NHS & PALS

[jj4091]

Has anybody any experience of complaining to PALS about their treatment under the NHS.
Did it help do any good (move things on), or just antagonise the medical staff they were being treated by.
I know the NHS is having a hard time with COVID & lack of staff & that there are thousands in the same boat, but I really feel that I have justifiable grounds for complaint & really serious concerns about my wife's health. By the same token I do not want to make things worse for her especially when she is such an accepting soul & would not dream of complaining about anything

 

[The Samaritan]

Hi

I thought PALS was a bag of .... that was a two-faced joke.

I was wrong. Last year my OH medical scans/reports were being delayed by weeks and we left many messages with the consultant's secretary on and phone and managed to speak to her via other people but as she said she was very busy. This was when we had a few quiet months of covid

I was angry and tried PALS but assuming wrongly they were useless.
The lady I spoke to one weekday morning as promised updated me by the end of the day. She also advised me if we had not contacted by the secretary
by the next day and if she fobbed us off again to contact them again but was quietly confident.
The next morning a call from the secretary stating she post the letter first class the day before and another, follow up appt with the consult was in a few weeks - we were happy with that as we know re backlogs etc but it was the secretary that was that demonstrated dismissive behaviour.


Bottom line, I think it is who you get on de phone.
Keep it concise, keep it factual and tell them what you expect.

(I know you will but keep clam and polite as you do not ant to alienate the person that is going to help you)

So call them and take the person's name.

Thanks

Good luck.

 

[The Samaritan]

Btw - your wife is entitled to fair treatment covid or no covid. You are not asking to jump the queue etc but want her health to be taken seriously. Hopefuly once they've put your, your wifes mind at rest and got the ball rolling and keep you informed as per they should do, all will soon be forgotten once everything turns out to be good.

 

[ajohn]

The route to hospital should be through a GP. The way that works was changed a while ago but is still the same in that respect.

My wife had problems recently. Solved by me in some ways as I explained very clearly what she had been putting up with for over a month. That speeded an appointment up and a closer look in hospital followed later. Still awaiting the results - bit over a week but she does have another appointment.

The current situation though. I have heard that the NHS has appealed for more help with the covid problem and have been told it's called living with it. From there end they are treating some for covid and also some people for other things who have it. Then of course there are the staff problems which it seems includes some leaving as they have had enough.

 

[gas112]

Is PALS not investigated by the same hospital as your complaining about , its better to complain through CQC that covers it

 

[securespark]

I had a stay in hospital where I had an intracranial pressure bolt fitted and the consultant said I needed strict observations every half hour or hour, can't remember which. I was often awake when they came and the nurses came round less frequently and put multiple readings in when they did. So one may have been a genuine reading, but the others were made up.

I complained to PALS, said this was extremely unprofessional and gross misconduct.

The staff insisted they had acted correctly and nothing was done.

 

[jj4091]

The route to hospital should be through a GP. The way that works was changed a while ago but is still the same in that respect.

My wife had problems recently. Solved by me in some ways as I explained very clearly what she had been putting up with for over a month. That speeded an appointment up and a closer look in hospital followed later. Still awaiting the results - bit over a week but she does have another appointment.

The current situation though. I have heard that the NHS has appealed for more help with the covid problem and have been told it's called living with it. From there end they are treating some for covid and also some people for other things who have it. Then of course there are the staff problems which it seems includes some leaving as they have had enough.

It is the hospital system that I have concerns about, GP has been very good.

 

[jj4091]

Well I thought it would do no harm to have a telephone conversation with them. Guess what I got. A recorded message saying they were closed for training.

 

[The Samaritan]

Thank you for taking the time to update us here.

.

 

[jj4091]

Thank you for taking the time to update us here.

.

I think that is the least people can do when asking for advice or help. I find it frustrating when I try to help someone & they don't bother to respond to say my answers were helpful or not.
Just to give a further update, my wife is under 2 different medical disciplines, rheumatoid & cardiology. We had an appointment to see a specialist rheumatology nurse today & they phoned yesterday & cancelled the appointment. At 13.00 today the specialist heart failure nurse rang to ask why we had not attended the appointment we had with her. The reply was we had not been informed we had an appointment with her. It's a wonder I have any hair left.

 

[The Samaritan]

I hope you get it sorted and able to contact PALS

Good luck