"attermpted cost saving generates frustration and..."

Thank you for providing feedback on your mother-in-law's recent cataract operation at the Hospital of St Cross, Rugby. I am very sorry to hear that you were unhappy with the pharmacy experience on this occasion and that you were left frustrated by the amount of medication provided to your mother. Without more detail it is difficult to give you a more personalised response, however all dispensing by the Trust is provided in line with agreements put in place by the local GP run Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). The amount of medication provided to a patient will depend on the type of operation that they have. For a cataract day case they are normally given one bottle of eye drops per affected eye. This provides at least 14-21 days treatment which is the normal duration of use. If eye drops are still needed after this time, the patient would be seen by an ophthalmology clinician to make sure everything was alright. If further eye drops are needed, the clinician would decide whether to continue with the same ones or change to a different eye drop. This would then be provided to the patient from the outpatient pharmacy on prescription. However I must stress that every case is different and medication will be supplied based on the clinical needs of the patient at the time they are discharged. Patient safety will always be paramount and in addition we are mindful of pharmaceutical waste so are conscious about providing too much medication as well. Costs of medication whether provided by the Trust or by the GP will ultimately be funded by the CCGs so it is incorrect to say we passing the costs to the local GP. I’m sorry to hear of your frustration but hope that your mother is happy with the overall care she received during her operation at the Hospital of St Cross. We would very much welcome the opportunity to discuss your concerns with you. If you feel this would be useful please contact the Trust’s Patient Advice and Liaison Service on 0800 028 4203. If you would prefer to contact us by e-mail, our address is feedback@uhcw.nhs.uk Alternatively, you can write to us at the following address: PALS University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust Clifford Bridge Road Coventry CV2 2DX If you do decide to contact us, please make us aware that you have left comments on the NHS Choices website. The Trust is grateful for all feedback, positive or negative, as it means we can better understand what is important to our patients. Thank you for leaving your comments on NHS Choices. Communications Team University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust Tel: 0800 028 4203