As I sit here listening to music and occasional voice prompts apologising for keeping I me waiting, now some 20 minutes, I find myself wondering how on earth H@H can say they have improved services! I am also reminded of the email service they provide to which I am still waiting on replies to the three I sent in November! Or I can check for a delivery online, all I need is my customer number? - have not got that from them
Disgusted- and what is worse I, like every other single tax payer in this country , am paying for this!
Apologies for the rant but am really irritated
Sal
31 Replies
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Hello
We are forced to accept mundane service and to keep our tempers, to hide their inefficiencies.
BOB
That is awful. Does HaH cover any particular area of the country? I live in the East Midlands and my Methotrexate was delivered by Central Healthcare. One or two glitches but nothing serious throughout 5 years of me using the servive.
You have my sympathies, as my own experiences are the same. Each month I have to chase this company, as each month they claim they don't have a prescription for my Enbrel. I have found that if you contact your rheumatology department at your hospital, and get the number of the main hospital pharmacist, you can contact them to speed things up. Then, instead of waiting all day on a premium phone line, choose option 3 to go through to the pharmacy at HaH (even if it is about a delivery). Then ask for a direct line number from HaH, and keep on at them. A total and complete hassle, I know.
I have ranted elsewhere about HaH, but I just end up exhausted and stressed out. To say that I rate them poorly is an understatement. This company makes tens of millions of pounds profit each year, from a cushy government contract. They then run their standard of service into the ground, and noone can do anything about it.
I am typing this with the phone to my ear currently onto Healthcare at Home listening to some flamin annoying music currently 28th in the queue !!!!! Grhhhhhhh aaarhhhhhh last time I called I was 42nd !! Waiting for my Cimzia delivery arranged for this morning clearly going to be a no show - soooooo angry been in all day ! Rang my rhumi team who are aware of the problems but who the hell can we complain to ??? Initially I was pleased with the service but this is a joke !
Oh what a mess Scouser, I hope you are calm now....I hope everyone receives their meds...it's awful to be without...I pick mine MTX up from hospital so am lucky in that way......
Sat for 10 hours waiting for delivery -nothing turned up. 40 minutes trying to get through on help line. they must be making a fortune on the call charging.
How can we make our voices heard - who can advocate for us? I am so so so upset.
Hello sunshineSal, agree 100% I too have not had my delivery of Cimzia since Feb. and can get no response from either phone or e-mails. The on-line delivery check is with a customer number, and can only be used if they give you a delivery date, so you can check the time of delivery on that day it is due. Surely, if every-one of us reports to our specialists with this, some action should eventually be taken. Hope you get some answers regards bluetit33
Dear All
We have been in constant contact with H@H about the issues and we are due to meet with representatives of their senior management team today and will be showing them again all your comments and expressing all your concerns to them. As a patient organisation we have been bringing a huge amount of pressure to bear on the company to resolve these issues and we have been told that all complaints and issues are taken seriously but we like all of you are still immensely frustrated by the length of time it is taking to get things back on an even keel.
Please be assured we are very strongly representing you all on this matter but as a charity don't have any legal or statutory authority or powers to affect immediate action. Healthwatch in all your local areas are the body that complaints can be raised and are then coallated and funnelled to Healthwatch England if there appears to be a recurring theme, (which there is) The Healthwatch England are then empowered to take complaints/issues that are showing as a regional or national trend to NHS England.
Once we have had our meeting with the Directors of H@H today I do hope I will have some better news to share with you all but I can only once more assure you NRAS is doing as much as we possibly can to help rectify this totally unacceptable situation.
I would be very interested to know the outcomes of this meeting. My dealings with HaH lead me to rate them extremely poorly. Lots of people feel very let down - not just RA sufferers, but those with MS, and those awaiting IVF treatment. I hope you can keep us up to date.
Healthwatch was mentioned as the organisation to complain to in England - what is the equivalent for those of us in Scotland?
Please could NRAS also ask the agency (???Common Services Agency NHSScotland) that has contracted them in Scotland what are the key performance indicators for the company for the Scottish part of the contract and how these are being monitored.
Also where does H@H publish information on the complaints it has received from NHS patients in Scotland and how it has dealt with them?
