"Unprepared for a procedure"

Dear Suzy123

My name is Victoria Sullivan and I am the Care Opinion Manager for NHS Tayside. We apologise for the delay in responding to your very valuable feedback. We very much appreciate the time you've taken to tell us your story, and each of the individual issues you've raised, and because of this we want to provide you with an appropriate response.

Please be assured that the very valid points you've raised have all been noted. We apologise for the time it's taking to provide you with this response and will endeavour to respond to you as soon as we can.

Best wishes

Victoria Sullivan

Dear Suzy123

On behalf of Gynaecology Services, NHS Tayside I am incredibly sorry for the length of time it is taking to be able to provide a response to the feedback and number of questions you have raised. As Victoria as alluded to, I wish to assure you that all feedback received is greatly appreciated and valued and I thank you kindly for this.

I am working with colleagues to look into the aspects you have raised and really hope to have a useful response to be able to share with you shortly. I will of course share this at the at the earliest opportunity.

Best wishes.

Daisy

Dear Suzy123

Following my above response to your valuable feedback, I wish to provide a further response now I have been able to meet with colleagues, as I advised I would. Firstly, I would again like to offer you a further apology for the length of time it has taken to come back to you.

I wish to thank you for sharing your positive experience of all staff you met during your journey from the reception to the clinic area including and in particular the Student Nurse - I will of course share this as appropriate. I am sorry to learn that attending your appointment was not as simple as you had anticipated it to be and note the points you raise below.

The questions you asked as part of your feedback are in bold text as follows, please also see responses to each question below in italics:

Why are there long waiting lists for urgent referrals?

What is happening to /with Gynaecology services in Tayside?

Unfortunately, due to the rise in demand for new appointments to the Gynaecology service, and the loss of clinical staff through sickness and accepting new positions, the waits for this service have increased considerably over the last year. The Team are working hard to address the waits through various methods including clerical and clinical validation; consideration of current processes and relooking at staff skill mix to allow for additional capacity to be identified.

Why women have no choice (at a clinic) and are made to have a procedures that aren't expected?

Why women are being made to change medications or having to make adjustments to their health - e.g. being referred to a menopause clinic when all I required was the operation!

I assume all of the above is because NHS Tayside do not have enough Gynaecologists?

Unfortunately, with the information we currently have via Care Opinion we are not in a position to be able to explore your personal situation further at this time to provide a response to the questions you have asked. As a service we would welcome you to raise your feedback via the NHS Tayside Patient Experience Team to enable us to look into your feedback / complaint in more detail. The Team can be contacted by emailing TAY.feedback@nhs.scot or by writing to:

Patient Experience Team
Ninewells Hospital
Dundee
DD1 9SY

You can also leave feedback by telephoning 0800 027 5507 (freephone).

As a service we really do value your comments and we make sure we act on feedback to learn from them and to improve our services where appropriate. We are sorry we have not been able to provide as thorough a response to your questions as I am sure you would have hoped however hope that the offer of raising the questions you have via the NHS Tayside Patient Experience Team will enable the ability to provide you with a thorough response.

Best wishes.

Daisy

Dear Suzy123

Thank you for your further comment.

I acknowledge that it was yourself who requested an update on your feedback on two separate occasions prior to receiving a response from the service, on behalf of Gynaecology Services, NHS Tayside I am sorry that this was your situation, this is not a position that we would wish but unfortunately the position you found yourself in.

I note from the above that you have made telephone contact with NHS Tayside's Patient Experience Team and I thank you for making us aware of this.

Best wishes.

Daisy