I had a letter yesterday confirming they are in receipt of my formal complaint and will respond within 20 working days.
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This is going to be a bit of a rant about Sciensus failing to deliver on 2 consecutive weeks. I've just rang customer service to complain and I was advised I would get delivery of biologics today.
Some kind soul posted email address on here recently and I made good use of the email addresses to lodge a complaint.
Someone called Jack - Customer Service Manager rang me within 5 minutes of sending the email. He has agreed to arrange special courier to deliver my meds tomorrow as the customer service agent was apparently telling me porkies and I would not be getting my delivery today after all 😡
Thank you to whoever posted the email addresses.
Written by
PSAWarrior28
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To be fair mine delivered as promised this week by them.
I’ve been having terrible problems with Sciensus since May. They handle my current biologic and 6 different drugs my teenage daughter takes. I’ve made so many calls, agreed so many things, all for them to spectacularly backfire or be ignored. My daughter takes 15 meds a day, and in her 14 years I had never, ever run out of a single one until Sciensus (or HAH as they were) began delivering to us 2.5 years ago. It’s happened 3 times now, despite me phoning and emailing to try and make sure it doesn’t. In October, bearing in mind we live at the same address, and all 3 of our accounts are on the same delivery schedule, I ended up having to stay in for 5 days across the month to try and take receipt of what we needed. Their internal complaints process is also absolutely rubbish. After yet another issue with meds last month, I spoke to the pharmacist at the child’s London specialist hospital and was told that they’re getting regular reports of problems from many of their patients, and that given how much money they’re paying for the service, they’re not impressed. I’ve got to send them dates and specifics so they can raise a formal complaint from their side, but just today I’ve had another problem. At this stage it would actually be far less hassle and stress for me to drive an hour and 20 into central London than have Sciensus supply the meds. To put that statement in context, I absolutely loathe driving in central London for starters, and currently struggle to manage a 15 minute journey due to pain 🤷♂️
Thank you for your reply. Perhaps every failed delivery should have a formal complaint made. Hopefully that will give the NHS the leverage they need. The email I sent was to lodge a formal complaint. I've asked for an investigation into why they failed to deliver on 2 consecutive occasions.
It’s not just failed deliveries with us, although that does happen. Because we spend quite a bit of time in hospital, they’re supposed to agree a date with me in advance, by their own admission it clearly says so on the system, but they never do. As a result, there’s been occasions where I’ve cancelled with several day’s notice because we were on the ward, only to still get a call from the driver angry because he’s at our house and we’re not there. They’ve scheduled nurse visits without even informing me, and I rarely get a delivery window or driver update texts. On odd occasions (like today) they’ve given me less than 2 working day’s notice of a delivery, but the emails (when they send them) say I have to give them a stock count a minimum of 3 working days before delivery. When I give them a stock count and/or tell them we don’t need something, they ignore it completely and send whatever they want. When I ask for syringes, they send me needles, and even when you phone to tell them they’ve got it wrong and they again say oh yes, syringes, we get yet more needles. They rarely if ever deliver our stuff together, but sometimes only a day or two apart between deliveries. The one manager that ever phoned me accidentally hung up on me 3 times in 15 minutes. It’s endless, or certainly feels that way. Every month there’s a problem, and I’ve lost track of the phone calls and emails I’ve sent.
I again raised a formal complaint in December, and it was agreed they would send me the outcome in writing, but I still haven’t heard anything. When I mentioned this in mid Jan, the woman promised me (again) a manager would phone me and she would also escalate things. A month later and no call so far, as well as two more incidents for the log. Hence why I went to the people paying for a service that is more hassle than it’s worth, but the pharmacist said that they don’t always get very far even when they lodge a complaint. My mtx was coming from Alcura, so I assumed my biologic would as well: I genuinely could have cried when I got a call from Sciensus about it.
Anyway. As you say, if we all complain, maybe something will happen, but I would say that letting the prescriber know is as important as speaking to Sciensus; the hospitals are paying a significant price for the service, but if they don’t hear from us that there’s problems, Sciensus definitely aren’t going to tell them!
