to ask for help from NHS employees/ those who know the system for some help with how to navigate this please?

[codlininfelix]

((am a name changer, been here aeons, rivers of sweetcorn, is that you UCM etc etc))

My lovely dDad (78) has been in and out of the same NHS hosp for the past 6 months - initially admitted following a case of sepsis which relapsed.

He has had to deal with being in over Xmas and the NY and during the doctor's strikes..

For various reasons he has now been in for the past 9 days following a long long wait in A&E, despite the GP having sent him in as an "expected case".

He has been across several departments due to the sepsis - also had probs with mobility which meant that he was under someone from rheumatology.

He has predominantly urology- based symptoms but didn't have much appetite and now hasn't opened his bowels since he was in and is in a lot of discomfort (9 days, I would be too)

On the way in to the hospital all over the walls there are posters etc saying "We communicate! We tell you our name so you know who you're dealing with!" but this has NOT been the case in any of our stays. It's so hard to get any answers from anyone and the care has been almost negligent (he fell in the night, there have been issues where he was left ages without a nurse coming when he was calling etc)

He is now on a "Medical" ward and has not got a named consultant which makes it very hard for us to get any answers from anyone. My poor mum (80) keeps leaving voicemails but doesn't get anyone back and then spends the afternoons at visiting with my dad and so can't keep phoning and when she asks the staff while she is there they say "oh he is under the medical team".

Is he entitled to have someone with him to help ask the relevant questions during rounds ?

Should we escalate this?
TIA for any help you can give and do please be kind - I don't come to AIBU very often these days and am only here for traffic.
NB I also know it's the government's fault but don't want to get into that today. I just want to some help in what the best thing.

Contact PALS at the hospital, they should be able to help. If you Google PALS and the name of the hospital their contact details will come up.
I hope you can get some answers, it’s so awful how things are for patients and relatives these days

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/hospitals/what-is-pals-patient-advice-and-liaison-service/

PALS is the first port of call

There is a consultant on call for different specialties every day and night

Most hospitals have an A&E, Medical, Surgical and T&O consultant, with some of the more specialist on call consultants, like Urology, working out of other hospitals

Some wards, like an Acute Medical Unit, or Respiratory Ward, have their own specific consultants

Ask

Who the medical consultant on call was when your father was transferred to the 'Medical Ward'

Which ward he's actually on and is there a separate consultant rota for that ward

Is he entitled to have someone with him to help ask the relevant questions during rounds?

Absolutely. Ask at the desk if a family member can be there during ward rounds, outside of visiting hours, because you're worried about your father's capacity to understand

Good luck

Yes if he is unable to advocate for himself (even temporarily whilst he is unwell) then he can have someone with him. He should absolutely have a named medic responsible for his care & each day should have a named nurse who is responsible for his overall wellbeing although a lot of the physical care will be undertaken by HCA - there will be a nurse assigned to him each shift. There will also be a charge nurse responsible for the running & safety of the ward during the day. They are usually good people to raise issues with initially. Are there restricted visiting hours? Can anyone be there for the ward rounds in the morning to find out what's happening and the plan going forward? Hope this helps please feel free to DM me if you have any specific questions. Also as pp mentioned PALS are great but you might have quicker results speaking with the charge nurse for the ward.

Thanks all for the replies, I will talk more to my DM tomorrow - the visiting hours are 2pm - 8pm and when my DM asked to go in for the doctor's rounds they said "they can't as if they allow her they will have to allow everyone"
I am so frustrated but also tired so can't imagine how my mum is feeling.

It may be helpful for your mum to write down her questions and take them with her, and ask to speak to the charge nurse during visiting. She is entitled - with your dad's consent - as his next of kin to know what the plan is going foward. I do worry for people who don't have family to advocate for them, it's incredibly frightening to be unwell and alone and feeling unsupported, with your family left in the dark. I hope things go well tomorrow OP & your dad makes a speedy recovery.

There will be a consultant team looking after him.

On most wards it is obvious who this is, every now and then you will ask the nurse and just get blank looks

The fact your mum keeps getting told 'he's under the medical team' suggests he isn't on the medical ward, but is an outlying patient on a different specialty ward. These patients get a raw deal as the doctors aren't hanging about the ward all day so easily contactable to speak to relatives - they will be based elsewhere.

I think the easiest thing, given your mum is also 80 and getting tired would be to go to PALS and ask them to sort it out, particularly booking a meeting/phone call with the doctors actually looking after him.

NHS Director here.

As previous posters have said, call the hospital main switchboard and ask to be put through to PALS. They will assist you.

Secondly, EVERY patient admitted to hospital has a named consultant who is responsible for their care. So who that person is would be my first question, then ask to speak with them. Yes medical teams can change every day for patients like your dad - they have rotas. But if that's the case, every day the consultant in charge of that medical team will be his named consultant for that day.

I would imagine the Urology ward is Surgical but he's under the medical team.

Please speak to PALs there will be a consultant you can speak to.

As well as speaking to PALS, I would ask to speak to the sister in charge of the ward as usually they know what's going on. 9 days without opening bowels is pretty serious.

is he eating and drinking? is he still passing wind?

very common for patients, especially elderly patients to become dehydrated while admitted. this can lead to constipation. the stodge they serve doesn't help and he may be on medications that are causing the constipation (is he on any pain medication?).