Blackburn Royal Cockup Hospital!

[Margaret Pilkington]

When I was working there it was 2working days to let the patient know their complaint had been received, 7 working days to investigate and there had to be an outcome/meeting with the complainant in 28 working days......and all this was documented.
I know because being the Senior Sister/Ward Manager, I was involved in any complaint that was made against the unit.......sometimes the complaints and the investigations of them took priority over looking after patients......and believe me they(the management) were hot on your heels if the responses were not withing the prescribed timescales.

[Margaret Pilkington]

John I know that the NHS is not perfect, and believe me the resources are less now than when I was working, so I can imagine the pressure the staff are under.
However, all that being said, it still doesn't make it right for complaints about the service to be aired on here without the person who is complaining having followed the correct complaints procedure.

It may make the complainant feel better, but it is never ever going to address the cause of the problem...because the hospital doesn't know of this mans dissatisfaction, because he hasn't bothered to tell them.
If he had followed procedures and still not got satisfaction then he is entitled to come on here and rant about it.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

John I know that the NHS is not perfect, and believe me the resources are less now than when I was working, so I can imagine the pressure the staff are under.
However, all that being said, it still doesn't make it right for complaints about the service to be aired on here without the person who is complaining having followed the correct complaints procedure.

It may make the complainant feel better, but it is never ever going to address the cause of the problem...because the hospital doesn't know of this mans dissatisfaction, because he hasn't bothered to tell them.
If he had followed procedures and still not got satisfaction then he is entitled to come on here and rant about it.

I totally agree Margaret, I was just saying that I made a complaint and absolutely nothing happened, not letter in reply, nothing, but my beef wasn't with the ward it was about their discharge policy, where patients were removed from the ward to this departure lounge and had to wait there until my TTOs were ready, in my case I was taken to this "lounge" at 12-30 lunchtime, (before my lunch) and it was 7 minutes to seven when I got home, I was not a happy chappy I can tell you

[Margaret Pilkington]

John, it is immaterial what the complaint is about. All departments are subject to the same rules and procedures.

As I said in a previous post, some GP's will fob you off with the excuse...we haven't had the information from the hospital....in these days of electronic communication, that is, quite frankly ludicrous.

[webglynne]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

You really do need to go through the official complaints procedure.

A rant on here might make you feel better, but it does not actually get to the root cause of the problem.
If you have had problems then there is a good chance that others have experienced the same kind of thing.
The Authorites are not clairvoyant and do not know of your difficulties unless you tell them...if you don't tell them they cannot get it right for you.
You do not give them a chance...and that, my good sir is not right!

A doctor ringing up at the last minute for a patients discharge notes before he can authorise a new prescription will not alert the authorities? Do get real!

[Margaret Pilkington]

Originally Posted by webglynne

A doctor ringing up at the last minute for a patients discharge notes before he can authorise a new prescription will not alert the authorities? Do get real!

No, I don't need to get real.....it is you who needs to get real.
Do you think whoever you spoke to is going to admit any of their faults to the complaints department? I don't think so......especially if it means a boot up the backside, or worse.....the loss of their job.
It seems to me that all you want to do is carp on...you do not seem to want to address the root cause of the problem.
Unless and until, you notify the complaints department formally, they will know absolutely nothing of your difficulties because you have not told them.

If you did put a formal complaint in then at least the hospital would be able to respond...but hey perhaps you don't want the hospital to respond....maybe you just want to keep coming here and ranting on about how bad the NHS is.

[DaveinGermany]

Originally Posted by webglynne

No! I have not been to the complaints there as a G P having to call for medical notes before medication runs out should be in itself a wake up call!

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

You really do need to go through the official complaints procedure.

Originally Posted by webglynne

A doctor ringing up at the last minute for a patients discharge notes before he can authorise a new prescription will not alert the authorities? Do get real!

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Unless and until, you notify the complaints department formally, they will know absolutely nothing of your difficulties because you have not told them.

Glynne, twice you've been given the answer by someone who knows the system & twice you've admitted you've not bothered, mate if that's your attitude don't come on here griping & shouting down folk who're trying to help you. I suggest the next time you're in the bone benders you get them to give you a psychological check over, as it seems you're suffering from a lack of basic understanding ! (I do believe they've got tablets for it now.)

[Margaret Pilkington]

Thanks for your support son. Just offering basic common sense help...as the saying with horses(though, I suspect this one is a donkey) and water goes.

(and to Webglynne........there is No nepotism here...he isn't my real son...i have just adopted him)

I have finished now Webglynne...so rant on......if that is all you can do.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Thanks for your support son. Just offering basic common sense help...as the saying with horses(though, I suspect this one is a donkey) and water goes.

