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Lack of information, lack of understanding

Posted By dedee

"Lack of information, lack of understanding"

About: Good Hope Hospital / Urology

(as a relative),

My husband was referred to Good Hope, sutton coalfield as he required specialist care for penile cancer.

We were informed that a clinical cancer nurse would be assigned to help answer questions and support us through this stressful time. We were also informed that as the hospital was approximately 100 mile round trip for us and depending on traffic takes over 1 hour 30 mins on a good journey that accommodation was provided for immediate family.

We had no support from any clinical cancer nurse. All the information we had was through our own investigations and constant use of the internet, and then we were told that accommodation was available but no one knew who to contact to find any information. We contacted Pals who investigated and contacted us to inform us that no accommodation was available.

To add insult to injury we were then informed that visiting is for 1 hour 2pm to 3pm and 7pm to 8pm. No exceptions are made, even though we had been told to explain the distance and time it takes us to get to the hospital sister.

At this stressful and upsetting time these are problems patients and their families can do without.

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Responses

Response from Susan Moore, Executive Lead Director, Good Hope Hospital 11 years ago
We are preparing to make a change
Susan Moore
Executive Lead Director,
Good Hope Hospital

I am the senior lead manager for Good Hope Hospital

Submitted on 21/01/2013 at 09:12
Published on Care Opinion at 09:23

picture of Susan Moore

Dear Dedee,

I was sorry to learn of your concerns regarding your husband’s care within the specialist penile cancer service at Good Hope Hospital.

We are aware that we need to improve our service by offering a dedicated Clinical Nurse Specialist to cover our specialist penile and renal cancer patients. The Urology Directorate is currently progressing a business case for funding to be able to introduce this development as part of our service. In the meantime, all patients should have access to one of our team of highly trained Urology Clinical Nurse Specialists, and I was sorry to learn that this had not been offered in your husband’s case, as it certainly should have been.

We appreciate that our penile cancer patients are referred from a very wide catchment area. I have asked the Senior Sisters on our wards (all Urology patients should be placed on Ward 7 or Ward 16, though from time to time because of bed pressures it may be necessary to use other wards) to be as flexible as possible with visiting times for family and friends where patients are not from the local area, as I appreciate that problem that you have highlighted. We are also looking in to the accommodation issue, and to improve our communication and patient information leaflets with regard to this.

If you have any specific concerns about the care your husband has received, or need any further advice or support, please contact Neil Rogers, the General Manager for the Urology service, on direct line 0121 424 0187, and he will be happy to help you.

Kind Regards

Sue Moore

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