How To Get Patient Information From Hospitals - Heartlands
Discussion
My father (80) was taken into Heartlands by Ambulance on Friday night, I understand they are struggling with covid, staffing etc
But it can take 4 hours to get through to anyone to find out what's happening - surely that's not the norm / acceptable ?
Are we supposed to just wait for a call saying "He's dead" or "Collect him" ?
To be clear he doesn't (or didn't) have covid and was expected to come out on Tuesday and we just want a daily update
A doctor was supposed to call hours ago and hasn't, when I call, when I eventually get through to the Nurses station they say "hang on" and then cut me off !
Just checking if this is indeed the norm or whether (as I suspect) most hospitals have better communication - a simple online update / email / text would do
It feels like he's been kidnapped
But it can take 4 hours to get through to anyone to find out what's happening - surely that's not the norm / acceptable ?
Are we supposed to just wait for a call saying "He's dead" or "Collect him" ?
To be clear he doesn't (or didn't) have covid and was expected to come out on Tuesday and we just want a daily update
A doctor was supposed to call hours ago and hasn't, when I call, when I eventually get through to the Nurses station they say "hang on" and then cut me off !
Just checking if this is indeed the norm or whether (as I suspect) most hospitals have better communication - a simple online update / email / text would do
It feels like he's been kidnapped
Edited by KTMsm on Wednesday 24th November 15:30
sherman said:
Are you not able to visit during visiting times?
If hes on a non covid ward visiting should be allowed. Even during the early part of the pandemic I was allowed into see my dad who was having a knee replacement. I was the 1 nominated visitor allowed each day.
No visiting - Covid If hes on a non covid ward visiting should be allowed. Even during the early part of the pandemic I was allowed into see my dad who was having a knee replacement. I was the 1 nominated visitor allowed each day.
rfisher said:
Ring hospital.
Ask switch to connect you to PALS.
Explain your concerns calmly and politely.
Sit back.
Job done.
I submitted a complaint to PALS on Saturday after constantly trying for 2 hours and being told he was still in an ambulance and to call back at midnight - it took another 2 hours to get through, to be told he had been seen and was waiting for a bed and to call back the next dayAsk switch to connect you to PALS.
Explain your concerns calmly and politely.
Sit back.
Job done.
I then tried PALS - they only work Mon - Fri so I submitted a complaint online
It then took 4 hours to get though the next day - and I mean constantly being on hold or redialling
However if you think talking to PALS directly will help, I'll give it a try
I was being nice - I'm not sure if it was deliberate (I'm busy) or their system issue but I asked the main switchboard and they said it's been like this (ie a disaster) since the start of covid - you'd think by now they would have a simple daily update system in place
Edited to add I have now got through - and spoke to a Nurse and a Doctor who agreed she'd left instructions for the Nurses to call my Mum
However they are saying he's very confused and they seemed shocked when I told them he was running a business on Friday - which is what worries me about a lack of communication
KTMsm said:
sherman said:
Are you not able to visit during visiting times?
If hes on a non covid ward visiting should be allowed. Even during the early part of the pandemic I was allowed into see my dad who was having a knee replacement. I was the 1 nominated visitor allowed each day.
No visiting - Covid If hes on a non covid ward visiting should be allowed. Even during the early part of the pandemic I was allowed into see my dad who was having a knee replacement. I was the 1 nominated visitor allowed each day.
sherman said:
KTMsm said:
sherman said:
Are you not able to visit during visiting times?
If hes on a non covid ward visiting should be allowed. Even during the early part of the pandemic I was allowed into see my dad who was having a knee replacement. I was the 1 nominated visitor allowed each day.
No visiting - Covid If hes on a non covid ward visiting should be allowed. Even during the early part of the pandemic I was allowed into see my dad who was having a knee replacement. I was the 1 nominated visitor allowed each day.
He doesn't have covid - the Hospital has a blanket no visiting for anyone - due to covid
KTMsm said:
sherman said:
KTMsm said:
sherman said:
Are you not able to visit during visiting times?
If hes on a non covid ward visiting should be allowed. Even during the early part of the pandemic I was allowed into see my dad who was having a knee replacement. I was the 1 nominated visitor allowed each day.
No visiting - Covid If hes on a non covid ward visiting should be allowed. Even during the early part of the pandemic I was allowed into see my dad who was having a knee replacement. I was the 1 nominated visitor allowed each day.
