Hi everyone not been on for a while been struggling with my mental health.
Last week I contacted PALS as I hadn’t had a reply re my complaint over my treatment, they told me they would chase him again.
I left it a couple more days then I sent an email to nhs customer contact centre and also my MP.
My MP responded within 15 mins and said he had forwarded it on to nhs complaints at the hospital trust, I then got an email from PALS apologising and saying they had been chasing it but they were sending it for an official complaint.
This Monday my MP had a response with a case number, I also had an email from nhs England saying “they were so sorry to hear of my experience and treatment at the hospital and the effect it’s had on me both Physically and Emotionall which has resulted in me wanting to make a complaint.
so now I’m waiting on a reply, feel very down in the dumps and teary especially flashbacks to the angiogram which went wrong
thanks for reading
Xx
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Jenzhearts
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It is bad enough when you have to complain about poor performance within the NHS, but several times worse when you have to chase up a response to your complaint and involve your MP to help. But assuredly you have done the right thing, it's certainly what I would do and indeed have in the past (but fortunately not needed to involve my MP). But if we don't complain about poor performance it will become the norm. So you should be feeling somewhat proud of yourself for having the courage to complain and follow it up at a difficult time for you. I hope you now manage to resolve all the outstanding issues to your satisfaction as far as possible within the near future.
Hello,I have had to make several formal complaints about my care over the years.
One was because I was examined without my consent, my confirmed diagnosis disputed and my careplan throw across the room by a Consultant saying he could do what he wanted as he was a Consultant.
It took 9 months to resolve. I kept emailing them every few months and kept requesting to have a meeting with the senior medical and nursing staff.
I got the meeting, and a formal written apology from the Consultant concerned.
My motivation was that I didn't want anybody else to have the same poor experience that I had gone through.
I later learned this particular Consultant bullied his female colleagues.
I asked for another Cardiologist to take over my care.
I now have a fantastic supportive Cardiologist.
I found the whole process really challenging and I do wonder sometimes whether they deliberately drag their feet to put you off from pursuing the complaint.
I hope you are able to resolve your complaint quickly.
If you are unhappy with the outcome of your complaint you can take your complaint to the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman.
Have you discussed your flashbacks with your GP?
You may need some psychological support to help to mentally process what has happened to you.
Threw your care plan across the room..wow!! Yes he does sound like a bully.
My daughter has just said the same as you today that I need to talk to my GP.I’ve managed to get an appointment with her on the 28th, it means waiting but I’d rather wait as she is very good.
I can’t get my head around that 3 of my vessels -smaller ones are severely diseased he doesn’t dispute that or that some are completely blocked but that my pain is not cardiac related,I don’t suffer from indigestion or reflux or cramps or have trouble swallowing and my chest x ray of 6 weeks ago was clear.
I've had Doctors and Consultants down playing and dismissing my condition for years now. Physically and Mentally its Brutal and they will try and take you down a road that suits them. Good Luck and be careful. The system isn't what people think is .
Thank you Taylor, I’m fully expecting a fight,there’s 5 Consultants,3 Registrars,a couple of sisters,a few nurses and HCA,s and I’ve no doubt they will all close ranks but I’ve got the evidence of countless marks on my wrists where the attempted and then botched angiogram took place.
And the bhf are helping re my non diagnosis and I’ve brought my MP on board it was him who pushed for the formal complaint,so I feel this is the calm before the storm,il keep everyone updated.xx
I've been trying to get legal help and they will shut you out... I was told to go there by Ombudsman. Its a disgrace. It will be like the Post Office scandal. There's plenty of people with Chronic Illnesses and a like been pushed over the edge in the past 15 years... How did the BHF help?
I told them about my cardiac mri not showing my Microvascular vessels and they told me it’s known that the scan doesn’t show them often,and when I told them about my botched angiogram where )4 diff wires got stuck they said it sounded like I was having artery spasms and they emailed me info on that.they are really good, always put your mind at rest and although they won’t get involved in complaints etc they give you the facts which I’ve included in my email and my GP included in her letter asking for a 2nd opinion.there’s a group I know of that could help if you want il pm you the details? Xx
Hi, I'm sorry to hear the situation you are in and want to say well done you for making the complaint and sticking with it.
Without going into detail I'm now into the 4th month of my official complaint with the hospital I had my triple bypass with.
My experience so far is my complaint is being down played and I have received written comments which categorically contradict the events I experienced and reported.
Each time I have gone over the situation with PALS, the Matron of the ward, various managers and a member of the governance team my recall of events has never changed.
The upshot now is I have a 7 page letter again detailing those events, disputing what is being said and clearly stating what I expect to achieve and gain from my complaint. I will present this when I have a face to face meeting with a senior member of the governance team on the 20th.
We each have the right to expect to feel safe guarded by the people we put our trust in and should not have to put up with bad behaviour or disrespect.
I fully understand your frustration!! I felt I was driven to complain due to my total frustration with the communication between cardiologist/surgeon and myself - I felt PALS did what they could but nothing happened until I made it a formal complaint. However the cardiologist did not seem to acknowledge my feelings and how felt abandoned/forgotten - the other issue is how consultants remain rather difficult to engage.Just wishing you good luck and hang in there.
Hi Jez, You are quite right to make a complaint. Way back when we had a PPG at our practice, we received a complaint from a patient about the poor treatment of her little boy at our local hospital. Apparently a doctor had told her, that the way her GP had diagnosed the problem was wrong, and that he was obviously out of date. We advised her to complain, which she did, but the response was very negative. As chair of the PPG I asked for a meeting with the Chief Medical Officer at the hospital. Along with our secretary and the complainant, we attended the meeting. It was a formal meeting and to our surprise it was recorded. The outcome was a reprimand for the hospital doctor concerned, followed up by a promise to look at how doctors treat their patients. The CMO said, we make fantastic Doctors., but we don't always teach them how to speak to patients. The GP concerned was the most qualified doctor in our area, and he was very upset by the comments from the hospital doctor. Eventually when the boy was seen again at the hospital, our GPs diagnosis and treatment was upheld. Result.
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