Poor Service
Poor, distressing, unprofessional, uncaring inhuman. Impossible at times to get reception staff to arrange urgent discussion directly with GP. Even though they had issued a DS 1500 to confirm patient was terminal, he/we did not get appropriate support from this GP surgery when needed. We were desperate as we were struggling to feed and hydrate and medicate for weeks before. He deteriorated so much we could no longer manage his care. (District nurses were in attendance to monitor his diabetes/insulin) They eventually agreed to send a senior nurse practitioner and assessor from Social care which we were extremely grateful for. (The GP that arranged this told us the family needed to understand that our loved one can last years with this type of cancer) Which totally contradicted the palliative care report written by Queen Elizabeth Hospital and that the surgery had issued the DS1500!!! But we were just thankful that they were sending senior staff to assess and hopefully help us. The nurse practitioner came and witnessed how poor the patient was and she and social care worker (both of whom were amazing, arranged equipment, care workers 4 times a day, request for liquid medication as he could not swallow his tablets. Unfortunately we realised we could not give him the level of care he needed as he was so weak through inability to consume food drink and medication. We then requested he be admitted to hospice which was agreed, it seemed, after the GPs had feedback from the nursing practitioner. Sadly our loved one died less than 3 weeks later.