callers, our recorded message advises of any potential wait. This means that callers can then make a decision on whether to hold or seek alternative advice or help. I do appreciate for you this would have been frustrating. I am so pleased your mum's care thereafter was excellent.

Many of our staff read the feedback received via Care Opinion, so thanks again for taking the time to get in touch and for your positive comments.

Shona


Shona

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful
Response from Alan Martin, Clinical Development Manager, National Operations, Scottish Ambulance Service 5 years ago
Alan Martin
Clinical Development Manager, National Operations,
Scottish Ambulance Service

Submitted on 16/01/2020 at 16:17
Published on Care Opinion at 16:17

picture of Alan Martin

Dear JL59665,

Thank you very much for taking the time to share your feedback on CareOpinion. I am sorry that your mother had reason to use our service and the services of the wider NHS. It can be a frightening prospect when the nurses at NHS24 say that they are arranging an ambulance and it is great to hear that when the crew arrived they acted in the way they did putting your minds at ease. It is good to hear also that the professional conversation that took place between our crew and Ninewells worked well and your mother was able to be transported to a more local hospital for her treatment and care.

It would be great to be able to pass on your kind comments to the crew but we would need a little more information. If possible could you email scotamb.feedback@nhs.net and let us know the time, date and location that our vehicle attended to your mother and also your mothers name. That way we can locate the call and let the crew and their manager know what a great job they did! (I am off on annual leave as of tonight also so would you be able to include your CareOpinion username so the team can link your email back to this post?)

I hope your mother has continued in her recovery and I wish you both the very best for 2020.

Kind Regards

Alan

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by JL59665 (a relative)

Hi Shona,

The call waiting times can't be helped, you provide a wonderful service to everyone when they need it the most. I'm just glad you were there for my mum.

Response from Julie Ronald, Consultant in Emergency Medicine, Accident and Emergency, NHS Tayside 5 years ago
Julie Ronald
Consultant in Emergency Medicine, Accident and Emergency,
NHS Tayside

Submitted on 22/01/2020 at 14:08
Published on Care Opinion at 14:08

Dear JL59665

Thank you so much for taking time to share your feedback about the positive experience your Mum's had during her time in PRI Emergency Department (ED).

I am pleased to hear your Mum is recovering well.

Comments such as these are really valued by the team and these will be shared with the Medical and Nursing staff in PRI ED

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