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No information after my husband's surgery

Posted By helpless carer

"No information after my husband's surgery"

About: Russells Hall Hospital / Vascular surgery

(as a relative),

My husband went in this month (March 2013) and had leg angioplasty. We were told he would be in for 2 days and I adjusted my shifts at work around this information.

He had the procedure in the morning and then lay flat for around 5 hours, he was then discharged. I received a phone call at work to say come and fetch me at 4.10pm and I dashed up there to find him standing outside near the bus stops.

He said no one had discussed aftercare with him, they just asked if he had a carer for next 24 hours and that they needed the bed. He didn't know what pain relief he could take, if he could resume his normal medication, what pain/discomfort he might experience etc.

As a result I had to take him to A&E a few days later where (after a 6 hour wait) someone discussed his anxieties, advised us on correct pain relief and checked his leg. I had phoned the ward but was told to take him to GP or A&E as they don't have any follow up when a patient is discharged. My husband said it was like a conveyor belt on the day of his procedure.

My husband's pain/mobility is worse than before the procedure and we are booked in to see the GP on Monday because the vascular follow up isn't till May.

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Responses

Response from The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust 11 years ago
The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 02/04/2013 at 16:52
Published on Care Opinion on 03/04/2013 at 11:47

Thank you for taking the time to comment on your husband’s treatment at our hospital. We would like to assure you that we take all comments seriously and act on them as part of our ongoing commitment to improving patient experience.

We would like to apologise if there was some confusion over your husband’s procedure and follow up appointment. Patients should be given a patient information leaflet which explains everything about a particular procedure including how long they can expect to be in hospital and the follow up care.

Patients who have an angioplasty procedure normally go home on the same evening following about six hours of bed rest. Sometimes they are kept in overnight if a longer period of bed rest is needed. This decision cannot be made until after the procedure takes place. A follow up outpatient appointment with a vascular consultant is usually arranged for six weeks after the procedure so that progress can be monitored.

However, if you would like us to look into your concerns more fully, please contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on free phone 0800 073 0510.

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