Thought I’d add the latest Sciensus likely mess up, though I won’t be with them going forward. Following my discussion with my specialist nurse on the 8 Th February, she confirmed within 2 days, the consultant agreed to change me to a different Biologics (with another private company 😭). She said they would inform Sciensus & get them to collect boxes of Benepal unused. Just looked on their awful App, to see they’re planning to deliver more Benepali on Friday, 25 Th February.Tried to message on App, no one available & it wiped out what I’d typed. I have now sent an e-mail, they are so appalling & makes me angry NHS is wasting £ on this. I wonder if the new company will be any better, don’t hold out much hope😭
I mentioned to the hospital pharmacist who phones me prior to delivery being approved that issues were being reported here. She said they were aware and are taking it up with Sciensus. Leicester.
Well as my new biologic didn’t materialise for three months I think Leicester hospitals have dumped sciensus for another service and touch wood they’re very good. Hope they do it for you too if you’re having issues.
Oh me too!! They’ve screwed up the delivery and scheduling for months now. They are not quick to an apology even when the error is clearly theirs. Very frustrating when lives depend on a free service.
I do email them if an issue but I have to say its been clockwork since I did an email 6 months ago and all my deliveries are set up and I get a text to pre warn me when next one coming out and then updated with time on the day. I would if anyone not done it use chat and emails as it worked well for me.Its too frustrating to be left like this
When I first went on biologics in about 2005 they were delivered by HAH and the service was rubbish. It could take 2 hours on hold to be able to speak to someone, but they did get a lot better, and I haven’t had a single issue since the changed to Sciensus (apart from the silly name!). My delivery comes from Burton on Trent and I usually get 3 weeks notice of the delivery day, followed by 2 text reminders.
I’ve been having trouble with them since the name change, online chats for a delivery change is useless, as they tell you all ok and then you get a call to say they are delivering on another date than the one agreed. The last delivery I asked to move the delivery for a date two weeks on, I was on the phone for a total of 40mins was assured the agreed date was confirmed, a driver just turned up randomly one day when I was in fortunately in, however I was a while answering the door and he was delivering to a neighbour I hadn’t specified ! They need a good shake up, not a name change. !! X
We’ve had problems with this company too. Initially they arranged for a nurse to visit before they had delivered the medication. They often give very short notice of delivery day and expect you to stay in all day. That’s just not possible for me! They do give a shorter time slot but not until the morning of delivery which doesn’t give enough time to rearrange things. I’m a mum to 2 teenagers with various after school activities plus I have my own commitments. But my favourite was once when I was out they tried to deliver but refused to give it to my daughter because she was under 18 and refused to give it to my husband because the parcel had my daughters name on it. He did eventually leave it but only after my husband got cross and pointed out that if they deliver medication prescribed to children they either have to give it to the child or their parents - and yes when we set deliveries up I had added my husband to list of people they could deliver to.
I have been having trouble with Sciensus too, even more so since their name change. Especially when the 6 month prescription is due from the Rheumatology Department. They are then convinced the prescription is due the month before it actually is. Much too and fro with chat and emails to Sciensus and the Rheumatology Department. Quite often I am without my Medication. And their App doesn't work for me either. Indeed, a Service that needs looking into for much Improvement.
Though I’m being changed to another Biologic injection, not delivered by dreaded Sciensus, I had signed up ages ago to be on their “panel” to review things. I wasn’t quite sure what it would entail & hadn’t heard anything for ages, but in recent weeks I was on a “Teams” online session & it was all about their awful App. I did give a very honest & blunt overview of it, will this change anything?😢 Oh, I got a £10 shopping voucher in the post for taking part.
Thank you for your reply Shamrockgirl, you mentioned their 'awful App, which I can download, however I can't sign into it. It is either their provider of their data base which is poor or the Admin Staff have not been properly trained on it. Both of which are making huge amounts of money from it.
I think my Rheumatology Dept have sorted it out in as much as they are forwarding a prescription to Sciensus next week, hence I will be on to them every day until it is sorted.
Glad you had a shopping voucher for your time & trouble.
My complaints about them to NHS England fell on deaf ears. They suggested contacting my local CCG. Sciencus - can't spell it or say it. If it was any good, I wouldn't mind so much. I can't think a single positive thing to say about them they have left me high and dry that often 😡
Well each time they get it wrong and I suspect they will, I will keep sending official complaints. My missing meds turned up via special courier delivery this afternoon.
Pleased to hear you got a result eventually, but it shouldn’t be this difficult & hardly helping our condition with the extra stress. It shows it’s not just myself & a handful of others that have issues with Sciensus.
I’m being taken off my Benepali I had through them, but it will be another similar company dealing with delivery etc., be interesting to see what they will be like 🤔
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