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Care Opinion

Ambulance wait times and lack of communication from ED

Posted By Audiogirl

"Ambulance wait times and lack of communication from ED"

About: Royal Cornwall Hospital (Treliske) / Emergency Department South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust / Emergency ambulance

(as a relative),

My story isn't so much about my care but that of my 91 year old mother who had fallen. There was an 8 hour wait for an ambulance to come, then another 4 hours wait in the ambulance before being handed over to a doctor, and the lack of communication from the ED of Royal Cornwall Hospital was appalling. It was a full 12 hours or more before I got any information after repeatedly being told to ring back in an hour or in a couple of hours (this all happened over a weekend).

There was also miscommunication about her not having an x-ray and being discharged.

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Responses

Response from Deanne Hill, South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust 2 years ago
Deanne Hill
South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 07/09/2021 at 10:16
Published on Care Opinion on 08/09/2021 at 11:37

Dear Audiogirl,

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback, I'm truly sorry to hear about the experience you and your mother had.

The South Western Ambulance Service Foundation Trust (SWASFT) are experiencing unprecedented pressures at the moment and we understand the service we provide is not as expected in some cases, for this we apologise.

The details you have provided here have been redacted for confidentiality so I am unable to locate the details of your call for further investigation. We would welcome the opportunity to look into the care provided to you; if you would like us to do this may I ask you to contact our Patient Experience Team on 01392 261 585 or email us at patientexperience@swast.nhs.uk and a member of the team will be able to provide information on the next steps.

Thank you, again, for taking the time to share your story with us, your feedback is imperative to improving the service.

Best wishes,

Dee

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Response from Jane Michell, Complaints Manager, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust 2 years ago
Jane Michell
Complaints Manager,
Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

Submitted on 10/09/2021 at 09:38
Published on Care Opinion at 09:38

Dear Audiogirl,

Thank you for your feedback about your mother's experience in the Emergency Department. I am sorry that you had cause to complain firstly about the wait in the ambulance and then about the lack of communication whilst she was with us.

Unfortunately, due to the unprecedented demand on the emergency services and the rest of the hospital, we are finding that there is not always capacity for patients to enter the department as soon as they arrive. Whilst this is not what we would expect for our patients, I would like to assure you that they are in the very capable hands of the ambulance service and will also have had their ED triage and assessment process carried out whilst still in the ambulance.

Regarding the lack of communication, I can only apologise that this happened. Although the department is busy, the staff recognise the importance of ensuring patients and their relatives are kept up to date and informed of their care and treatment plans. Sometimes there is a wait for test results which would determine the decision as to whether your mother would be discharged or would need admission, and from your account of your mothers experience I suspect that this was the case at the time. I cannot account for the miscommunication regarding the x-ray, it may have been a change in plan following a senior review. However, I can appreciate how frustrating this must have been for you, particularly as visitors are not allowed into the Emergency Department at the moment and there is no opportunity for face to face contact. I will feed this back to the ED staff.


Kind Regards

Jane Michell

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