Rory Cellan-Jones, former BBC Technology correspondent, has revealed the difficulties he faced when trying to get answers regarding an injury recently incurred. Cellan-Jones, who suffers from Parkinson’s Disease, described how a fall which resulted in a fractured elbow showed him “just how difficult it can be to get answers from the NHS”. Upon arriving at A&E he spent hours lying on a trolley feeling frustrated that doctors and nurses failed to share information or tell him what was going on. When he was finally seen, a late-night delay in the administration of antibiotics resulted in him missing his operation. However, when he was finally admitted to hospital, he felt healthcare staff under great pressure worked excellently in difficult circumstances.
Cellan-Jones felt his experience shows that the NHS remains a cumbersome entity, struggling to communicate with both patients and itself; something which he believes needs to change if the growing pressures on doctors and nurses are to be reduced. He admitted that while he had been given pain relief, food and drink, he had often been passed from one extension to another while trying to identify the correct department to contact. While he praised the NHS app for being the first to provide him with new information when it became available, he still had to wait for it to be printed out before being allowed to go home.
Despite the mix-up delaying his operation, Cellan-Jones was incredibly grateful for the work doctors and nurses had done. A London North West University Healthcare NHS trust spokesperson confirmed they were reviewing their trauma pathway at Ealing in order to improve communication with patients who require their service. They added they were “grateful for feedback from our patients” and wished Cellan-Jones a speedy recovery.
Concerns about service provision in the NHS have been growing in recent years. Nurses and junior doctors went on strike in 2016 to highlight concerns over pay and conditions, while demand on the service is expected to grow as the number of pensioners in Britain’s population increases. Figures indicate demand for medical care per year will increase by 4.4% for people aged 65-79 and by 5.1% for people aged 80 and over
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