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Unsure of how to get my results

Posted By Jean-Pierre

"Unsure of how to get my results"

About: Forth Valley Royal Hospital / Cardiology Forth Valley Royal Hospital / Xrays & Scans

(as the patient),

My GP referred me to Cardiology in Forth Valley Royal Hospital. Then I have had an telephone appointment with a consultant Cardiologist who suggested to organise an Echocardiogram and a Scan.

I have had both done but no results have been communicated to me and I have no idea when this will be done and how. On the leaflet sent to me in preparation for the scan it is only mentioned 'we will send the results to the Doctor who asked for your scan'.

The care I received on the day by the staff was wonderful, especially from the Nurses who looked after me and made sure I was ok all the way through. They were so kind and helpful, really heart warming.

What was not good is not being told anything regarding my results. The consultant cardiologist was in the Scan room and stood next to me for a few minutes while I was being placed on the machine but I have no idea why they were there as this was not explained to me. Back in the ward, I've asked about how and when the results would be communicated to me but the answer was vague and I only understood that it would take some time i.e. maybe a few weeks.

This makes me feel stressed. I have been suffering for a year from the condition for which these investigations are being done and not having visibility on how and when the results will be communicated to me adds to the anxiety. I can only assume that if the Echo and/or the Scan revealed something serious then I would have been told. But that is only an assumption from myself and I wish someone from the team could have officially communicate something to me on the day. Instead, I just left the Hospital with no further information on my health and the investigations done that day. And as of today, I still have no idea when I will contacted about my results.

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Responses

Response from Jennifer Gilchrist, Radiology Department Manager, Radiology, NHS Forth Valley 3 years ago
Jennifer Gilchrist
Radiology Department Manager, Radiology,
NHS Forth Valley

Submitted on 25/05/2021 at 15:17
Published on Care Opinion on 26/05/2021 at 10:27

Dear Jean-Pierre,

Thank you for your feedback on your recent visit.

I'm sorry to hear that the time for your scan results to be conveyed to you is causing you some distress. I can look into this, but will need some more information; if you could email me: jennifer.gilchrist3@nhs.scot I will try to get some further information on the scan report for you.

Thank You

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Response from Catherine Mondoa, Consultant Nurse/Cardiology Manager, Cardiology Deparment, Forth Valley Royal Hospital 3 years ago
Catherine Mondoa
Consultant Nurse/Cardiology Manager, Cardiology Deparment,
Forth Valley Royal Hospital

English

Submitted on 26/05/2021 at 08:18
Published on Care Opinion at 10:28

Dear Jean-Pierre

Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback with us. I am really sorry that you have not yet had the results of your tests. I know that waiting for results can be difficult, and I imagine that this is even harder when you have no idea when you will hear from us.

When we are asked to see you by your GP, our usual practice is to communicate with your GP after your appointment. That gives your GP the chance to consider what we have said and make a plan for your future care. It means that your results are routinely passed to your GP and not you. Whilst this is often reasonable, we understand that it can lead to delays. And nowadays, we have more patients like you, who are keen to hear their results directly (and, of course, as soon as possible).

We have a good system of getting results back to your GP but this can be slow. I don’t think we have a very good system of getting results directly back to patients just yet. That’s partly because we have reduced the time we spend seeing patients for feedback of results, and for lots of other reasons too. It seems clear it’s something we need to look at urgently, and make better. We have recently been discussing writing directly to patients as well as GPs but our current system of connecting with GPs doesn’t facilitate this so we need to look at new solutions.

I will undertake to share your feedback at our cardiology management meeting and to explore how we can make the system better for patients like you. I think it will need a change around the way we do things and a change in some of the systems we use but I do understand it’s important that we look at this. Once again, I’m really grateful that you let us know how you feel about this, and how it’s affecting you.

I am really pleased to hear that you were well cared for by our staff when you attended the department and I will make sure to pass this on. In the meantime, I would be happy to look in to your results to see if I can’t understand what’s happened and why you’ve been waiting. If you wish me to do this for you please email the Cardiology Department Secretary -lynn.turnbull@nhs.scot

Best wishes

Catherine

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