Healthcare at Home issues- anyone else having a bad experience with these people

Hi Poppy, yes I use this "service" for my Cimzia injections. Initially I had to keep on chasing them up for the delivery, then when it finally arrived waited ages for a nurse to contact me, had to keep chasing that up as well.

However, they appear to be a bit better now. When my first delivery was almost finished they called me ready to arrange the next one which arrived with no hassle so maybe it's just the initial set up they seem to have major problems with.

Haven't used their support helpline yet.

Hope you get yours sorted very soon, there's nothing worse than having to keep chasing up when all you want to do is get on with the meds!! Xx

They provide my injections too and I've had no problems at all. Deliveries are always spot on time, they phone when they say they will, and I get text reminders, and when my mum was ill they shifted the delivery to her address to save me having to travel 100 miles to come back to collect it. They are also good at checking that I have everything I need, and the nurse that provided the initial training was really, really helpful. So my experience has been all good. So sorry to hear that you haven't had a similar experience. Polly

Hi Poppy

Sorry to hear of your bad experience - it will get better I am sure.

I started with Healthcare at home in Jan 2009 and I have had no problems at all. The nurse came out 3 times to show me how to do my injection, the first time to my Mums address as I was recovering from an operation - I couldn't have my mtx on that occasion as I was on antibiotics but there was no problem about having to fit an extra visit in. I have had 2 deliveries made so late that I have missed a dose, but they rang me to say they had not had the prescription through from the hospital and kept me informed of their efforts to chivvy the hospital along.

If you have any queries about whether to take your medication, you can ask to speak to one of their pharmacists who are more specialised than the local pharmacists. Alternatively the pharmacists at the hospital where you see your Rheumatologist are always happy to advise you.

Hope it all gets sorted out soon.

Liz

Hi Poppy,

I'm so sorry about your hassles - last thing you need when dealing with such important drugs.

Like others i'm happy to report a similar efficient, helpful service. They even coped well with a recent change of address and area which meant a different funding / round etc.

I have found the helpline helpful but must admit I ring my rheumy nurse if it is a specific dosage question.

My set up was a few years ago now, and was fine, but as someone else said hopefully they are having temporary problems with that and once sorted all will run smoothly.

Take care

Alison

Hello Poppy - Healthcare at Home have provided a good service to me to date but recently I have been advised that due to supply problems at Pfizer the pattern of delivery of my enbrel may change. The system in this area seems to be that the hospital/rheumatology nurse (RN) has to give the OK for the prescription and in the past I have had to ring RN to sort out a hitch. If you have a RN maybe she/he could help. Hope it is all sorted soon. Jude

Hi Poppy

Sorry to hear you are having issues with healthcare at home.

I started getting deliveries for about eight years.I didn't have to chase them up, they rang me and a nurse came and showed me how to do the injection.

Since then they have ring up each month to confirm the delivery date, which is always every four weeks on a Monday.

I check on a Friday evening on line and they give me a two hour time slot.

I hope the service improves for you.

I have used this service since Jan 2008 and have never had a problem. I don't have a nurse with them as I was taught by the rheumy dept at QA Hosp in Portsmouth but I have spoken to their pharmacist on a couple of issues as it was quicker than getting help from QA. I am really happy with the service I am getting and I hope your service improves soon..

I have used this service for 7 years. They have changed my delivery address, at my request, 6 times. I have only ever had one delivery problem, which was when the country was covered in snow. That day they delivered in the evening after my husband pointed out I needed the injections the next day! They contacted me to tell me I needed a blood test for a repeat prescription. I really can't complain about the service, so I hope it gets better for you!

I am quite new to this (6 injections). I am happy with the service and they have had to alter the delivery date and given me extra pens as I went away for a short while and they gave me very good advice about carrying the injections whilst flying. So far a big thumbs up. Hope yours gets sorted soon.

I had a delivery this week, comes eight weekly. The delivery driver was upset, said the company has been bought out by American company and the whole of the staff are being made redundant, and massive changes were ahead for patients, whatever that means I do not know but does not sound good. Presumably I shall get told before next delivery what the new arrangements will be. I personally cannot understand why I cannot get my MTX injections from my own GP, they have their own pharmacy, after all, my GP works with my Rheumy in looking after me, I have my bloods checked by GP, it seems an extra expense for already stretched NHS. The depot the driver worked out of is at least 50 miles from me, it cannot be cost effective, and also sometimes in the past the drugs have been two or three weeks overdue, and I wonder to myself if the NHS have been paying for drugs not actually received by the patient, I suspect this may be the case.

