Healthcare at Home enquiries: Hi all Through this... - NRAS

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Healthcare at Home enquiries

Victoria-NRAS profile image
Victoria-NRASPartnerModeratorNRAS
35 Replies

Hi all

Through this forum and the helpline we have become increasingly aware of the problems that some people were having with their medication deliveries through Healthcare at Home, as well as problems getting through to their advisors. We have been in touch with the company, who are working hard to get this resolved and they have provided us with a statement and further information for anyone still experiencing difficulties.To view this statement, please see the following page of the NRAS website:

nras.org.uk/news_events/sta...

Kind regards

Victoria

Senior Information & Support Coordinator

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Victoria-NRAS profile image
Victoria-NRAS
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35 Replies
allanah profile image
allanah

Well done to NRAS for working in the background for us and raising the issue with Healthcare.

gradyjackjacob profile image
gradyjackjacob

I can only speak for myself the bupa healthcare has been brilliant.

lab-lover profile image
lab-lover in reply to gradyjackjacob

when I was on Enbrel last year Hah were very good, no probs at all.. then I was off drugs for a few months, now back on, Tues I got first delivery of Abat.. phone calls from them before, text on Monday night to give a two hr delivery slot, and delivered on time... very good service, but is now Bupa Hah

they can say they`re `working hard` to sort out all the problems, but they shouldn`t have these problems, especially from a company who made 17 million pounds in profit last year. least the share holders are happy even if us patients arn`t. Grrrrr....

Having read this they have laid it at our door, the disruption for me started by them not delivering full prescription as they were short, then not arranging deliveries as I had one that month, not looking properly at their delivery notices otherwise they would have seen I had only been delivered one weeks supply!

Therefore I will sit back and watch and see if they get back on track with this months telephone call and delivery.

DrWhoFan profile image
DrWhoFan

New to this site. I get my drugs from my GP. Why do people use healthcare at home. Anne

in reply to DrWhoFan

When you are on certain Biologics and Anti-tnf treatment, this is delivered to your home via this company which your hospital has sent the prescription to.

DrWhoFan profile image
DrWhoFan in reply to

Many thanks x

Victoria-NRAS profile image
Victoria-NRASPartnerModeratorNRAS

Hi all

Just to make you aware, the email address that Helathcare at Home have given us has been altered to one that they have more resources covering, so please follow the link in the original post to see an updatd email address if you are still having problems.

Kind regards

Victoria

Andrea_Shapiro profile image
Andrea_Shapiro in reply to Victoria-NRAS

'More Resources Covering', I assume means a staff of one or two, depending on who has the kettle on. I have been ringing (no success), and emailing for a week. Their customer service used to be excellent when I started Enbrel 3 years ago, it's gone down the potty now.

Hawkeye52 profile image
Hawkeye52 in reply to Victoria-NRAS

i sent emails without reply BTW

Thank you Victoria for raising this with them.....three months after I started using HaH still not convinced. However will give them the benefit of the doubt.....still do not know who my advisor is, still awaiting response from email in December and waited 90 mins yesterday to get anyone to answer regarding my delivery.

Poppy

Neonkitty59 profile image
Neonkitty59

Think they are back on track .. sort of! Although I didn't agree to the date of delivery as today and HaH tried to deliver my med this morning but by the time I got out or bed (it was 8.10am) they had gone. Got through to them quickly on the phone and arranged for Friday and asked them not to come on spec(this has happened before too!) but then I got a call at 8pm asking me if I wanted to re-arrange delivery!!!! ... and told them I already had done so. ;-) At least you can get through quickly now. Let's hope they have got over the issues making so many problems as they are very polite and helpful staff on the phones once you get through. Fingers crossed for everyone else and hope they arrive at mine on Friday. Neonkitty

MrsSMC profile image
MrsSMC

I was happy with the service until December this year, when I was told my over due delivery was down to a computer error so 3 weeks late in taking meds, pharmist called and was completely dismissive and told me not to worry. Today I waiting for a delivery that I cannot track as website is experiencing problems. So what use to be a stress free process is now mega stressful. Why did it have to change

Neonkitty59 profile image
Neonkitty59

Agree about the stress, Mrs SMC. Happened to me earlier last year when trying to start Enbrel but that was half the hospital and half HaH. Then all went a bit bonkers getting in touch with them etc over Christmas as has been talked about. The guy I usually speak to from HaH is brilliant but it isn't always him these days. I got up at 8am to wait for my delivery and it just arrived 1150. I have never been able to track mine online. Just get up and wait but my previous med delivery company used to only be able to offer 9-5 delivery so at least HaH give a five hour timeslot, but I used to get it about midday mostly. .I got a double delivery today of both meds??!! I took it as I think it could save hassle for the next time, but if my consultant changes my med soon, then ......

