"lack of communication, waste of resources and long wait"

attended ward 2, maternity block at good hope this week with my wife for a scan in. on arrival we were told that because my wife has not been to the hospital before - she does not have a hospital number. I would have thought that this should have been checked prior to out arrival as the appointment was booked days before via the midwife.

we sat waiting for 45 minutes - no one came out to explain the reason for the delay

the sonographer was very good and explained the procedure, the scan etc and was polite and pleasant, she informed us the scan results were normal but we have to see the 'nurse'.

we waited another 15 minutes to be then called in by the nurse. She took us to a treatment room, didn't tell us her name and role and wasn't wearing an ID badge that was visible - within 2 minutes repeated exactly what the sonographer told us - 'everything was normal'. when my wife said she had been having pains and that was the reason for the early scan - she expressed no interest or made any suggestions what to do if this happened again.

My experience showed the following:

- no one offers an explanation for delays - this is a basic communication shortfall of the NHS when patients/family become tired, anxious and lose confidence in clinicians because no one is explaining anything

- there is an assumption in this department that everyone needs to see a nurse - even if your scan results are normal. Valuable NHS resources are being wasted by such ritualistic processes and patient time is also wasted

- I still find it unforgiving that clinicians take it for granted that they don't have to inform patients who they are and what their role is

having foundation Trust status means nothing for patients when the NHS cant get the basics right!