Why the NHS Urgently Needs a Communication Overhaul 🔊

A friend recently shared her harrowing account of hospital communication gone wrong. It's a scenario many of us dread but too often experience firsthand. 😔💬

A relative, struggling for breath, was rushed to A&E. The family rallied, by her side for hours, but as it grew late, they were gently urged home. They were assured by well-meaning nurses that she'd be admitted, and someone would call.

Reassured, they made the hour-long journey home - phones at the ready to receive news.

⏰ Morning came, but answers didn't. 45 minutes on hold to A&E turned into 3 hours, phoning each ward in turn in the hope of an update. More hours passed in a relentless pursuit of reassurance. 🔄

No one called to tell them she'd been taken to a ward. No one called to say she'd been started on treatment. No one called to even tell them she was still alive.

Finally, a breakthrough. She was okay. "No news is good news" they were told, as if it was somehow their fault for worrying.

But that's not true. For most of us, the unknown is filled with fear, and silence is a killer.

This isn't an isolated incident; it's a symptom of a systemic problem. I refuse to accept silence as the norm. Because in healthcare, communication isn't a luxury – it's a lifeline. 💪

💡❤️ I want to shine a light on these stories, to demand better, to champion communication as the beating heart of healthcare.

#HealthcareCommunication #NHS #PatientAdvocacy #communication #healthtech