This is Care Opinion [siteRegion]. Did you want Care Opinion [usersRegionBasedOnIP]?
Care Opinion

Inflexible podiatry service

Posted By bravort36

"Inflexible podiatry service"

About: Adult Specialist Services / Podiatry

(as a relative),

My mum is house bound with Alzheimer's and has carers in 4 times a day.  She needs someone with her when her feet are done as she gets very upset. Both myself and my brother work.

Getting a podiatry appointment for my mum in Bassetlaw is impossible.  They phone the day before expecting you to be there when we are at work. They won’t come out on a Friday which is my day off, or after half 3 when I finish work. They won’t give a time when coming, just between 9:00 and 1:00.  so I can’t even arrange for carers to be there.  They won’t book an appointment in advance so I can get the day off work.  It is totally impossible.

I find them very rude on the phone and was even told once by the receptionist that my mum would have to pay privately.

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

Responses

Response from Podiatrist Team Leader, Community Podiatry Bassetlaw, Community Health Services 2 years ago
We are preparing to make a change
Community Health Services

Submitted on 05/04/2022 at 20:13
Published on Care Opinion on 06/04/2022 at 09:25

Sorry to hear of the issues you have experienced arranging a home visit for your mother when somebody is able to be with her. It is unfortunate that at present, we have a shortage of staff. We do try to arrange the visits and notify patients the day before to ensure we have staff availability but appreciate that the short notice can be difficult for carers or family who are working. The reason we do not book appointments further in advance is to avoid situations where visits are cancelled at short notice if staff are called to other duties as this can be equally frustrating for patients and their carers. If you would like to contact me directly by emailing the below address with your mother’s name and DOB, we can discuss how we can address this issue for your mother’s future appointments. PodCommunityAdmin@nottshc.nhs.uk

I am sorry that we are unable to provide a home visit for your mother on a Friday, which would be the most convenient day for your mother’s appointment. The Podiatrist who offers home visits does not currently work on a Friday. However, we are welcoming new staff to the department in the very near future and hopefully we can make efforts to address this issue.

Once again, I am very sorry for the difficulties you have experienced and I hope we can discuss this further so that we can try to resolve this for you.

Opinions
Next Response j
Previous Response k