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The nurses on the ICU were very ...

Story from nhs.uk

"The nurses on the ICU were very ..."

About: The James Cook University Hospital

(as a relative),

What I liked

The nurses on the ICU were very compassionate and took excellent care of my Dad.

What could be improved

Unfortunately, the outcome of my Dad's stay at JC was not a good one - sadly he passed away on Thursday and since then, we've had such trouble with getting a death certificate issued for no reason other than errors by the clerical department and terrible communication between the departments.

First we were told it wasn't ready on Friday and that my Dad's surgeon would need to speak to us first. They didn't call (and hasn't called since - seems to be keeping his head very low). Then, someone else calls us today to speak us instead and tells us that they HAVE been ready. Then I speak to someone else who tells me that it hasn't even been written out! I call the doctor back and they says that it's 'interesting' that one hasn't been written out and said they would write one out in 15 minutes.

The matter in which this has been treated following my Dad's death is absolutely appaling and is making the grieving process much more painful and complicated than it needs to be and it's only after going back and forth between people that we've got the result we wanted and can FINALLY start making arrangements. Complete lack of sensitivty and understanding and it's disgusting.

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Responses

Response from The James Cook University Hospital 14 years ago
The James Cook University Hospital

Submitted on 22/03/2010 at 14:57
Published on nhs.uk on 23/03/2010 at 04:51

Thank you for taking the time to place your comments onto the NHS Choices website. I should like to offer my sincere condolences to you and your family at this very difficult time. I am extremely sorry your grieving process has been compounded by the unacceptable delays in your father’s death certificate being issued. It is important that the ward concerned are informed of the difficulties you have experienced in order that lessons can be learned and to improve the experiences of others in the future. However, it would be difficult for the ward to ensure that lessons have been learned without some further information from yourself. Therefore, I would like to ask you to contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service on 0800 0282451 to discuss your experience further.

The Trust is at the end stages of setting up a bereavement service which will be offered to families who have lost a relative. We hope that this will offer help and support to families with the many aspects of coping with bereavement.

Again, I would like to sincerely apologise for the difficulties you have encountered and hope that you will take up my offer of making contact with our Patient Advice and Liaison Service on the number given above.

Ms Rachel Gaffney

HEAD OF PATIENT RELATIONS

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

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