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"Too much information for my mother to read"

About: Devon Access and Referral Team (DART)

(as a carer),

I care for my 85 year old mother who has recently been sent some information regarding making an appointment through DART.

The problem being that when it came, it was at least 6 sides of A4 paperwork which has just overwhelmed her. She just cannot read all of the information and understand it. She only needs the number to call to make an appointment.

There was literature in it about giving up smoking, healthy eating and healthy lifestyle tips etc. It must have cost a lot of money to send all of this paperwork out, especially if it goes out to every patient. This is such a waste of money and time on behalf of the staff that have to collate all of this.

By the time that I have got to reading page four, I had given up the will to live. Why such a waste of time and money in sending out all of this information?

It mentions that online bookings for appointments are not available and to telephone the number but it takes a long time to get through.

It is just too much an an elderly lady to read and understand. I would appreciate your comments on this.

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Responses

Response from Susan Pearce, Project Support Manager, DART (Devon Access & Referral Team), NHS Devon 13 years ago
We have made a change
Susan Pearce
Project Support Manager, DART (Devon Access & Referral Team),
NHS Devon

Information support, communications and patient involvement for DART

Submitted on 21/06/2010 at 10:57
Published on Care Opinion at 01:00


Dear ‘Narrator402’,

Thank you for contacting us with your feedback, we’re always happy to hear how things appear from a patient’s point of view so that we can try to improve our service.

I can advise that we have recently revised the leaflet that is sent out to patients on our behalf so hopefully the new version is more suitable.

However, from the detail you’ve given, I am unsure if the information you refer to is all from us or some has been added by your Mother’s GP surgery (who would have been the one’s to post this out to her). If you are willing, I’d be grateful if you could tell me which surgery she is registered with and I can then call them to check what they are sending out to people. If they are adding leaflets I can then pass your comments on to them.

Kind regards,

Susan

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