Gorkypark profile image
Gorkypark

Having had great service from this company for a long time now. Recently when things started to go wrong with both communication and deliveries. I thought it was me. The last four months have been poor. Culminating with a heated conversation with an HAH agent. Have had send an email today. This after spending over an hour calling the main line and listening to a recorded message. Will see if I get a reply and keep you posted!

whitepaws profile image
whitepaws

HaH has certainly been letting patients down big time and being less than honest in calls which promised deliveries which never showed up and to return calls which never got made.

Have the hospital departments who prescribe the drugs HaH supply been informed? they must surely shoulder some responsibility for contracting out supply of an essential medication to a firm which fails to meet its obligations?

Victoria-NRAS profile image
Victoria-NRASPartnerModeratorNRAS

Hi all

We've had a message from Healthcare at Home this morning, with a link which may be of interest to those still experiencing problems with the service. Here's the detail:

"To get in touch with HaH with any queries or issues, please visit:

hah.co.uk/media-centre/late...

or go to the ‘Contact Us’ page to find the appropriate phone number."

Let's hope the problems are resolved soon!

Kind regards

Victoria

(NRAS Helpline)

Jewels94 profile image
Jewels94

There's a statement on the healthcare at home website saying that there is disruption in the supply of enbrel at the moment

Nothing has changed with Healthcare at Home despite them `working hard` to fix the problems. i`ve been waiting since 13th January for delivery of MTX injections. i was on MTX tablets and never had a problem with any of my care, now HAH are in charge of my meds i`m not getting them. seeing my consultant next week so we could review how the injections were doing. he`ll be pleased to know nothing has been done since i saw him on Jan 10th. I`m making a formal complaint via PALS about it and would encourage anyone else having problems to do the same.

shazbat profile image
shazbat

I have always had excellent service from HAH been with them about 5 years. However I have now been contacted twice by email to deliver drugs I no longer take. How can they do this without a prescription. I was taken off Cimzia before Christmas. So following results of tests I will be going onto abatacept. But they keep trying to deliver Cimzia. They have now been told by email several times I no longer take Cimzia. On the first occasion they said they would contact my specialist. But this morning got another email advising of a delivery date. So I ask for which drug. And again it's Cimzia. What has happened to this organisation. I used to know my contact by her first name. Now I get emails from a CS then a number.

Patientsfriend profile image
Patientsfriend

Pats1

Have you spoke to anyone at HAH about why you have not got your injections yet? It might be because they are waiting on a prescription?

Shazbat

It sounds like your Cimzia account has not yet been closed by the hospital. HAH can't close accounts without the permission of the hospital. The prescription they have will still be the old one that they were using as these are valid from 6 months of the last dispense date. It sounds like you have been contacted by a Customer service temp?

It's probably worth ringing them up and speaking to someone directly.

Gillian15649 profile image
Gillian15649

I had hoped all was well now but I had a call last week about delivery of Enbrel. The first call in 5 months for a delivery today. The caller had such a strong accent I found it difficult to understand him. I do hope the call centre has not gone abroad. When I looked at the web site to find the delivery time it is impossible to access it. There is a virus that reroutes to a site selling phones. I do hope there is a delivery sometime today. When is h@h going to get itself sorted out. They used to be so good.

Patientsfriend profile image
Patientsfriend

Hi Gillian, Healthcare at home are still based in their Midlands offices where they have been for the last ten years.

Unfortunately the virus was the result of hackers. I believe this issue has now been resolved.

The company are now in partnership with Movianto who are a healthcare logistics specialist. This company is able to provide deliveries at least 5 maybe 6 days a week in most areas and will ultimately provide a much more thorough, better service in the long run.

Gillian15649 profile image
Gillian15649 in reply to Patientsfriend

Hi. I phoned and spoke to a really nice lady and got a delivery time and was told they knew about the web site. Enbrel arrived with no problems at the correct time. This is the first time in months I have received a delivery before I ran out and was contacted by them instead of having to ring and email. Hopefully this is the start of a good service like it used to be.

foulstonl71 profile image
foulstonl71

I personally made several official complaints during December and January about the appalling service surrounding incorrect sharps bins x2 being sent even though had ordered correct one on the invoice, forgetting one of my medications on delivery day then left message asking if I still needed it!! Needless to say I think their complaints procedure is non existent as have not had any replies since!!

watcher56 profile image
watcher56

I e-mailed a complaint as my delivery was nearly 5 hours beyond the end of the 2 hour delivery slot. At least I got it, sympathies to those who haven't received theirs at all.

My main complaint was that I did not receive a booklet about metoject to which I have now been switched. Having completed my e-mail on their enquiry form, I made a mistake with the stupid 'catcha' code and found this meant I had to do it all again from the beginning. It's so frustrating. I had a reply apologising and that my complaint would be passed on (into the junk bin I wonder). I'm waiting to see how long it takes for the booklet to arrive.

Beanbum profile image
Beanbum

I would not speak and hope to soon. I have only been switched to HAH since January 2014 and already that have failed to delivery my medication 75% of the time (3 out of 4).