Everyone should write to their MP, saying what a scandalous waste of money this HaH contract is. As an example of private companies running a " health service" it is demonstrably a complete failure. If you go to this website ( writetothem.com/ ) it will find your MP for you and you can e-mail them from the site.
Oh no Sal, it makes you so anxious .. having to contact them if they haven't managed to get in touch with you. I last spoke with HaH two Sundays ago and they said they would phone back on 8 April to check I had had my first Rituximb and didn't need to keep the Humiras. No, they just sent someone out today on spec wth my MTX which isn't due for another month!!!! Well at least it is here but he had to leave in my porch (secure) at my authorisation as I was woken to hammering on both doors and then a phone call. I could not hope to get up and down quickly. Was not his fault ... lovely guy .. he didn't know they hadn't arranged the delivery with me. They have arrived on spec before like that. As MTX now here in advance I don't have to chase them but I did want to arrange for the four Humira's to go back but will just have to put in a sharps bin for them to collect next time.
So - my Enbrel didn't show up last Tuesday, and I've had the same trouble the previous two months. I chase the prescription from the hospital, and HaH still deny they have it. I spent every day last week trying to contact them. I eventually made another complaint, after 25 emails went unanswered, and spoke to a supervisor. The missing prescription magically appeared seconds later! Delivery scheduled for this morning. It's now 1pm, and no meds. I've contacted Healthwatch over this, and they're logging my complaint. I'm seriously sick of this nonsense.
The service from HaH is still appalling. If anything, it's even worse than last month. Their problems have not been resolved - this is completely misleading from them. I spent every day last week attempting to contact them when my delivery was cancelled. The phone lines are still jam packed with complaints. I waited all day for a delivery yesterday which didn't arrive. I've taken to marking my emails 'this is an official complaint' in uppercase, and requesting a return receipt. This proves they have read my messages. Still they fail to act on urgent matters. I have had this problem for three months in a row, and I am extremely exasperated. The stress I have suffered is nobody's business. When I missed an injection I suffered a flare-up as a direct result of their incompetence. I am dreading this happening again, but I still have no medication. I have contacted Healthwatch over this, and left negative reviews on the NHS website. I have copied my hospital into my emails. I am absolutely furious with this company.
Dear all
We had a meeting with one of the Directors of H@H and a member of their senior management team. It was a very frank discussion and they are fully aware of NRAS' views, concern and disappointment regarding the continuing issues that many patients are facing. They presented a clear explanation of what has caused the issues but were by no way excusing the problems and they are (and I believe them to be genuine) truly sorry for the distress caused and are doing all that is feasibly possible to recitfy the problems as swiftly as possible. Some of the issues are outside their control e.g. the European wide issues with Enbrel supplies but those issues that are within their control they are finding ways to address e.g. increasing their call operatives from 120 to 180 and increasing the opening times of the call lines i.e. 8am to 8pm Weekdays and 8am - 12noon weekends. They will be issuing up to date statements on a weekly basis shortly as they recognise that their communication has not been robust enough to allay patient concerns. Unfortunately because of some of the publicity around the issues it has had the knock on effect of more people calling H@H out of concern that there deliveries may be impacted where as they will not be, so those with geniune issues are then not able to get through due to those calling "just in case". A tricky cycle of problems. The good news is they are beginning to see a slow decline in "incoming" calls but it will take some time to get back to their normal levels of incoming calls. When things are okay they take about 3000 calls per day currently that is running at about 12000 inbound calls.
NRAS, along with other patient organisations, is doing all that is possible to voice your concerns and look for swift solutions. NRAS will continue to closely monitor the ongoing situation and will continue to act as a communication link to ensure the Patient Voice of those living with RA is heard on this issue.
Thank you for acting on behalf of concerned individuals, such as myself. I waited in all day yesterday for a delivery that did not arrive. It is a week late. I was promised a delivery this morning. It has not arrived. My phonecall of over an hour ago promised me a return call from logistics within half an hour. It has not been made. These problems have not been resolved, as they claim in their statement. Their extended hours, incidentally, only apply to the main switchboard, and not the dedicated Enbrel team, or the pharmacy. Forgive me if I remain sceptical. They are failing me as we speak.
My comments may be what you have done but just a thought/..........