I must say though, the drivers have always been marvellous, always on time in all weathers considering they have to travel such distance and we live in deepest countryside. Lynda

Just thought I'd let you know that my GP is allowed to prescribe my MTX (in injection form) on the authority of my consultant - they have a joint care or shared care - sorry I can't remember the exact term - agreement in place so that my GP can prescribe (by repeat prescription request) as long as I keep up to date with my blood tests and the results of those tests are fine. I get a months supply at a time in this way from my GP and I collect them from the pharmacy at the GP. MTX jabs don't need to be kept chilled so it seems odd to have this arrangement in place if you are able to get to a pharmacist yourself.... Our's not to reason why though I suppose! Your consultant must have their reasons. xx

I've usually had very good service from them. They ring me a couple of weeks in advance to check how many Enbrel pens I have left and then let me know the date they will deliver. I go on line in the morning to check my delivery times (usually I am almost first on the driver's list) so i don't have to wait in half the day. The only time I had trouble was when I was changed from Humira to Enbrel. The hospital said they had notified Healthcare at Home, they denied receiving any notification, I got mad, rang the hospital and told them to get their finger out immediately and it worked! Eventually everyone did tell the truth which was the hospital had not notified them of the change over of the drug but once that was sorted out no further problems. They also changed my delivery day from a Monday to a Wednesday at my request because of work issues. LavendarLady x

Hi I have to say as a newbie to Cimzia I am not overly impressed with healthcare at home unfortunately .... I had to wait 6 weeks for the whole thing to be set up but had my first loading injections it was ok and the nurse was nice , they phoned me the same day later on to see if I was ok ( they are supposed to do this ) . 2 weeks later however when 2nd lot was due I had a call saying there was no nurse available to some out to me and I had to wait a few days ! Eventually another nurse came I told her I had a slight reaction to the first session , anyway did the injections had to question the prescription as it had been typed up incorrectly and said I only needed 2 loading doses when actually the hosp had requested 3 and even though I'd had a reaction the first time they didnt bother phoning me after 2nd to see if all ok ?! I'll be doing the injections without a nurse next time but have to say don't feel like I got off to a good start with these people and don't feel overly confident which is why I'm so grateful for all the advice you people give me ..... Thank you C x

Hi Everyone, thank you so much for the positive comments-- I guess I am going to put this down to initial teething problems. I was with Medco and they were just amazing......so it was quite a shock to find the people I have spoken to have not filled me with confidence.. I am not happy about my drugs being delivered by The Post office and if I am not in then the drugs will be left at the collection depot which I cannot actually get until 24hrs have passed. I spoke with my local pharmacy this morning and I am going to arrange delivery there, if I am not in. Least that way I will know it is in a fridge and being taken care of

Ah well tomorrow is another day....

stay warm and comfortable

I would contact your hospital about drugs being delivered by PO as the drugs should be delivered from a chilled van, and on the day specified, that you agree with HCH when they contact you about your next delivery, they will deliver to you at your place of work if required. HCH deliver mine and I was informed from the hospital that it would be via a chilled van which is why this system was set up in the first place.

Thanks Georje, that was my reaction when they told me. I could not believe they were telling me that and I questioned it with three different people. I was horrified that they thought it would be fine for the drugs to sit in a PO collecting depot till I could collect....was so upset on Thursday. I have an appt with my rheum. nurse on wednesday and will tell her for sure. As far as I can see there is no need for a delivery service if it can be sent by post. And i know from everything I have been told that it needs to be a qualified courier. Thank you for making me feel better about my questioning....was thinking I must be the worst patient in the world causing so many problems

Poppy

Today's update- healthcare at home are delivering via the Royal Mail, my biologics. I have to be at home all day because they have no idea of the delivery time...so I guess my next question will be why do we actually need a delivery service when the pharmaceutical company could just send direct. Give up....shaking head....will check with the hospital on Wenesday

I have had Healthcare at Home deliver Embrel pens to me for 3 years and i have to say that i cannot fault this company. As others above, they regularly ring to check how many pens i have left and i get a delivery routinely and always on time. They are friendly and helpful. I am now due to receive MTX by injection form, with a nurse to show me how to inject initially, so hope that i continue to have the same service as i have done over the last 3 years. Sorry your experience not so good, hopefully it will settle down soon. TTx

I had problems at first with my delivery of anti-TNF. The hospital insisted that they had sent a prescription to Healthcare at Home and HaH were saying they had chased one up but never received it. I started to chase the prescriptions up myself for a while by phoning the hospital a week or so before my delivery was due to check they had sent through the prescription.

It settled down after a few months and since then I have had no problems at all.

As to only one day for delivery - my day was Thursday but when I was unable to be in for a couple of Thursdays they told me that actually they could deliver on any day if necessary. I live in a large town so it may be different if you live in the countryside.

You should have a `customer number' and phone numbers to ring. I have phoned them at times to check when my next delivery will as I thought I may be on holiday and they were very helpful.

Hope you get everything sorted soon.

