Conflict with patients and family Flashcards
asked to see Mrs Smith on the medical take who has been admitted with a hospital acquired pneumonia.
been on your ward three days ago following a fall
discharged after the physiotherapists had declared her safe to go home.
daughter is with her and is very upset
She told the Consultant looking after her mother that she didn’t think she was safe to be discharged because no one was at home looking after her.
She recognises you from the previous admission and wants to know why her mother’s pneumonia wasn’t picked up before her discharge.
She would like to make a formal complaint.
Who are the stakeholders in this situation?
1) The patient. Your main concern who should come first before trying to deal with any angry and upset relatives.
2) The patient’s daughter. She is clearly upset and from the scenario it appears that she had concerns beyond the current pneumonia as she is not happy with her mother living on her own.
3) The consultant looking after the patient previously. They will need to be informed that the patient has come back in and the relatives are upset.
4) You. You were involved in the patient’s care previously and are involved again now.
The discharging physio team.
How would you deal with Mrs Smith’s daughter?
your priority is making sure the patient is well cared for now. You should inform the family that you will discuss their concerns once you have attended to Mrs Smith.
Invite the daughter to a quiet room where you will not be disturbed, ask someone to hold your bleep and create an atmosphere where they can fully explain their concerns
Taking responsibility and apologising will go some way to helping the daughter feel satisfied with the situation. Offering explanations as to what has happened may also help.
Try to identify the daughters concerns and expectations.
Explain that you will feedback to the team that was looking after her.
Explain to the daughter what options she has for making a formal complaint
What do you understand by the term PALS?
Patient Advice and Liaison Service.
PALS can give information on the NHS complaints procedure,
including how to seek independent help if you want to make a complaint
Do you know how complaints are handled in the NHS?
first step involves trying to reach a local resolution
local organisation should respond and deal with it internally.
If this fails to reach an acceptable outcome then the second stage allows patients (or their representatives) to refer the matter to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman?
responsible for considering and handling complaints that have not been resolved by the NHS in England.
independent and free service that is financed by the UK Government.
If they decide that the organisation has got things wrong, they may make recommendations for it to put them right. This can include explanations, apologies and recommendations for the service to learn and improve.
