Complained to CQC about SCAS and copied it to SCAS and Healthwatch Hampshire. Clearly told SCAS not to phone me as I was so angry. So today they phoned me. Have now made a complaint about their complaint handling. They had the cheek to complain I was angry with them! Unbelievable.
Clearly hadn’t read the complaint. Also didn’t give them my telephone number and we’re not in the phone book.
What was the problem?
Ambulances not turning up in time for appointments and then leaving us in the hospital waiting for the booked return transport which was of course late even for the late time it was booked for and making extremely inappropriate comments about having a nice day out. They should put a breakdown of missed appointments next to the signs about how much they cost. Showing how many are due to:-
patient transport failures
carer failures
patient illness
patient death while waiting for the appointment
appointment letters arriving after the appointment date
appointment letters going to the wrong address - almost every time we go to an appointment there’s someone there who’s missed an appointment because the nhs computer says they live at a different address
patient transport going to the wrong address for the same reason.
Interesting development. I had an e-mail from SCAS complaints department saying they didn’t know who the person who called was. The person dealing with my original complaint was a man and he had finished his investigation and had not phoned me as requested. Interesting to see what comes of that? As I think I mentioned before I didn’t give my phone number.
I know Lymington Hospital have previously sold patient details to marketing companies for hearing aids or similar.
As you probably know, BB, Lymington Hospital hosts any number of clinics from services which aren’t based there. Partner had an appointment there for orthotics in October at 14:00 and ambulance turned up at 14:30 at our house saying they weren’t that late because they’d been booked for 14:30. They said they had informed the hospital and that he’d still be seen. When we got there the person he was supposed to see had given up and gone home. The hospital swear, convincingly to me, that they hadn’t been contacted by the ambulance service at all. As we left we passed the ambulance crew who had brought us late who cheerfully informed us that they wouldn’t take us home and that at least it was a nice day out for us. He was lucky to keep his teeth. Sometimes staff who are assaulted bring it entirely upon themselves. It was a pity he didn’t get a nice day out to A&E. We then had to wait until the return transport finally turned up and were then expected to go through it all again.
On 28th February he needed an urgent CT scan. First we had to convince the doctor’s receptionist that it was her job to book the transport. Apparently she’s worked there for 8 years and yet she still doesn’t know it’s her job to book transport. Then we phoned when it was just before the time he was supposed to be there and got the same receptionist who said it’ll be there soon. Not thinking it worth continuing with her I called a number I’d been given before to be told they’d decided to book the transport an hour late. Suggested practical ways of getting him there and told they’d just be told to cancel and rebook if they contacted control. As he’d been nil by mouth since midnight I was not impressed. And I certainly wasn’t going through the October experience again.
I’ve been in such a foul mood since this woman called me. It’s really not fair on my partner although he’s putting up with me stoically. He understands why I’m upset and angry and knows it isn’t his fault. We really don’t need any unnecessary external stress. It’s put me off complaining in the future. I think I’ll go back to complaining anonymously to CQC so I don’t have to deal with it once I’ve calmed down the first time.
Although the service was bad and you are rightly angry, I am concerned it’s overstressing you. Any cushions handy you can punch? Or hard mile to run? Thinking you need to let some of the stress out, don’t want you to burst
Have you listened to the "let it go poem? Not suggesting you don’t complain but let some of the anger go
Caring for the carer 
Kr
MrsA
Thanks for your reply Mrs A.
I do feel ready to burst. I was trying a technique called flooding I read about a week or two ago where you just let the feeling wash over you and it’s supposed to self correct in eight minutes. It definitely doesn’t work for me.
I also heard part of a radio 4 programme at lunchtime about not taking it out on a pillow as this just becomes the practised response and makes you more likely to hit someone next time. Also my wrists wouldn’t take it any more. I’ve never run a mile in my life and I don’t think it would be a very good idea after midnight.
I did listen to the poem the other day when you reposted the link to it but I’m a bit of a maverick and if someone tells me to do something it makes me want to do the exact opposite.
I read the other day that sleep is nature’s reboot button and I think there’s something in that so I’ll try that in a minute.
Thanks for your concern.