Jo

Hi Jo,

I too live in a fairly populated area.....yes they can deliver every day but it is is the Post Office if not on your delivery day. I am hoping this is going to be the same as yourself and it will settle down over the next few months......today I find myself not caring how it gets to me just as long as it does. Maybe that is just all the fight has gone out of me

Hope your day is good

Poppy

I have had Healthcare at Home deliver on other days to my allocated day. It did not come through the post office. Maybe as I live in the (I think) the 5th largest city in England.

Just received my latest supply of enbrel, a week later than expected. I had tried to phone up to arrange delivery but could not get through on the phone so resorted to email. The email back stated that I would get my delivery today, so I thought "great, sorted". However my delivery turned up with just one injection and a comment about a temporary change to the supply. Looks like I will be stuck on the phone again next week to try to arrange another delivery.

I'd never had a problem with it until very recently. HAH advised me that they couldn't isolate slots to morning or afternoon anymore about 2 months ago, as if I didn't have a life or work to do, so was free for the 10 hour slot. They used to speak with me directly: I welcome this, as Enbrel's a mightily powerful drug that needs monitoring, and someone ought to be thinking about whether I'm stockpiling them in the fridge for an anti-tnf meltdown. I received the same crappy letter enclosed as Jewels94, but didn't have a change to the supply anyway. They may have sent it out just to entertain us. All I've had today is a voicemail message saying that they will deliver next Thursday, not asking about current supply. Needing a new sharps box, unless I take a shoe-horn to the existing one, I called to say that next Thursday would be OK, as I have no life, but will need a new sharps box. After 30 minutes on hold with my hair turning grey, I gave up and put the phone down. Please, no one tell me to email these people. The last one I received addressed me as 'Dame' and gave me full gratuities associated with the honour; it wasn't just a typo, they'd screwed up and given me the title.

I am having a terrible time with them too used to have them deliver my enbrel and they were useless (always forgetting to chase my prescriptions and not lettign me know so that my deliveries were late) and then I switched injections to Golimumab and therefore changed to MedCo who were a million times better. Unfortunately now the NHS have switched Golimumab contracts back to Healthcare at Home and I am stuck with them again. First injection and they have already messed up! Didn't chase my prescription properly and couldn't be bothered to let me know until I called to find out where my delivery was, I am now due to inject tomorrow and still no word of a delivery time. also tried calling them to sort it out and was on hold to get through for half an hour both times before giving up! Have tried emailing with no response. they are apalling. This isn't customer service for products - it is my health and wellfare. I am disgusted. I don't even know who to complain to. they didn't even have my injection date recorded on their system and had a note to call me after that date to chase me for a delivery date, not great since it would be after my injection date! I despair!

Hi!

I am having great difficulty getting a delivery since a new prescription was issued on 23rd Nov. I have had two delivery slots both failed. The last one is recorded as a successful delivery. Magic???

I have already missed 1 Enbrel injection and it will shortly be two, am chasing it all up at the moment. Up to the present time I have had an efficient service don't know yet what has gone wrong.

If you wish to complain you could start by asking your rheumatology nurse to help.

Good luck. I'll update on this if I get further info.

I have already spoken with my rheum. Nurse......did that last month! They are not the ones who make the decisions regarding delivery ......I will be complaining very loudly very shortly. Stay in touch ...let me know how you get on

PG123456-I am sorry to hear this....I was hoping I was an isolated incident. I had Medco like you before and they were amazing.......this is a very unprofessional people working in a delivery call centre who do not care that they are dealing with people's health. I had to change last month to them and it was horrendous........and am now still waiting for them to cal me to arrange their second delivery....as you can imagine I am not holding my breathe and am dreading making that phone call later today for my next injection. Unfortunately you and I require a monthly delivery. I have spoken with my local pharmacist and arranged delivery there when I am at work... As for complaining Medco told me to ask for a supervisor and then put complaint in writing, copying my GP and rheumatology team.

Hope it gets better

I just cannot face even trying to get a hold of them today.......actually I am not even sure I have the number! What a numpty....and no I do not have a welcome pack ....only a letter from Medco saying delivery was changing to HC.....what is the main number please? X

Hi!

The address and phone number below is the main number for deliveries but when I tried I couldn't get through they are having some difficulty with the phone. I contacted them on the Featherstone number.

They have a website for which I have included a link address below.

google.co.uk/#q=healthcare+...

They also operate a delivery checker but it only works from about 8:00pm the day before your delivery is due, and gives you a two hour time slot.

To be fair my drugs have been supplied by this company for about four years and the service has been very good, but I think something may have gone wrong. They are delivering tomorrow for the third time, perhaps it will be third time lucky.

Healthcare at Home

Burton-on-Trent

Fifth Avenue, Centrum 100, Burton upon Trent, East Staffordshire DE14 2WS t. 0870 600 1540

Healthcare at Home

Featherstone

Junction Close, Green Lane Industrial Park, Featherstone, West Yorkshire WF7 6ER t. 0870 2400 518

Healthcare At Home

Bristol

1-5 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol, Avon BS8 1NU

0117 970 7800

Good luck with it.

I had a delivery about 4 wks ago and the driver, from Burton depot said they were all being made redundant that week as the company had been taken over. He told me he had not got a clue what was going to happen, and he did not care cos he was finishing two days later !! He did not know who had taken over, it was a big secret but thought they were American. I have heard nothing since, they wld normally be ringing me to arrange next delivery. Lynda x

Dear Lynda

I was concerned when I read this post as the information the driver gave you was incorrect. Healthcare at Home is transferring transport and warehousing operations to a healthcare logistics expert, Movianto UK. All drivers are transferring to Movianto under TUPE regulations and are not being made redundant. Patient focus and the highest standard of patient care remains our number one priority.

Kind regards

Jo

Hello Jo, well my driver was very upset, said he was leaving the company and would be out of work. By the way, my drivers were always excellent, got to me in all weathers and I live in a remote spot! Let's hope things get sorted out quickly and we the patients do not suffer. Lynda

Hi Lynda

I'm glad that you have had good service from our drivers, especially as you are in a remote location. As all drivers are transferring to Movianto, in many cases there will be no change to regular driver, although of course we cannot guarantee this. Movianto will continue to use unmarked vehicles and packaging for HaH patient deliveries as well as training any additional drivers, ensuring they maintain the discretion our patients have come to expect.

Regards

Jo

Dear Lynda, your email reply here is not altogether true now is it. I am on the receiving end of your newly rearranged company and have been without medication for a fortnight. If patient focus is still your number one priority why is this so. Is your company going to pay my phone bill for all these expensive 0854 calls to try to arrange a delivery. Movianto and healthcare at home are failing to meet their contractual agreements by leaving me without medication. Perhaps you would like to reword your email in light of all the let down and distressed patients, living with pain due to your companies recent re organisation.

Very upset regards

Mall

And I am still waiting for a reply to my email!! Really is there any point

Hi Scouser, just a thought re HaH, are they still being paid by NHS for our drugs, even when many of us patients are going well beyond our due delivery dates, because if they are, then they are onto a good thing, these drugs are very expensive, they are being paid and we are not getting supplies, very lucrative. My rheumy dept. have never once asked me if I am receiving my supplies at the allotted time spans so they MUST be paying for drugs not received by patients. Times that by all patients across UK, = a mega sum of money!! Lynda x

I work for HaH...

Some comments on this forum sadden me. I have been with the company for many years and have always enjoyed my job. I knew the patient came first and their care was priority. Unfortunately, over the last few months a significant number of changes have been made, non of which we believe are for the benefit of either the patients or staff.

There are redundancies and several resignations a week so you can see why you can't get through on the phone.

Everyday is a nightmare. We finish our working day physically and mentally drained after 8 hours of taking complaint after complaint and not actually being able to do what we are there for.... Deliver excellent customer service and look after our patients!

Believe me, it upsets us as much as it does you that people are being so terribly neglected.

We are assured that things will pick up very soon, but at what cost? I imagine many contracts will be lost, and hard working dedicated staff of years will have left for a job where they will be respected and treated fairly.

I ask you... When you eventually get through on the phone line, don't shout at the poor person who answers the phone. We are doing our best, but with resource dwindling by the day, I feel we are fighting a loosing battle.

Hi Anon, believe me I have never shouted at any person at the other end of a phone. consider that disrespectful and rude...I do appreciate it is not the fault of the call handler however HAH were just awarded the contract for this drug ....I have no idea who my nurse is, indeed do I have one allocated to me, no welcome pack and absolutely no support! that is not simply due to low staffing levels...that is incompetence

I feel for you and your conditions of employment, you can always try to get another job or position ....I unfortunately am stuck with RA and cannot leave it behind at the end of the working day

I hope for yourself and all of the patients who rely on this outsourced service that things improve quickly. In saying all of that, I am certain there is a huge percentage of people who are looked after very well.

What would be really good is if someone from HAH could contact us individually and hear our stories and reassure us that it will get better

I would be more than happy to have the first conversation.....as both a patient and care giver myself I see and know both sides very well

Please feel free to PM me and I hope your day is better tomorrow

Penny

I can honestly say the call centre staff I have been in contact with at Healthcare at Home have always been good, and as I once worked in a call centre myself i absolutely know the grief they have to endure from customers. Also the drivers have been amazing, I live in a very rural area and they have always arrived in all weathers so no problems there, my problem is the distance between deliveries getting extended every time so I have been running out of medication so what you have explained must be the reason for this. As you say, contracts will be lost together with jobs and ultimately we the patients will suffer because we are at the end of the supply chain. A very sad situation for everyone. Lynda x

That's the worst thing about it Poppy. Some of us DO care and know you are not just a number or 'just another phone call' I wish you could leave your RA at the end of the day too, and it pains me that we are not helping you in your time of need. I'm sure all this stress does not help your condition.

I would suggest you get in touch with your consultant. Nothing is going to change unless things come from higher up. They do not listen to us mere mortals. Please just know, that behind the scenes we are busting a gut and working as much overtime as possible to get this under control.

I have nothing positive to say for the company at the moment, I am looking for alternative employment and can't wait to hand my notice in.

Unfortunately with that, I lose my patients who I have cared for for years. I dread what the future holds....

I know that you care...

Dear Poppy

We're sorry to hear that you're having trouble getting through to our service team. We're experiencing a particularly high demand as we work with our patients to prepare for Christmas and New Year. We like to take the time to speak to everyone individually, which may mean that it takes you a bit longer to get through to us than normal. We are working round the clock to get through all the calls we're receiving and to make sure our patients have what they need and when they need it. You can always send your query through to us by email on hahenquiries@hah.co.uk.

Thank you for taking the time to reply and I appreciate that. However this is nothing to do with the Christmas period...if you read back the posting this started over a month ago, and as yet I have not been allocated a nurse, nor a welcome pack, so the contact telephone number I had two days ago was for from someone on this site who uses yourselves and the email I have just got from you just now. I will email...can you give me a name that I can address to please. Probably better if you PM as I think this is a matter between ourselves rather the public forum, however that said if it were not for the public forum you would not have been in touch

Hi Poppy, I will send some details over now.

Hi Scouser

The hahenquiries@hah.co.uk email is a general Customer Services address which is also on our website. Emails sent to this address are allocated to teams accordingly, depending on therapy area. The email address I sent you is specific to the RA team. Apologies for any confusion this may have caused.

Regards

Jo

Hi Jo,

Have just had my email responded to with " an out of office response". This really does instil confidence....

Hi Poppy. This is an auto-response message which details the opening hours of the department. I can confirm, as per the message that the teams are there until 6pm this evening.

Regards

Jo

I've asked the team to update the wording in the auto-response message to remove the words "out of office" from the subject line, as it's causing this confusion.

Thanks

Jo

Laughing- we must have spoken with the same person....I was also told they should have called me lat week to arrange delivery, which they had gone ahead and arranged without confirming with me or even having taken note of the conversation last month so it was actually going to be going to the wrong address. Scouser you remember the state I was in last month trying to get a delivery sorted out....took days and it was a prescription issue also....yet Medco and the hospital were telling me everything was in order. And I totally agree this does affect the very disease we are trying to control....I absolutely dread having to phone and I will have to do it again before Christmas for my January delivery .this is simply not an acceptable standard of service.

Hi Scouser - I will PM you now

I have reported my problems via email to my hospital nurse, and told her exactly what has been happening with us all and what the delivery guys have told me, her reply was that she would be looking into this.

I received a delivery on Tuesday expecting a travel bin replacement and ended up with my main bin replacement, he was not going to take my old one, (main), away if it was not full, as he said 'you lot don't completely fill them up'. When I showed him mine he said 'oh well you could get a few more in but I will take it'. My response was yes but only four, as I was going to request a new bin next time. I handed him my travel bin which he shook and said only one, couldn't you have put it in the main one! Then twisted the top and undid it and made me put the empty cartridge and swabs in the main bin before shutting it up. And told me to keep doing this with my travel bin.

I was thoroughly disgusted with him and his attitude, normally the guys I have had are lovely considerate people but not this one. It's as though he was doing me a favour and having to pay for the trouble out of his own pocket.

After no problems for over 2 years....I have waited in at home, over the last 2 weeks for my husband's Humira injections to be delivered. He is now nearly 2 weeks overdue, with these essential meds. They have failed 4 times to arrive on rescheduled deliveries (which my husband has had to initiate). They have not made contact with us to explain why they haven't turned up or have they contacted us to apologise or even rearrange, we have had to call them. They provide an expensive 0870 phone number for their customers and their NHS clients to use, although I have since tracked an 0800 number. My husband rang them from work, and each time has not been able to get through until late afternoon. The staff who answer the phone clearly have no idea why the deliveries are not made and seem powerless to get someone more senior to deal with the call. We have also emailed with a copy to my husband's consultant. This email was also ignored. The Healthcare at Home coordinator, a staff member at the hospital has now heard from me and is trying to make contact with the company who have also ignored her calls. We are one of many patients that are experiencing problems. It is up to the pharmaceutical companies who apparently employ this organisation to ensure they can deliver or cancel the contract and pay more to a company who can (I expect this is what it is about). Meanwhile people are without essential meds,which can be life changing..this will put more pressure on the NHS and their patients. What is happening to the medication that is not being delivered that is what we would like to know? Who has it and is it being stored at the correct temperature? Why are healthcare at Home unaware that patients don't have their medication if it is not leaving the depot?

Hi Catlady, I agree with all you have said and am so saddened that you still do not have your husband's medication....mine is due to be delivered on Monday...am not holding my breath. I emailed them today, following on from HaH.Comm's postings.............as yet no reply. There is something majorly going wrong here and I just hate being spun a yarn....and I am certain that the employees of the company care, and i know they are working under huge pressure.......the reality of that is I do not care, the company said they could provide a service and are failing some of us and that simply is not acceptable

Please stay warm and try not to get too stressed

P x

Update after 4 no shows with this medication. This afternoon (6/12) my husband has telephoned yet again to find out where it is & why it hasn't arrived. Last 'arrangement' was supposed to be to his work between 10am-12 as they couldn't manage to turn up for home deliveries on days they'd specified!! He has been phoned back this afternoon after he called them, and been told they arrived to deliver at my home at 3pm?! Sadly I have been at home, in my lounge over-looking the front of the house and street door, all day.. studying....so now Healthcare at Home blatantly lie to customers as well as failing to deliver their medication

Hi Poppylady

I hope your meds arrive on Monday .. my husband has now been told his will be arriving at home around 7pm tonight, but hey wait I see a flock of pink flying pigs clutching a 'Healthcare at Home' bag! It would be funny, if it wasn't involving people's quality of life and well being. I am just hoping the company don't go under, taking all the NHS stock with them, leaving patients overdue jabs and in pain..I read the anon reply you had from a member of H@H staff! I'm not even sure in the long term how long it is OK to go without the drug before his health regresses. The girl in the rheumatology dept at the hospital, responsible for H@H seemed to be at a loss and was basically trying the same number as us.She wasn't a medical member of staff. I told her to inform her consultants! She also spoke of someone who hadn't had a nurse turn up to teach how to administer the drugs although the patient had meds! So not just problems with van drivers, She really needs to go higher and speak to her own senior managers for help, which I was kind of suggesting, but was tricky, without telling her her job and the obvious.

Hi!

I have just received my medication after great difficulty (too long a tale to tell). I am two weeks behind so am hoping there will be no ill effects. My Rheumatology support is aware of the situation and have helped me achieve this result.

Hope your issues soon get resolved

PG

It is 5 minutes to midnight and my husband's medication has just (finally) turned up He insisted they send it by private courier. After dealing with the same member of staff all day she eventually got permission from management to authorise a private delivery company, as he is so behind with his injections, because of their no shows. The courier had driven from the Midlands to us, in Surrey. What is going on with Health care at Home???

Oh Catlady this is horrendous- I hope you both had a decent nights sleep....and this stress being caused does make the RA any worse. Stating the obvious here---you have documented all this and made compliants to the company

virtual hugs being sent

P

Hi Poppylady, the thing is, it's here which is the main thing...Not sure we'll have the energy for such a struggle if it keeps happening. Life is stressful enough without having to fight for medication. Hope yours arrives without a hiccup! Thanks for the hugs

Dear catlady1 and pg123456

We're very glad to hear that your medication has finally arrived. The team have been working round the clock to clear the backlog and we're aware of some of the difficulties this has caused people. Whilst you've had a poor experience, for which we're very sorry, I'm pleased to say that the overwhelming majority of our patients have continued to get their usual good service. If you'd like to pass on any feedback to us, then please email us at hahenquiries@hah.co.uk.

Sadly I am also having terrible problems with HaH delivering.... The only number that answered yesterday was the pharmacy and I have not had any reply to 2 emails... Two days now wasted waiting in and the MTX hasn't even left them yet...

I also have had a nightmare with hah unable to get through on the phone emails are not answered .only rang me when nhs staff rang them they must have another number. I have now missed one humira injection and still no delivery date. Awful service. This company is messing with peoples health.

At last my delivery has just arrived by courier at 9pm, after the 3rd time the hospital contacted them .My next delivery is

due and I will be having them dispensed from the hospital pharmacy as hah are totally disorganised

My sons humira delivery is now four weeks late. It was due the Friday before Christmas, he waited in all day and it didn't arrive. Since then he's rung repeatedly and also emailed the link that HAH keep putting on this thread. But, he's not had an answer. When he finally got through on the phone this Monday they said it would be delivered today, but I think you can guess what happened.

Who knows who we can complain to? CQC? NHS England?

Hi Poppy,

I have been receiving medication from HAH since February 2009 and they have been BRILLIANT but my experience over the past 24 hours has left me very unsettled. I normally get a delivery every 8 weeks and it has gone like clockwork but my last delivery was split due to a lack of supplies from manufacturers (according to them) so I was due the second part today. I went online last night to check my 2 hour window of delivery and it appeared I was not due one which left me slightly panicked as I had only one injection left. I emailed the lady I have dealt with from the start last night and received an out of office hours reply which she always activates on a Friday afternoon and I expected a reply by 9am this morning because she if very efficient, reliable and helpful so by 10 when I hadn't heard anything bells started ringing. I checked her out of office reply and it said to send queries to another person (I didn't notice this last night) so I duly forwarded my email and received an automated reply from: Rheumatology Osteoporosis Customer Services (whom I've never heard of) telling me the office hours of HAH and absolutely nothing else which I found worrying but just then my injections were delivered so I was slightly placated though still things didn't feel right. I had a phone call this afternoon from a young lady responding to my email (so why not just reply to the email)? She stated the reason I was unable to see my delivery slot was because they are not using HAH vans and the vans they are using don't have this facility which is nonsense as the information is input the night before and is not in real time so has nothing to do with the van it simply gives you a 2 hour window of when to expect your delivery. She told me I would get a phone call in a few weeks about my next delivery.

Up until today I have done everything by email with a lady called Vivienne Grimmer who is/was fantastic at sorting out any issues via email (I hope she doesn't mind me putting her name here but I want to give credit where it is due and I will be very unhappy if she is no longer my point of contact) and it all went like clockwork it now just feels something is not right - there have been more issues for me in the past 24 hours than there have in the past nearly 5 years.

I hope things improve for you but I have a deep sense of foreboding.

I hope I am wrong!

Hi Peggysboy

Thank you for your response on this thread. We have been in touch with Healthcare at Home about these issues and if you look at the 'posts' section you will see a 'pinned post' on the right hand side from me, which has a link to a statement from them, which might be of interest.

In addition to this, they have contacted me about your specific post and asked if I could send you the following response from them:

"We are very sorry to hear about the problems you have encountered with your last delivery. It is certainly true that a worldwide supply issue of your medication caused deliveries to be split and meant that we have had to make additional deliveries as and when stock has been received from the manufacturer. This issue has caused a significant increase in the number of deliveries needed across the UK, which has sadly caused some disruption to patients. This in turn has given rise to an increased number of queries in to our Customer Services team. We can confirm that Vivienne is still working for Healthcare at Home, however she is on leave at the moment. Please accept our sincerest apologies for any inconvenience and anxiety this issue has caused and thank you for taking the time to bring this issue to our attention via this forum. We are working really hard to get our service back to normal and we truly hope that you will see this by the time of your next scheduled delivery."

I hope this offers you some reassurance.

Kind regards

Victoria

(NRAS Helpline)

I used to get my Methotrexate from a company called Central Home Care Ltd. They also arranged for removal of my sharps box. They were usually very good, but occasionally I had to ring them as they's forgotten my next supply was due. My rheumy arranged it all.

Hi Poppy, yes it seems a lot of people are having similar problems including myself, my previous company provided a much better service but they stopped working with the NHS

HAH now appear to be getting their act together more mind so lets hope they keep it up

Good luck

Sue x

The certainly are atrocious am still waiting for them to respond to my complaints made in December and January.

Their appears to be no official complaints procedure!!

I'm now officially joining the ranks of the disgruntled. 3 hours since the end of my 2 hour delivery slot and nothing, no delivery or call to say why not. I'm a prisoner in my front room, can't even risk going to the loo in case I miss the door or he doesn't give me time to get to it.

It used to be so efficient, now it's rubbish.

Hi everyone its 4 weeks since the request whent to HAH to deliver my Humira,after repeated calls from my Rheumy nurse things started to improve i thought. 3 days of waiting in 3 no shows.almost 2 hours on the phone at what cost i dont know yet but when the phone bill comes in I will be invoicing HAH for the calls and my wasted time no reply to my emails and they havn't even answered the calls since Wednesday,i am now about to write to my Consultant and request a different way to get my meds

I am on my 4th Humira NON delivery from HAH in a row now - I have missed my last injection by over a week!. They are all very polite/apologetic once you finally get through to them (18 mins was the quickest) but totally useless in all other respects. I only started on these drugs recently and I am seeing my consultant on Weds this week for my first effectiveness review - I am going to ask if I can pick up a supply elsewhere as I just cant afford the time away from work to hang around waiting for what will undoubtedly be another non delivery.

Hi,I have just had the most horrific week trying to sort out my delivery.Last week they rang and told us they could not deliver as the prescription had not been signed.I got in touch with the hospital and they assured me another had been faxed to them.Many many phone calls and days later I was still waiting for confirmation,but was finally told this one was not signed either.I once again got in touch with the hospital and they told me the signature on the prescription and time sent.I had to badger them until they finally agreed they had prescription,they told me it will be delivered tomorrow,a week later than delivery date.I wait eagerly in anticipation or what tomorrow will bring,I hope I don't have to spend it and many more days on the phone.