He doesn't have covid - the Hospital has a blanket no visiting for anyone - due to covid
Depending on what he’s in for visiting may be technically allowed
https://www.uhb.nhs.uk/visiting/visiting-times.htm
Fwiw I’ve been in and out of Heartlands a lot recently due to family members with a penchant for breaking bones, and nobody appears to give a monkeys. I’d just turn up. The place is a hovel anyway.
https://www.uhb.nhs.uk/visiting/visiting-times.htm
Fwiw I’ve been in and out of Heartlands a lot recently due to family members with a penchant for breaking bones, and nobody appears to give a monkeys. I’d just turn up. The place is a hovel anyway.
We've checked - no visiting
I'll admit it's a lot easier one you know what ward they are on but despite having the "direct number" you still end up at a switchboard and being transferred
I have 3 direct numbers and none are direct
It's only taking around an hour now so that's progress
Is it really this bad at other hospitals ?
I'll admit it's a lot easier one you know what ward they are on but despite having the "direct number" you still end up at a switchboard and being transferred
I have 3 direct numbers and none are direct
It's only taking around an hour now so that's progress
Is it really this bad at other hospitals ?
Sounds like your hospital may be hit hard with COVID. My Mum went into Preston hospital last week for a hernia op, and we had no issues contacting them for an update, and even got a direct line to the ward she was on. She was allowed one visitor a day, with two visit slots per day allocated. Couldn’t fault the hospital or the staff at all.
Most hospital websites will have a directory listing - this is from their website.
https://hgs.uhb.nhs.uk/patient-information/contact...
Having recently retired from nursing I know first hand the absolute nightmare that communication has been due to covid.
I hope your father is better soon.
SD.
Edit - have you thought of ringing in the night? Usually after about 23:30 it gets a little less manic and the staff may have a better chance of being able to get to the phone.
https://hgs.uhb.nhs.uk/patient-information/contact...
Having recently retired from nursing I know first hand the absolute nightmare that communication has been due to covid.
I hope your father is better soon.
SD.
Edit - have you thought of ringing in the night? Usually after about 23:30 it gets a little less manic and the staff may have a better chance of being able to get to the phone.
Edited by shed driver on Thursday 25th November 10:24
To update - he's still there.
We tried calling late - that works, in that you get through to the Ward but they don't know much, we just get "he's comfortable"
The Dr (I've managed to catch once) said she's told the Nurse to call & update my Mum once a day - no calls have ever been received
I've called 4 times today "His Nurse is busy" "His Nurse is on a break" "His Nurse is on a drug round" etc common sense says it makes more sense for them to call me when they can, than for me to call them at random - particularly when it takes multiple attempts to get through
After making a complaint to PALS last Saturday, I thought I'd call and chase them up - 45 mins on hold to get through to a f
king answer machine 
No wonder they spend so much on security guards
We tried calling late - that works, in that you get through to the Ward but they don't know much, we just get "he's comfortable"
The Dr (I've managed to catch once) said she's told the Nurse to call & update my Mum once a day - no calls have ever been received
I've called 4 times today "His Nurse is busy" "His Nurse is on a break" "His Nurse is on a drug round" etc common sense says it makes more sense for them to call me when they can, than for me to call them at random - particularly when it takes multiple attempts to get through
After making a complaint to PALS last Saturday, I thought I'd call and chase them up - 45 mins on hold to get through to a f
king answer machine No wonder they spend so much on security guards
I feel your pain. My father (82) was admitted a couple of weeks back for a chest infection and getting any information out of the hospital was an absolute nightmare. It took combined calls from his care home and from all three children to eventually find out where he was and then when he was moved from on the admissions ward it took another day for us to find out. Most of the time nobody answers the phone, and when they do there was very little information given out ("oh yes, he's comfortable". But never anything useful).
The default answers are "he's being seen by the doctor, call back this afternoon" and "we're discussing his care this afternoon, call back tomorrow". But of course there is never anything useful when you do ring back.
The icing on the cake was when they eventually discharged him, after we had been asking for days when this would happen. "He's being seen by the doctor, he needs to give the go-ahead so ring back later", obviously was the answer, along with "but of course we will tell you anyway when he's being discharged." Followed by 48 hours of never answering the phone until we get a call from the care home telling us that he'd arrived back that morning.
I have no doubt that individually NHS staff are worked off their feet and doing an incredibly hard job in very trying times. But by god they don't help themselves.
Sorry, not much help there. But it felt good to get it off my chest.
The default answers are "he's being seen by the doctor, call back this afternoon" and "we're discussing his care this afternoon, call back tomorrow". But of course there is never anything useful when you do ring back.
