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Care Opinion

My mum had a fall

Posted By waltztk77

"My mum had a fall"

About: Arbroath Infirmary NHS 24 / NHS 24 (111 service)

(as a relative),

My mum had a fall resulting in a large amount of bruising and swelling around her eye took her to Arbroath minor injuries as tried calling 111 but was on hold for over 45 minutes!!

Once at Arbroath was dealt with very quickly by professional staff cannot fault the care my mum received. Thank you

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Responses

Response from Andrew Cassidy, Patient Experience Officer, Nursing & Care, NHS 24 2 years ago
Andrew Cassidy
Patient Experience Officer, Nursing & Care,
NHS 24

I manage Patient and Service User Feedback

Submitted on 22/09/2021 at 15:43
Published on Care Opinion at 15:43

picture of Andrew Cassidy

Dear Waltzk77,

Thank you for sharing your story on Care Opinion. I was sorry to read that your mum had had a fall. I appreciate that this will be a worrying time for you and your family.

I was sorry to read of the delay in your being able to access the 111 service and offer a full apology that this was your experience.

Call demand to NHS 24 has increased as a result of COVID-19 activity and there may be periods when callers are required to wait longer than we would like for their calls to be answered. In addition, we are currently asking all callers a number of COVID- 19 related questions to ensure any patient displaying such symptoms is managed appropriately. We are working hard in this regard to improve both our call handling/clinical processes and increase our capacity including the recruitment of a significant number of Call Handlers over the coming months. However, there are occasions when a sharp rise in call demand can impact on the time taken to access the service. I am sorry that this was your experience when you called.

I hope your mum is now recovering well. I was pleased to read that she was so well looked after by the team at Arbroath.

Thank you once again for sharing your feedback with us.

Best wishes,

Andrew

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Response from Anne Black, Senior Charge Nurse, Minor Injuries Service/ Out of Hours, NHS Tayside 2 years ago
Anne Black
Senior Charge Nurse, Minor Injuries Service/ Out of Hours,
NHS Tayside

Submitted on 27/09/2021 at 19:10
Published on Care Opinion at 19:10

Dear Waltztk77

Thank you so much for your kind comments about our service on care opinion. I'm sorry to hear your mum had a fall and had bruising and swelling to her face. It can be a very worrying time when we have an injury and can often be worse when it is someone close to us and you need further assistance.

The way we access urgent care has changed recently and patients are asked to contact NHS 24 prior to attending now. This is to ensure that they are seen in the right place, by the right person at the right time. This also avoids overcrowding in waiting areas which continues to be a problem with the Covid 19 pandemic.

It's reassuring that when you did attend Arbroath Minor Injuries and Illness unit (MIIU) your mum was seen quickly and professionally. The staff in MIIU do try very hard to ensure that patients receive the best care possible and that their waiting time is kept to a minimum.

I hope your mum is improving and the bruising and swelling around her eye has reduced. I will pass your comments on to the staff who will be very pleased to hear that you were happy with the service your mum received. Your feedback helps us to know what we did well and how we can improve our service, so thank you again for taking the time to post your comments, it's much appreciated.

Take care

Kind Regards

Anne Black

SCN MIIU/OOH

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