(and to Webglynne........there is No nepotism here...he isn't my real son...i have just adopted him)

I have finished now Webglynne...so rant on......if that is all you can do.

As you say Margaret its no good venting your spleen on here if your no prepared to try and do something about it through the right channels, I know its often said that Accy Web can move mountains, but the NHS is a little more difficult

[webglynne]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

No, I don't need to get real.....it is you who needs to get real.
Do you think whoever you spoke to is going to admit any of their faults to the complaints department? I don't think so......especially if it means a boot up the backside, or worse.....the loss of their job.
It seems to me that all you want to do is carp on...you do not seem to want to address the root cause of the problem.
Unless and until, you notify the complaints department formally, they will know absolutely nothing of your difficulties because you have not told them.

If you did put a formal complaint in then at least the hospital would be able to respond...but hey perhaps you don't want the hospital to respond....maybe you just want to keep coming here and ranting on about how bad the NHS is.

I didn’t “speak” to anyone but the pharmacy and our surgery I was never in touch with the hospital as I did not know, as clear in my report, that the release notes had not followed the patient out of the hospital until my doctors surgery told me and they would ring about that. I would expect that under such circumstances an alert would be posted and action taken to avoid any further such instance of incompetence taking place.

It should not need anyone at all making a complaint that when such things as release notes can be “mislaid” could the complaint not also be lost in a “black hole”

[Studio25]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

If you make a written complaint, then the hospital is legally obliged to follow it up within a prescribed timescale.....

But how many people are in the habit of checking up on the legal obligations of hospitals on a regular basis? It's good information to know, but most people only find out about organisations' obligations, their own rights and best course of action when they post on a public forum for advice.

That said - the advice was given 18 months ago and is still being ignored, but you see my point? I've just had a disagreement with an electrical salesperson that had to be escalated to the manager because the salesperson did not know that the retailer is responsible for newly-purchased items that don't work. Manufacturer warranty is additional to "statutory rights", and I wanted to exercise those, not follow some RMA procedure with the manufacturer.

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

...If he had followed procedures and still not got satisfaction then he is entitled to come on here and rant about it.

Where does your average Joe (or Gareth) find out about the procedure, if not from forums like this?

[Benipete]

quote: Where does your average Joe (or Gareth) find out about the procedure, if not from forums like this?

Google It.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Originally Posted by webglynne

I didn’t “speak” to anyone but the pharmacy and our surgery I was never in touch with the hospital as I did not know, as clear in my report, that the release notes had not followed the patient out of the hospital until my doctors surgery told me and they would ring about that. I would expect that under such circumstances an alert would be posted and action taken to avoid any further such instance of incompetence taking place.

It should not need anyone at all making a complaint that when such things as release notes can be “mislaid” could the complaint not also be lost in a “black hole”

I stand by my original information and advice....what you do with that is up to you....but if you aren't prepared to follow up the situation then you have no business to gripe about it on here.
Once you knew what the problem was you should have outlined your concerns, in writing to the complaints department(with a copy to the Chief Exec...that usually gets things moving), who would have then followed the prescribed protocols for dealing with the issue.
If you cannot do this for some reason, then contact PALS (Patient Advocacy and Liason Service...based at RBH) and they would help you get the issue sorted out.

Yes Studio 25, I get your drift. However I do feel it is wrong and counter productive to rant on here when the establishment in question has no knowledge of the situation, and is therefore at a disadvantage.....it cannot represent itself....it cannot answer, and worst of all it cannot investigate or resolve the issues.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by webglynne

I didn’t “speak” to anyone but the pharmacy and our surgery I was never in touch with the hospital as I did not know, as clear in my report, that the release notes had not followed the patient out of the hospital until my doctors surgery told me and they would ring about that. I would expect that under such circumstances an alert would be posted and action taken to avoid any further such instance of incompetence taking place.

It should not need anyone at all making a complaint that when such things as release notes can be “mislaid” could the complaint not also be lost in a “black hole”

Well you'll never know if you don't look into it in the correct manner will you

[cashman]

Originally Posted by webglynne

I didn’t “speak” to anyone but the pharmacy and our surgery I was never in touch with the hospital as I did not know, as clear in my report, that the release notes had not followed the patient out of the hospital until my doctors surgery told me and they would ring about that. I would expect that under such circumstances an alert would be posted and action taken to avoid any further such instance of incompetence taking place.

It should not need anyone at all making a complaint that when such things as release notes can be “mislaid” could the complaint not also be lost in a “black hole”

need or not it obviously does need someone to complain. yeh came on wi a fair gripe no question, yeh was informed how to go about things, yeh didn't seem to either like or want to follow the correct procedure, that to me is called "Biting the hand that feeds yeh" glad it wasn't me that told yeh, cos i would now be telling yeh to "Go boil yer head"