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Care Opinion

Hospital waiting times

Posted By rozzy

"Hospital waiting times"

About: Forth Valley Royal Hospital / Clinical assessment unit Scottish Ambulance Service / Emergency Ambulance

(as a relative),

My husband who is a cancer patient was blue lighted to Forth Valley Hospital recently at 13:50 in severe pain. He was extremely well looked after en route by wonderful paramedics and we were told we would be met by a doctor.

On arrival he was put in cubicle in A&E but shortly afterwards moved to CAU. On being seen by nurse (details etc) we were told to sit in waiting area until doctor saw us.  Well I know these places are always busy but really??  3o'clock 4o'clock,  5o'clock need I go on? Ok he was given a meal (only patient not relative!). 

By 8'oclock, he got fractious, had had none of his meds since morning and was sore sitting for 6hrs, so asked nurse to take out the cannula as he was leaving! They came and did that and said he would have to sign a form. By this time it was 8:15. 

Suddenly there was an emergency in one of the cubicles and doctors!! and nurses ran from all areas! Now it is 9:30.  Finally at 10pm my husband signs a form and we leave and still no DOCTOR!!

Shame on you Forth Valley that a nearly new hospital has such a shortage of doctors whether it be weekend or not to care for the sick!!   

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Responses

Response from Patrick Rafferty, Head of Nursing, Ambulatory & Investigations, NHS Forth Valley 4 years ago
Patrick Rafferty
Head of Nursing, Ambulatory & Investigations,
NHS Forth Valley

Submitted on 26/08/2019 at 16:36
Published on Care Opinion on 27/08/2019 at 10:10

Dear rozzy

Thank you for taking the time to get in touch to tell about your recent experience at CAU, firstly may I take this opportunity to apologise that this has been your experience., I am concerned that this had been the experience that you and your husband have had.

I would really appreciate the opportunity to look into what happened and wonder if I could ask you to get in touch with me, I would also like to discuss with you that your husband has the care he needs, at what I can only image to be a very worrying and difficult time for you both.

You can contact me on 07814 290508 or alternatively you can email pauline.donnelly1@nhs.net.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kindest regards

Patrick Rafferty

Head of Nursing

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Response from Daniel Beckett, Consultant Physician, AAU/ CAU, Forth Valley Royal Hospital 4 years ago
Daniel Beckett
Consultant Physician, AAU/ CAU,
Forth Valley Royal Hospital

Submitted on 26/08/2019 at 16:52
Published on Care Opinion on 27/08/2019 at 10:10

Dear rozzy

Thank you for taking the time to get in touch and firstly let me apologise to you and your husband for your experience yesterday.

I was the consultant on duty in CAU yesterday. Initially the waiting times in A&E were much longer than those in CAU. I took the decision to move a number of patients (including your husband) through to CAU from A&E in the expectation that we would able to see you more quickly than if you waited in A&E. Unfortunately this coincided with a number of very unwell patients arriving into CAU who had been referred by the out-of-hours GP. These patients had to take priority and meant that the patients who had been transferred from A&E ended up waiting far longer to be seen than I had expected.

I’m so sorry that this happened but I hope you can understand that this was absolutely not my intention. I have reflected on this.

Meanwhile I hope your husband is feeling better. If you would like to discuss this in person then please don’t hesitate to call my secretary on 01324 567462. I would be very happy to see your husband in CAU tomorrow (Tuesday) or Thursday if that would be if any help.

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Update posted by rozzy (a relative)

Thank-You Mr Beckett for your response, and may I first say my husband was also "very unwell" or he would not have been blue lighted into hospital in the first place! However I was not able to meet with you on Tuesday as we spent all day in the Beatson, my husband having his first chemo, and he has drs appointments on Thursday.

We will put this down to lessons to be learned and hope if I have to call 111 again he will be seen within the 4hr waiting time patients expect.

Response from Alan Martin, Patient Experience Manager, Corporate Affairs and Engagement, Scottish Ambulance Service 4 years ago
Alan Martin
Patient Experience Manager, Corporate Affairs and Engagement,
Scottish Ambulance Service

Submitted on 28/08/2019 at 10:07
Published on Care Opinion at 10:07

picture of Alan Martin

Dear Rozzy,

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback on CareOpinion. I am so sorry that your husband had reason to use our services. I am however very pleased to read that our staff looked after you well during transport to hospital. I do hope that he is feeling better.

I see that you have been responded to around your concerns above and I hope that this will help you and your husband.

I would like to wish you and your husband all the best and I do hope that he is feeling better.

Kind Regards

Alan

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