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Care Opinion

A waste of everyone's time

Posted By classylady

"A waste of everyone's time"

About: University Hospital Ayr / Cardiology

(as a relative),

86 year old man with heart failure history had appointment to see consultant at 3. 05. He thought he was going for a scan as that's what usually happens. His wife, also 86, who has dementia, has to go with him to hospital as she would fret if left behind. They wait and wait, very patiently considering the length of time, and considering his wife is constantly asking questions and becoming more and more agitated until 4. 20 when he is finally taken - but shockingly not for a scan, nor has he seen the consultant - a doctor whom he had never met before lifted his vest, sounded his chest and listened to it with his stethoscope and said that's fine, Surely this could have been done by his own doctor, or even a District Nurse instead of putting them through a wasted afternoon to be seen for 2 minutes by someone unknown! ! !

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Responses

Response from Eunice Goodwin, Patient Feedback Manager for NHS Ayrshire and Arran, Quality Improvement and Governance Team, NHS Ayrshire and Arran 8 years ago
Eunice Goodwin
Patient Feedback Manager for NHS Ayrshire and Arran, Quality Improvement and Governance Team,
NHS Ayrshire and Arran

I respond initially to most of the posts and ensure they are passed to the appropriate team whether they are compliments, observations or grumbles. It is important to make sure all issues are addressed and I try to encourage that to happen for all the posts as required.

Submitted on 23/07/2015 at 18:25
Published on Care Opinion at 20:51

picture of Eunice Goodwin

Dear classylady,

I really do take your points and I agree it would have been much easier for you than sitting waiting for 1 hour and 15 mins on your 2 minute consultation. This is clearly a long time for your wife to be content sitting and waiting, considering her dementia.

I appreciate also that sometimes it is a specialist who needs to examine you because after all that is where the specialist should come into their own and this may have been the case for you.

There have been a couple of posts on a similar vein to yours and I have discussed this with one of our Senior Nurse Managers. He is keen to explore working with staff to pilot some telephone consultations (where it is appropriate to do so). It is probably a good time with rising demands on the service to fully explore and embrace different ways of working.

While this does not help you in the short term, I will certainly pass your comments to the service to take into account and hopefully, in time, we will be able to make changes in this way. I am sorry this was not easier for you and I do thank you for drawing it to our notice. It is the only way that we can find out what matters to you and how we can learn from your experience.

I hope all is well with you both

Take care,

Eunice

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