Our Enter and View Team engaged with members of public at Musgrove Park Hospital. We spoke to people and recorded their comments about health and social care services, and we gave out dozens of leaflets, and ‘How Connected Are You?’ Surveys.
Key findings
Commentator said that they had suffered with mental ill health, and had recently been treated at Rydon. Despite being a condition that needs hospital input they informed us they had been discharged by West Somerset CMHT this year, and had to go back to the GP for a new referral to Somerset Partnership when they next become unwell with this condition. This takes time to process. The commentator felt they had been discharged as the care co-ordinator had left and had not been re-recruited, and that they had not been discharged based on assessment of clinical need but rather by internal vacancies. The commentator had heard that the service use an orange card system which acts as a fast track back to help with mental health from the Somerset Partnership, however they were not offered this.
Commentator told us they had nothing but praise for the Beacon Centre and the staff who work there. Their partner had been efficiently diagnosed referred and treated.
Commentator said that they are visiting their husband daily, as he is critically ill and the parking charges are over £80 per week. Commentator thought this was awful.
Commentator told us that they had observed poor cleaning and handwashing from staff on Dunkery Ward when moving between patients. Commentator said the floors did not seen to be mopped for days.
Commentator said his father had a stroke, but symptoms were not picked up by the GP, only later when he took him to A&E.
Commentator said that his relative’s needs were not addressed and that they had not been treated with dignity and respect while currently being treated on Dunkery Ward. Staff had hurried him to eat and not taken advice from relatives about things that distress the patient. The commentator had raised concerns with ward staff and found their response hostile. The commentator was advised to talk to PALS and given information about SWAN Advocacy.
This report was produced by the previous Healthwatch Somerset service provider, The Care Forum.
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