Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
369 Fulham Road, London, SW10 9NHContact details and Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
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Reviews
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Review titled Severe pain and uncertain wait for gallbladder removal
by Emma308 - Posted on 15 May 2023
I attended my GP in December following being very ill and barely able to eat over the festive period due to suspected gallstones. I was diagnosed with multiple large gallstones by ultrasound in January 2023 and advised I would likely need surgery due to how symptomatic I was and how large my gallstones were. My consultation with the general surgeon at Chelsea & Westminster hospital was supposed to be in March but delayed by NHS strikes to April. In April I let the surgeon know I had been increasingly unwell, having intermittent fevers, losing weight as I am often vomiting or scared to eat. The consultation was very short and the consultant told me I was not yet on a surgical waiting list and needed an MRI to check I had no stones blocking my ducts first. The consultant told me following the MRI I would need to come back to see him before he would list me for surgery, which he said is another 12 week minimum wait. I pleaded with the consultant to add me to the surgery wait list in the meantime as I was barely able to tolerate food and on an extremely low calorie diet as a result. Although the consultant was medically knowledgeable, I felt he was dismissive of the impact my condition is having on my daily life as he told me to simply follow a low fat diet and to attend A&E if needed. I cried following my appointment as I had been so patient waiting months for this appointment and really thought I would get a definitive date for surgery or at least know I was on a waiting list but I felt still completely in the dark about timescales and powerless to do anything about my own health. The MRI happened 4 weeks later (during which time I remained very ill, even fainting at work), but I was only given an appointment date a whole 4 months later to discuss the MRI (end of august). I have since managed to get a consultation sooner (June). But I am suffering so much with daily intense pain, nausea, and vomiting that this still feels ages away. I have lost 6kgs in 6 weeks and I was not overweight to begin with. I am taking codeine and antiemetics daily and I am now vomiting on a daily basis. I have asked my GP for antidepressants as my mood and quality of life has been totally eroded by this and some days I actually think I am dying the pain is so bad. I can no longer commit to or enjoy social plans or holidays and I am worried I will lose my job and be put on statutory sick pay as I am having attacks at work and my performance is suffering. I went to A&E a few weeks ago during an attack but although the staff were lovely and efficient, they said my bloodwork was fine and told me to come back only if I have a fever or develop jaundice as they can't offer me the surgery unless I develop emergency complications. At this stage I am hoping for emergency complications so I can have some resolution to my situation. I have no savings to afford private surgery as it's several thousands of pounds and I am having to consider borrowing money to go abroad to have the surgery, which I resent as a taxpayer who is not able to afford such an expense. Online I have found out about S2 funding options to have the surgery funded in Europe but not sure if the NHS would agree this as they consider me non urgent? I have also tried to ask to change hospitals as my treatment falls outside the 18 week waiting time but been discouraged from doing this by the hospital as according to the admin they said I have "already started my care at Chelsea" and switching hospitals would reset the waiting time to zero? I contacted PALS and spoke to someone on the phone who said they would look into my case and call me back but nobody did. At this stage I actually dread waking up in the morning as it's such a struggle through the day. I feel totally in the dark about my options and likely timescales- why can't this be communicated to me as an adult whose entire life is currently on hold? I understand and am sympathetic to the system pressures the NHS is under but communication is key, if I at least had a timeframe I could make a decision about whether I can afford to wait. It would also be good if the NHS has no capacity to operate on patients if they could at least proactively transfer you to another hospital or offer to part fund private treatment elsewhere or at least advertise the S2 funding route. Instead it feels patients are discouraged from trying to navigate or reorganise their care. Also, the advice to attend A&E every time I have pain lasting more than half an hour (which is every day!) is more costly for the NHS in the long run than elective surgery within reasonable timeframes and adds pressure on A&E staff who either have to just send patients home with painkillers after said patient has been several hours waiting to be seen or they are forced to operate on an emergency basis for something that could have happened in a safer planned way.
Visited May 2023
Provided by Care opinion
Review titled Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
Replied on 19 May 2023
Dear writer, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. Please accept our apologies for your experience. Please contact us at chelwest.patientexperience@nhs.net so that we can discuss this further and help escalate your PALS complaint. We looking forward to hearing from you. Best wishes, The Patient Experience Team
Provided by Care opinion
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Review titled Faultless
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Neil - Posted on 06 April 2023
Came here with a painful, swollen face and it's the best experience I've ever had at a hospital in this country. The staff, all of them, are friendly, knowledgeable and efficient and every single person I dealt with was a credit to the National Health Service. Waiting time was minimal and the place is spotlessly clean.