Hello there, I believe we are having a moan about HAH well ................ I am into my third week of complaining to this company, but to no avail and now they do not answer the phone. They have always phoned me and been prompt with my delivery for five years. Suddenly I have had no delivery, it was all arranged but a no-show, they phoned me last week and arranged again for this week, again.... no show. I am at my wits end now!!!! I have one injection left for this weekend, then nothing. I have missed an injection once before and within 2 days could not move so I am really worried. Any suggestions please????

Hi Hope-57

Have you tried Emailing them? there main email is hahenquiries@hah.co.uk

This company is simply dreadful. The last three years has been bliss. Alan would telephone every month, enbrel delivered as and when it should. Last month, no Alan,but a call from a young man who was clearly new to the job. It was scary that somebody of that calibre should be privy to my private information. To say he was slow on the uptake would be an understatement. I really struggled to remain polite. The consequence of all this NO DELIVERY of my enbrel. My biologic nurse was wonderful, but when I explained my problem you could hear her heart sink in utter despair. She is utterly cheesed off with them. Is there an alternative company or could we collect from a local or hospital pharmacy? Which is where I have to go to on tuesday to collect some that they keep in stock. No wonder the NHS is struggling when having to deal with cowboys.

After 3 years of pain free HaH deliveries I am now at my wits end with this company. My young son is a severe haemophiliac who relies on injections every other day to maintain a normal lifestyle, without which many long hospital stays have resulted in the past. Now after 5 phone calls in a week with a rapidly dwindling stock still no delivery, despite yesterdays "delivery date". I've spent a total of nearly 4 hours on hold waiting for this firm, been promised return calls on 3 occasions etc but still they cannot tell me why my sons delivery did not arrive. The promised return call to arrange another delivery day never happened, so here am I still on hold, 120 minutes later still trying to get through having taken anther day off work to try and get this sorted.

Still on the bright side I'm less worried about taking him on holiday this year, I wont have enough days of leave left to get away.....

Round 2

After missing the delivery day as the medication and supplies failed to be loaded onto the vehicle, HaH promised to investigate "how this could have happened." Initially I was told a courier would be used to get the clotting factor on the same day, but then my wife was called to give another delivery day. Another days holiday used up to wait in and guess what.....

After yet another phone call, I have been told "we will investigate how this could have happened, the medication and supplies seem not to have been loaded onto the vehicle." I've been promised a courier again and that "we will call you back as a matter of urgency".

Well that was 2 hours ago and I'm starting to see a pattern forming here.

One could be forgiven for thinking that H@H have replied below. I have had nothing but problems with this company and would support any move to replace them. Advise you take look at the NHS survey - nhs.uk/Services/Pharmacies/... Good luck.

Wow!

118 complaints on that site!!

Hi Guys,

I am experiencing a really bad time with HAH. I am either not getting deliveries or they are turning up when they have been cancelled. I am so fed up of chasing them and getting down to my last few injections (Rebif for MS). Today, I complained to their CEO, the CQC and the NHS. I wanted everyone to know that when I called the CQC, I was not the only one who had complained and they are being dealt with. This is comforting to know that someone is listening to our concerns. I will keep you all updated.

Clare

I am afraid you will not find this to be a one off.

I have never in my life known such incompetence.

They cause a lot of stress at a time when you do not need it.

They do not answer e mails, letters, or respond to requests made directly to the.

They are completely useless and I am considering asking my consultant nurse if I can get my prescription from another source as these people are stressing me out.

We are experiencing the same treatment from this cavalier company. What a laugh calling themselves HEALTHCARE AT HOME. The more appropriate title would be COULDNOT CARE LESS, it baffles me how they have the audacity to trade at all. For the past few months it has ben stressful and extremely worrying as to how and when the much needed medication will be delivered. They are holding peoples lives in their grasp, and each month their total imcompetence is getting worse. We pay for these drugs, and they still cant be bothered to get it right. They are just a money spinning organisation, and they appear to have the monopoly on life improving drugs. I intend to take the matter further, and believe me this is not a threat it is a promise. They need taking to task, and polish up their act.

Disgusting service - unfortunately they are getting worse each month. Last week it took 1 hour 20 minutes to answer the phone. I have now waited in 4 full days for my delivery - it is still not here. I am complaining to every web site I can. Surely something must be done soon. The Chief Executive Officer is Mr Mike Gordon. I am writing to him today. Perhaps if we bombard him with letters he just might take an interest!!

Hi mine never turned up yesterday,changed my day to fit round them"very annoying. I won't be ringing them I wll see how long it takes to hear off them x