I have no experience of the accident and emergency service in person, but twice now in over a couple of months the number listed on the internet for your accident and emergency line was wrong, according to one member of your reception / operator staff. The automated service registered things I did not say and I kept being put through to professionals when I had not even spoken .When I finally did get through I was passed from department to department, told my Mother was definately on one ward only to be put through to that ward and be told by the staff there that they had had no female admissions that day and she was not on this ward. I then was given the same number for what I thought was accident and emergency at St.Mary's to be told by your operator that that was not the right number. I was then put through to the same person who had given me wrong information and she acted annoyed that I had phoned again. Of course if I cannot locate my Mother I am going to keep trying. I was then again put through to accident and emergency where I hung on for many minutes.I understand this is a busy department, but what I did not expect was to receive no reply at all and then to be hung up on. People i.e. the public don't expect a perfect service and I completely understand that all your staff are doing challenging, busy jobs, but in terms of information, I did not recieve any today that was of actual use to me and simply gave up ringing. I was left in an agitated and emotional state as I still don't know where my Mother is and apparently neither do your staff. If you do give out information or emergency lines on internet sites these should be accurate and current telephone numbers or they are pointless, and your operating system shopuld not be so labrynthine and confusing. It should not have been so difficult for a relative to get simple, basic information about their loved ones at an already stressful and distressing time. I don't know how you can sort this out, but someone needs to address this. This is fairly basic communication with patients' relatives. It should not be so difficult to negotiate your telephone system. Please sort this out as it left me very upset and I'm sure that if it had been a more life and death situation, that would have felt much worse and even more distressing.
"Your Accident and Emergency number"
About: St Mary's Hospital (HQ) (London) St Mary's Hospital (HQ) (London) London W2 1NY
Posted via nhs.uk
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