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Care Opinion

The team inspired confidence

Posted By sigmanr89

"The team inspired confidence"

About: General practices in Lothian Midlothian Community Hospital / Hospital @ Home (Midlothian) Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at Little France / General Medicine

(as a service user),

I phoned my local surgery to book a home visit on Thursday 22nd Oct because I had felt unable to eat for 4 days. I just wanted to lie in bed. The doctor visited late morning and offered the choice of being admitted to hospital or having care from Hospital at Home. I chose the latter option.

2 nurses visited in the afternoon of the same day and my family and I were very impressed by their efficiency, clear explanations and delightfully friendly manner. They repeated their visit twice on Friday 23rd and again on Sat 24th when they advised admission to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for treatment for a very low sodium level and gall bladder infection. In hospital drip was administered and a course of antibiotics and I returned home on Monday 25th in a much improved condition. Hospital at Home visited twice on Tues 26th, phoned on Wed 27th and revisited on Thurs 27th when I was discharged from their care.

The communication shared by my local surgery, Hospital at Home and my family was absolutely first class and made a great difference to a worrying experience. However, although the staff in the infirmary were friendly and caring, the communication within the hospital departments and between the hospital and my family was sub standard and inefficient.

The doctors and the Hospital at home team inspired confidence by their efficiency and displayed an ability to give detailed explanations in a delightfully friendly manner. I cannot praise too highly the attention I received from them.

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Responses

Response from Patricia Cantley, Consultant, Midlothian Hospital at Home Team, NHS Lothian 3 years ago
Patricia Cantley
Consultant, Midlothian Hospital at Home Team,
NHS Lothian

Submitted on 22/04/2021 at 18:37
Published on Care Opinion at 18:37

picture of Patricia Cantley

Thank you very much indeed for taking the time to send us some feedback, especially after being so unwell. It really is appreciated by the team and we will make sure that everyone is able to read your kind words.

We are particularly pleased to read that you felt that the communication from the Hospital at Home team was of a high standard. The doctors and nurses do work hard on this and this story will reinforce the importance of that part of the service.

I'm also glad that you found the team approachable and friendly, as well as giving good explanations. We are very privileged to meet people in their own homes, and it is genuinely a joy to help the patients that we meet.

Please accept our best wishes for your continued recovery.

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Response from Gill Clarke, Clinical Service Manager, Emergency, Acute & General Medicine, NHS Lothian 3 years ago
Gill Clarke
Clinical Service Manager, Emergency, Acute & General Medicine,
NHS Lothian

Submitted on 23/04/2021 at 08:03
Published on Care Opinion at 08:03

Dear Sigman89

Many thanks for taking the time out to send us some feedback.

Im pleased to hear you found the staff to be friendly and caring but share your disappointment regarding communication, both between the hospital departments and with your family.

This is not the type of impression we wish to make and I can only apologise. I will make sure that your comments both good and where improvement is needed is feedback to the teams at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

Your experience with the Hospital at Home team sounds first class and I will also use your positive experience with that team as part of my feedback.

Thanks again for your comments and hopes for your continued recovery

Gill

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