"Not much"

What I liked

Not much

What could be improved

My mother has been referred to Southampton General on two separate occasions in the last year and in both instances has had to resort to paying privately to obtain a satisfactory outcome.

Cataract Surgery

Following a long wait she was sent an appt for her first eye. I accompanied her for the procedure and having had much experience of quality assessing hospitals I was shocked by the following:-

Flies in the light fittings

Nurses who had conversations with patients regarding their medical and social issues infront of other patients and visitors.

Following the operation there were complications and getting anyone to provide follow up was exasperating. Nurses were rude.

My mother lives alone and with the accommodating lens in one eye this meant that she could not see properly or drive. Making her house bound. She was told she would have to wait months for her second eye. She therefore paid privately where the care was excellent. Her appt for the second eye arrived for 9 months later!

Back pain

Her second referal was for back pain. She had an MRI scan and then waited 6 months for a follow up appt. The consultant told her nothing could be done and that they did not have the authority to refer her to pain management. She sought a second opinion from a private consultant who obtained and reviewed the scan and advised her on the best next steps. She is now waiting 8 weeks for physiotherapy; goodness knows when she will get the spinal injections she needs to remobolise her. If my understanding of PCT policy is correct she will no doubt be told that this cannot be funded.

I do not believe this to be an NHS issue but more of the inability of SUHT to manage care effectively. Nursing and Admin staff need to lose the attitude that they are doing us a favour and provide a more empathetic approach and better customer service.

Anything else?

The main issue is that no one is interested in listening and waiting times are very long. Simple economics tell me that it is better to treat a condition early and therefore avoid long term expense for the NHS and in social care.