The icing on the cake was when they eventually discharged him, after we had been asking for days when this would happen. "He's being seen by the doctor, he needs to give the go-ahead so ring back later", obviously was the answer, along with "but of course we will tell you anyway when he's being discharged." Followed by 48 hours of never answering the phone until we get a call from the care home telling us that he'd arrived back that morning.
I have no doubt that individually NHS staff are worked off their feet and doing an incredibly hard job in very trying times. But by god they don't help themselves.
Sorry, not much help there. But it felt good to get it off my chest.
It helps to know I'm not the only one !
Although I'm aware everyone at Heartlands is in the same situation
I find it hard to believe after nearly 2 years of this that the NHS hasn't got a simple spreadsheet available that could be updated daily after you input the patient's name and DOB (or similar)
The number of staff freed up from answering calls would be huge
Although I'm aware everyone at Heartlands is in the same situation
I find it hard to believe after nearly 2 years of this that the NHS hasn't got a simple spreadsheet available that could be updated daily after you input the patient's name and DOB (or similar)
The number of staff freed up from answering calls would be huge
Just had a call back from PALS - what a waste of time they are.
I contacted them 12 days ago about poor communication
They just explained that the hospital staff are busy (I know that)
I explained that to have a simple update system in place, be that text / email / phone call or to call in at a specific time, would save everyone time over the current debacle
He started wittering on about Patient confidentiality
I was told PALS were useless
I contacted them 12 days ago about poor communication
They just explained that the hospital staff are busy (I know that)
I explained that to have a simple update system in place, be that text / email / phone call or to call in at a specific time, would save everyone time over the current debacle
He started wittering on about Patient confidentiality
I was told PALS were useless
KTMsm - I'd find the names of the council of governors and email each of them, copied in to the CEO and board of directors.
List the broken promises, difficulties in making contact, numerous excuses etc. much as you have here, Explain how distressing this is to you and your family and name-drop your local MP.
Hope your Dad's OK. Good luck!
List the broken promises, difficulties in making contact, numerous excuses etc. much as you have here, Explain how distressing this is to you and your family and name-drop your local MP.
Hope your Dad's OK. Good luck!
Due to patient confidentiality there is only so much information that people are allowed to give over the phone. I understand the frustrations of getting information. Try to avoid the start and end of shifts when nurses are in handover, also drug round times (8-10, 12-2, 5-7 and 9-11).
Ask to speak to the nurse in charge and ask them about their visiting policy. Most hospitals allow one person to visit at an agreed time. Ours the patient had to be in for 2 weeks before a visit was allowed. Has your dad got a mobile phone or bedside phone?
Ask to speak to the nurse in charge and ask them about their visiting policy. Most hospitals allow one person to visit at an agreed time. Ours the patient had to be in for 2 weeks before a visit was allowed. Has your dad got a mobile phone or bedside phone?
I am grateful to the NHS as he'd have been dead in hours without them, in fact he'd have died at least 10 years ago
I also concede that many others are in a worse position than myself but I am shocked at how poor the communication is and that there isn't a simple system in place that would save everyone stress and time
It was made worse by the Ambulance staff insisting he didn't take his phone or glasses (I understand they want to minimise the chance of loss / damage)
It also doesn't help that an older patient with a UTI gets confusion as a side effect - so a lot of the time he doesn't know where he is or what's been happening
Further I can see that a busy Doctor really can't see any value in telling me what's going on - I'm unlikely to suggest a better course of treatment
I'm unsure if I mentioned it but after a few wasted hours / calls in a row I got a bit belligerent and the Nurse agreed to get a Doctor to call me directly - to my surprise, he did a few hours later, he went through what has been going on and that Dad is on the path to recovery.
I can't express how much that helped us and I am able to explain to Dad, who like us, thought he probably wasn't coming out.
I also concede that many others are in a worse position than myself but I am shocked at how poor the communication is and that there isn't a simple system in place that would save everyone stress and time
It was made worse by the Ambulance staff insisting he didn't take his phone or glasses (I understand they want to minimise the chance of loss / damage)
It also doesn't help that an older patient with a UTI gets confusion as a side effect - so a lot of the time he doesn't know where he is or what's been happening
Further I can see that a busy Doctor really can't see any value in telling me what's going on - I'm unlikely to suggest a better course of treatment
I'm unsure if I mentioned it but after a few wasted hours / calls in a row I got a bit belligerent and the Nurse agreed to get a Doctor to call me directly - to my surprise, he did a few hours later, he went through what has been going on and that Dad is on the path to recovery.
I can't express how much that helped us and I am able to explain to Dad, who like us, thought he probably wasn't coming out.
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