Did you keep the delivery note from your last delivery as there is a separate telephone number which is actually the delivery depot. I used the by mistake on one occasion, but thought it may help you now if you have it.
The one which was on my delivery yesterday reads:
0845 601 2816 in case you have not used this number before.
Thank you for this Georje. I have this number already, I'm afraid, as well as quite a few others. I just managed to get through to a lovely woman, who was genuinely shocked and very sympathetic. I feel for the call centre staff, and would never lose my temper with them. Whoever runs this organisation, however, well that's a different matter. Still not solved, but thanks anyway.
Waited 10 hours for delivery today - had been assured it would come, following their failure to deliver on Thursday past when I also waited for 10 hours. Yes you've guessed it - nothing came. I am in pain and despair over this company and at a loss as to what to do.
What is wrong with these people. They used to be fantastic. I'm waiting a delivery of abatacept a new prescription because of a serious reaction to Cimzia. I stopped taking Cimzia last November however HCH have phoned me every couple of weeks since December to deliver Cimzia. I have now told them 6 times I no longer take Cimzia I have also emailed them twice. What is so hard to comprehend I NO LONGER TAKE CIMZIA. Every time they apologise tell me they will take me off their records for a Cimzia delivery. Then they phone me again. They should have the contract removed.
I am due to start Anti TNF next week, but am rather put off by the prospect of stress over Healthcare(less) at Home. I wonder if all the Anti TNF injections have to be ordered through HAH, or just Enbrel. I really don't want any more stress in my life.
As I understand it most, but not all, anti- TNF drugs are delivered through HaH. Since it is the pharmacutical companies who supply the drug who make the decision as to the delivery company, check with your rhuem. nurse as she should know which company is being used
I know the post I’m replying to us quite old, but can I ask if anyone else has similar experience to me on the Healthcare at Home company? Let me say up front, I’m quite political & I completely disagree with the NHS using private companies, waste of money, time & experitise, they’re in it to make profit! I have been on Benepali for about a year, the delivery etc., has been fairly ok, but found it odd that one of HAH’s nurses had to come out twice to see how I used the injections. The second time, she got lost somewhere in Norfolk (easily done) but when she was arrived, almost an hour late, she was not in a rush to do what she needed to & go. Strange how NHS workers dont act like that! But I find it bizarre that they phone you out of the blue (am usually out at the time), then expect you to answer personal questions, know how many injections you have left (cant see in to my fridge when I’m outside my home😱) and then tell them a certain day/date is ok for delivery. Again I dont have my big diary to hand when out, plus I have a walking stick in one hand. Today (Thursday 31/1/19) they called my mobile twice, missed it in the morning as I was in a cafe with friends. They show up as “number withheld”, so you dont know for defenite it’s them. Then in the afternoon they called again, I was on a bus on the way to a hospital appointment. I told the “agent “(presume in a call centre office) that I didnt want to give personal info in public. This threw her for a minute & she asked how long I would be! I had no idea, said should be home by 6 pm & she said they werent available then. She then asked if she could call tomorrow, was I home all day. I said know, I have something else to go to at 11 am & I asked why they couldnt find a better way to do this. She said their office hours are 9-5 pm ! What about patients who work office hours?? She’s now supposed to call me at 9.30 am in the morning, but I find it dusturbing that something this important & expensive, is being dealt with in this way. At least with Methotrexate injections, they are done on normal repeat prescriptions by your GP surgery.
I only had one nurse visit to supervise my first injection. I’ve recently started using the app/online to book my delivery, they send a text and email reminder to do it and you can sort it out when it’s convenient for you. I too wish it could all be done via the GP/pharmacy though.
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I last spoke with HaH two Sundays ago and they said they would phone back on 8 April to check I had had my first Rituximb and didn't need to keep the Humiras. No, they just sent someone out today on spec wth my MTX which isn't due for another month!!!! Well at least it is here but he had to leave in my porch (secure) at my authorisation as I was woken to hammering on both doors and then a phone call. I could not hope to get up and down quickly. Was not his fault ... lovely guy .. he didn't know they hadn't arranged the delivery with me. They have arrived on spec before like that. As MTX now here in advance I don't have to chase them but I did want to arrange for the four Humira's to go back but will just have to put in a sharps bin for them to collect next time. 
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