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Care Opinion

Unable to get help from Leeds City Council

Posted By Completely letdown

"Unable to get help from Leeds City Council"

About: Leeds

(as a carer),

Leeds City Council claim to be dementia friendly but I have found it impossible to access any services without "inside" assistance and even then waited 6 weeks to get a Carer's Emergency Card.

My Wife has been referred for help accessing toilet, having already had a fall. First referral was in Feb, nothing heard. Subsequent request led to nothing.

A direct referral by TEWV NHS Trust who outlined what was needed has resulted in a letter merely saying we are busy. The person from TEWV was unable to speak directly to a human being but only able to leave a message. She outlined exactly what was needed to save time. She also commented that if I was in N. Yorks she would be able to go and pick up the equipment herself.

Leeds City Council is a total joke as far as I am concerned and I am contemplating drawing media attention to this debacle. I have raised issues with CEO and Helath & Well being Cllr. The latter did not even reply.

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Responses

Response from Clare Wyke, PALS and Patient Experience Manager, EMBED Health Consortium 8 years ago
Clare Wyke
PALS and Patient Experience Manager,
EMBED Health Consortium

Submitted on 20/05/2015 at 10:41
Published on Care Opinion at 13:30

Dear completely letdown,

I am sorry to read of the difficulties you have experienced when trying to obtain equipment to assist your wife. I work for the West Yorkshire Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). Whilst I am not able to supply the equipment directly our service will be happy to help and may be able to find out some more detail for you from Leeds City Council. If you would like us to look into this for you please contact the service on Tel: 0800 0525 270 or email: WestYorksPALS@nhs.net

Kind regards

Clare

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Update posted by Completely letdown (a carer)

Thank you but I have raised the issue with a number of people now.

I get upset when organisations claim to be dementia friendly and do not demonstrate the behaviours that requires. I hope it will now be resolved but feel there are more barriers erected to stop service rather than to facilitate it. No private industry would remain in business if they adopted this practise.

Response from Dominic Wyatt, Complaints Manager, Leeds City Council 8 years ago
Dominic Wyatt
Complaints Manager,
Leeds City Council

Submitted on 21/05/2015 at 10:29
Published on Care Opinion at 11:05

Dear Completely letdown,

I am sorry that you have been unhappy with the response to your request to Leeds City Council. We do try and identify requests that need an urgent response and we would regard being able to use the toilet safely as an urgent need. We do have arrangements for NHS colleagues to request community equipment. They hold stock of basic items and can also pick up urgent items from the main store if necessary. Please could you contact Alison Griffiths Disability Service Manager, or Liz Ward Head of Service on Leeds 0113 3783311 so that we can make sure your situation is resolved and understand what went wrong.

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Update posted by Completely letdown (a carer)

Thank you Dominic and for our telephone discussion yesterday.

If, as you say, there is a facility for NHS staff to access equipment, that fact is not known to TEWV NHS Trust, who deliver the mental health services for Wetherby. As far as I am aware the person from TEWV was going to suggest specific equipment but I have no detailed knowledge of what that entails. I will try to make contact.

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