RHEUMATOLOGY

[Julian3123]

It seems to me that rheumatoly at Worthing need a lot of training receiving calls from agiggly girle who did not have a clue at all. Why is she employed?

[medway-lady]

Perhaps a scam? Have you rung the man number to check it’s actually RA team

[Julian3123]

RA does not answer phones and when they call you they have no idea what they are talking about. I do not think the nurses are trained.

[AgedCrone in reply to Julian3123]

Call the hospital ask for the Patient Liaison Team.

Write down what you want to discuss, preferably with the name of the person you spoke to & the time. Don’t have a rant, just explain you need to speak to somebody who can help you.

[Lolabridge]

Unfortunately I think most of our Rheumatology departments are struggling with a lack of staff at the moment, especially specialist nurses. I understand the patient helplines in particular are overwhelmed with high demand and insufficient staffing.

[medway-lady in reply to Lolabridge]

Medway’s is great, they ring back it might not be as quick as we might all like but it’s same week unless you say it’s urgent as I did last week about antibiotic impact on biologic if the antibiotic is for months. The lovely nurse rang back later in the afternoon. I’m very impressed. Here they’ve introduced the new patient led initiative for other departments which is even better no need to go when nothing wrong but you can see someone when needed. I wish RA would do the same as it’d free up appointments for more patients.

[Runrig01 in reply to medway-lady]

I’m the same in Kent, whenever I ring, it’s the secretary I speak to, and she gets the nurses to call back the same day. So I can’t complain

I’m just back from my follow up re my toe surgery, the number of staff just swanning up and down the corridors doing nothing,? I worked in the hospital and know how manic the wards are, so it riled me up knowing the ward was running ragged, whilst their twirling their thumbs. My surgeon saw me and 1 other patient in the hour I was there, then I had to wait an hour to have wires removed. 2 plaster nurses both seeing the same patient, when 1 can clearly manage, meanwhile their waiting time is increasing. My husband said the same, they all have no purpose. It’s an old colleague of mine who runs it, and he always wanted to be everyone’s friend. I was just frustrated at how many more patients they could see, if they operated efficiently. I nearly removed my wires myself, whilst waiting, as I’ve done the task on patients before 😂, winge over

[medway-lady in reply to Runrig01]

I’ve always thought that private hospitals have fewer clerical staff but much more efficient computer systems. No government it appears can sort out a lot of inefficient wasteful systems but I’d lay money on any of the major supermarkets being able to resolve the issue of waste, improve catering and stop the wandering around in groups holding papers. lol I get cross when we are expected to be on time and thats quite right but how is it ok for them to be an hour late with no reasonable apology. And our GP is the worst culprit, why they can’t just put up on a screen running late I just don’t know!

[Runrig01 in reply to medway-lady]

I agree, a supermarket CEO would soon put a stop to time wasters, and like you say those that walk about with a clipboard. I must admit our surgery is good, they will update you if there’s more than a 15 min delay, so can’t complain. The number of meetings I attended on behalf of my matron, where there was a huge supply of sandwiches, biscuits etc, and they wouldn’t resolve the issue, but meet again to discuss it further. It was ridiculous. I’d one matron took offence when she told me “it’s cold this morning”, and I replied I hadn’t noticed but I’d been whizzing about, and was actually quite hot. She took that to mean me saying she needed to do more 😂😂

[AgedCrone in reply to medway-lady]

I’ve had the misfortune recently to need a few radiology outpatient appointments in the mornings . Every time I have arrived to find the place like the Marie Celeste- deserted.

When staff did wander in- quite a few patients asked why were kept waiting……no one had an answer,

[Stills in reply to medway-lady]

Good point about supermarkets

[Retirednhs]

Send an email to your consultant and ask the same questions

[bienassis]

Here at MTW Trust we have an excellent team of specialist nurses in rheumatology. Calls to the team are always answered promptly, and they are vey quick to arrange any appointment about urgent requests. They seem to be the backbone of the rheumatology department as the doctors leave! I haven’t had a designated doctor for 5 years owing to the shortage of doctors. In fact, I no longer have appointments with any hospital consultant in rheumatology. I’m not familiar with any of them now - if there are any!.

[pammi2]

you shoukd see the emaisl i get from the rheumy secretary, latest one makes your blood boil

[bienassis in reply to pammi2]

Don’t you have a direct phone link to the Nurses’ Helpline? They are my first contact point for any queries; secretaries can’t help with the medical queries.

[Lolabridge in reply to bienassis]

No my hospital has deactivated their telephone helpline! It’s now a message submission form … but if they are overwhelmed with submissions they make it impossible to submit the form you’ve already typed up! I found that out recently!!

[bienassis in reply to Lolabridge]

Another example of how NHS Trusts differ! It has been suggested on other posts that trying a different Trust might help if you feel that you are not being given the attention you need at your own Trust. How easy this is to arrange will depend on your GP I suppose. He might be willing to refer you. It is such a lottery, All hospital departments are under the same pressure. My rheumatoid doctor of many years took early retirement and since then the head of the department has also left. The doctor I saw a couple of times for osteoporosis has also just left. I only deal with the specialist nurses now - fortunately, they remain and are extremely helpful; I don’t know how they keep going when all around them seems to be crumbling.

I’m at the tail end of my long “journey” with rheumatoid disease but I do feel for all those patients newly diagnosed and who are not getting an early start to their treatment. And it does take time to find a suitable and acceptable treatment. Any delay can cause permanent damage.

I send my best wishes to you and all those coping with the present crises in the NHS.

Bienassis x

[OSTEOARTHRITISRA]

I had one phone number for nurses help line ,Stopped using it ,

Since last time spoke to nurse and she said why phoning this number, it's that or no answer (is corrrect number )I found ,I told doctor and the rumatologist ,rumatologist said he will look into it ,

There is no excuses,

I contact rumatologist secretary or doctor if need urgent ect couple occasions the rumatologist emailed gp back with a plane .

Does there's is there is a good difference with all the hospitals