Visited Accident and emergency services on April 2023
Review titled Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
Replied on 24 April 2023
Dear writer, Thank you for your feedback. I am pleased to read that you had such a great time at the Hospital and will be sure to feed your kind words back to the department. Best wishes, Camelia Patient Experience Co-ordinator
Provided by Care opinion
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Review titled Blood tests dept did not follow doctors instructions
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 10 April 2023
I was sent for 15 blood tests. Several of them were done incorrectly, such as losing samples and not taking enough samples, meaning I still don't have the information and will have to visit yet again and waste more time and resources. I have no confidence in them at all.
Visited Phlebotomy services on March 2023
Review titled Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
Replied on 24 April 2023
Dear Writer, Thank you for your feedback. I am sorry to read that your experience at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital has not been a positive one. If you would like to discuss your experience further, or would like to raise it as a concern, please get in touch with our PALS team on: Email: chelwest.cwpals@nhs.net Tel: 020 3315 6727 Kind regards, The Patient Experience Team
Provided by Care opinion
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Review titled Allergic reaction over 5 hours waiting
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 09 March 2023
Picked up by an ambulance for an allergic reaction. I took all the antihistamines I had. 5 hours waiting no doctor throat is still itching like hell people who have had paper cuts have been seen before me .
Visited Accident and emergency services on March 2023
Review titled Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
Replied on 20 March 2023
Dear Writer, I am really sorry to read about the delay you experienced attending our hospital. If you would like to provide us with more information and discuss your concerns further, please get in touch on: e: chelwest.patientexperience@nhs.net Kind regards, Patient experience team
Provided by Care opinion
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Review titled My experience of undergoing a hysteroscopy
by memberzr55 - Posted on 08 February 2023
I have recently had to undergo a second hysteroscopy and biopsy for prolonged post menopausal bleeding at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. The care received under the two week pathway had been excellent until I had the hysteroscopy this weekend. I had a direct comparison I could relate to as had had one last April for the same reason, that one was conducted under a protocol of adequate local anaesthesia - I was administered a topical surface LA, waited and then injected LA into my cervix. It was painful but manageable, as was the hysteroscopy and biopsies. The support nurse was excellent and kept me distracted throughout. I was able to leave the outpatient department within 5 minutes of the procedure. This weekend was the polar opposite of pain and care management. Remembering that it was painful I had taken stronger oral pain relief half an hour prior to the booked procedure time. Unfortunately there was an IT issue and there was a delay of an hour, everyone seemed rushed by this. I was informed by the dr that he wasn’t going use LA as this was more painful than the procedure itself which would be reminiscent of period cramps. The whole process was one of the most painful experiences of my life - I previously had stage 4 endometriosis and was accustomed to fainting, vomiting etc due to the pain and would argue this experience was beyond that. A easy score of 9/10! I was tearful and in a lot of pain throughout the procedure including the biopsy and insertion of the mirena coil but found I was apologising to the dr for my pain, the support nurse was quiet other that I could squeeze their hand. After the procedure I was left to walk to the waiting room where other women were waiting for their appointments. There was no recovery area - I was in so much pain I was shaking and began to feel nauseated and started to retch in the toilet. No member of staff checked on me, it took a good hour for me to feel stable enough to leave the department. I was tearful, withdrawn and in pain for the rest of the day This was a direct opposite experience to my first one whereby I was able to resume normal activities within 20 minutes and shows the difference between the use of local anaesthetic and not !
Visited January 2023
Provided by Care opinion
Review titled Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
Replied on 10 February 2023
Dear Writer, I am sorry to read about your experience undergoing a hysteroscopy. Although the care provided beforehand was excellent, it is unfortunate that the same care and support was not provided during and after your procedure, I apologise on behalf of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and will feed your experience back to the team. If you would like to discuss your experience or raise further concern, please do not hesitate to contact our PALS team: e: chelwest.cwpals@nhs.net t: 020 3315 6727 Best Wishes, Ayana Patient Experience Manager
Provided by Care opinion
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Review titled The best of care
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Jan B - Posted on 22 January 2024
I was assessed by the pain management service for suitability for a spinal cord stimulator in 2023. From my very first point of contact with the team, I have been really impressed by the care and treatment I have received. Everyone from the admin team, through the day admissions team, nurse specialists, physio, psychology, imaging and surgery have been exemplary. They combine professionalism with kindness and empathy. They have exceeded my expectations and I am very happy to have this chance to say a very big thank you to all of them.
Visited Pain Management on January 2023
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital has not yet replied.
Information supplied by Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust