Can you email doctors for info?

[ashorterday]

My dad is currently in hospital with a variety of health issues and has been there over two weeks.

Every time I ring for an update (only a couple of times a week) I speak to someone different who tells me a few disjointed bits of information and can never answer my questions (they tell me things like "he's having a scan on X" or "he's had some platelets" which mean nothing on their own)

Obviously we can't go in at the moment and I just feel there should be someone who can explain everything that's going on with my dad, why they are doing certain things, what they hope the outcome will be, when he is likely to be discharged etc.

It would be much easier if I could email them a list of questions. Am I expecting too much?

Are you sure you can't go in? I was allowed an hour's visit a day recently. I would ask to speak to the consultant. Are you next of kin?

I’m a nurse, I’m really sorry to hear about your dad.

You probably won’t get anything via email because of confidentiality and also it’s not the most sensitive way of telling you developments, good or bad.

You could call the ward and ask for the dr to give you a call back. This in itself will probably take days but someone should call back eventually. Sorry, it’s shit.

@Wavypurple

I’m a nurse, I’m really sorry to hear about your dad.

You probably won’t get anything via email because of confidentiality and also it’s not the most sensitive way of telling you developments, good or bad.

You could call the ward and ask for the dr to give you a call back. This in itself will probably take days but someone should call back eventually. Sorry, it’s shit.

I have done that, they didn't call me.

I do appreciate that everyone is run off their feet but it's horrible not knowing what's going on. It would literally take a five minute conversation with the right person for me to find out what's going on.

I don't think he has one specific consultant as he's a leukaemia patient but he's in for an infection (also had covid) so he's not on the usual ward.

I've had this recently with DH, I had to go to the chief nurse of the hospital in the end to get help. Have you tried PALS as a first step?

I agree ask PALS. They are not just there for complaints, they should be able to advise you who to speak to and how.

I'm sorry to hear your dad is unwell.

They won't be allowed to email confidential information as email is not secure communication.

Are they definitely not allowing visitors, our local hospital is allowing nominated visitors. I would really try and push for a visit.

Are you able to speak to your dad? Would he be able to tell you what's going on?

I spoke to my GP who is also dad's gp. He managed to find the name of the consultant who's in charge of my dad's care so I got through to their secretary but she said the consultant is currently off with covid.

We have made some progress in that dad's consultant on his usual ward (he's got leukaemia but is on a covid ward as he had covid plus an infection, the covid has been and gone now though) has been to see him yesterday. She has told him she is going through all his notes and will be coming back to see him in a couple of days.

I'm hoping she will be able to explain things to him and to me. We can speak to dad but he doesn't really retain all the details he's told.

As for visiting he's still on covid ward even though he is now on day 17 with no covid symptoms. The ward is completely closed to visitors but I don't see why they won't let dad leave the ward to see me but they've said no (the hospital cafe is at the end of his corridor) I'm going to keep asking different people as the situation is getting ridiculous now (he was in hospital for 4 weeks prior to this admission so we have hardly seen him.)