Was due a delivery on Friday and I'm still waiting. Have fired off emails and a letter of complaint. Cannot get through on the phone number supplied.

Chatham profile image
Chatham

Non delivery.

Waited in today (26th March) for my 3rd Simponi delivery. It was a no show. Had a text reminder from them the day before, checked the ETA web page but there was nothing on there until after 10 am (26th) and that said "unknown driver will deliver between 9:44 and 11:45". At 13:45 had enough of waiting and I tried to contact HaH Simponi number and it did the usual and just kept me on hold. This line doesn't even let you know what number you are in the que. Decided to bypass this and pressed the button to speak to their nurse. She was very sympathetic and she put me through using their internal system so that I shouldn't get cut off. After giving my details and explaining the problem I was informed that it hadn't even been put on the van for delivery. I asked why I had been sent the reminder text the day before and the reply was that it's automatic and doesn't mean that the delivery will be made. She didn't know why the ETA web page actually mentioned a delivery time if it hadn't been booked onto the delivery van. She blamed trouble with new logistic company. Had to book a delivery for next Monday, after having to move a physio appt to a different day.

They really do not understand the importance of us getting the correct meds delivered on time. This company just behaves like they are sending books that have no real importance when they get delivered, if they arrive on time if at all. How did they get this contract?

Rant over.

Chatham profile image
Chatham in reply to Chatham

After booking monday for delivery it arrived this morning with yesterdays date. Was told yesterday that they deliver Monday to Friday but not this Thursday. The delivery driver told me that this month the delivery days for my area have changed from Mondays and Wednesdays to Tuesdays and Thursdays only.

He has trouble keeping to a schedule as he had some incorrect addresses on his list. He had just tried to make a delivery to an address only to find out that they hadn't lived at that address for over a year but the secondary alternative address was the real address. It wasted half an hour of his delivery time.

Hour later I got a call from HAH asking me about the problem I had encountered yesterday. He ddn't know that there are deliveries only two days a week in my post code area. Asked if I wanted to make a formal complaint. To right I did.

Isla profile image
Isla

Can someone find out if HAH have been taken over by an American company called MOVIANTO about 6 weeks ago?

Patientsfriend profile image
Patientsfriend

From the official site;

October 2013

As we continue to build a strong, patient-focused business, Healthcare at Home today announces a number of operational enhancements. These changes will set new standards in patient care and customer service, driving better patient outcomes and supporting them to lead better lives. Patient focus and the highest standard of patient care remains our number one priority.

Transport and warehousing

We intend to transfer our transport and warehousing operations to the specialist healthcare logistics provider, Movianto UK. Movianto has extensive experience, providing delivery coverage across the whole of the UK and most of mainland Europe. We are confident they will provide the high level of services we, our customers, and most importantly our patients expect.

Our transport and warehousing staff will transfer to Movianto under TUPE regulations meaning that, in many cases, patients will continue to see the same driver that have come to trust and rely on. Movianto will continue to use unmarked vehicles and packaging for Healthcare at Home patient deliveries as well as training any additional drivers, ensuring they maintain the discretion our patients have come to expect.

We anticipate that this transfer will take place in late January 2014.

Responding to customer and patient needs

To provide greater flexibility in managing and scheduling the treatment to patients we are realigning our Customer Services and Pharmacy and Dispensary operations. To better meet the needs of our customers and patients, we are introducing new working hours of 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 8.30am to 5pm Saturday, Sunday and selected Bank Holidays.

Centralising core operations

As the business continues to grow, consolidating operations at our headquarters in Burton upon Trent means we can continue to focus and invest in continually enhancing patient care and customer service. We have therefore confirmed our intention to close the Featherstone operation before end of April 2014. All workload will be transferred to our main head office in Burton upon Trent by the date of closing with no adverse effect for our customers or patients, who will continue to receive their usual service or medication.

We are now in a period of consultation on these proposals with colleagues who are impacted by these changes. In the meantime our current operation will continue as normal.

Hawkeye52 profile image
Hawkeye52

My experience so far has been that they are helpful, but you can never get through to them, i gave up after 45 mins the other day, i spoke to the Nurse who visited me yesterday that its hard to get through and she said it is a constant problem, am glad you are looking out for us here because we need the drugs on time etc without hassles, thanks

RandomUser profile image
RandomUser

The link doesn't work, FYI

MaryB profile image
MaryB

Thank you NRAS for looking into this but I have to say that the comments in HaH statement do not hold true...emails are not answered at all apart from the auto response and as for the telephones if you choose options you do not get an answer, when I did get an answer last week I had been distracted and had not chosen any option and had an answer almost immediately, a very kind lady explained she didn't work in the dept I wanted but, as I was having so many problems, she would sort it for me, and low and behold my delivery arrived on time and both items arrived together not two or three days apart and I had not had to wait in all day. It has been terrible since November and appears to be down to the new company they are using for deliveries but this is not good enough, if you are going to use other delivery companies you should make sure they are up to the standard you require. It has been a nightmare.

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