Caller rings hospital 26 times without answer as trust admits staff shortages
Hospital bosses admitted staff shortages are having an impact on their switchboard services after a caller claimed they made 27 attempts in 20 minutes before an operator answered.
Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust admitted that it was experiencing issues with its telephone operations as well as other departments.
Health service campaigner Gill George, of Defend Our NHS, said the situation needed to be addressed as a matter of urgency after a distressed patient contacted the Shropshire Star to complain.
The woman, who did not want to be named, phoned Telford's Princess Royal Hospital for an update about her own healthcare treatment, but struggled to get through. When they did connect they were informed that only one operator was at work that day and as a result there were delays in calls being picked up.
But Gill George said: "This is extremely concerning because people obviously need to be phoning up with queries about their own health or about the wellbeing of relatives who could be critically ill or may be dying. If they can't get through it is both stressful and heartbreaking.
"I recognise that the NHS is under enormous pressure, but something as straightforward as getting staff on the switchboard is something that SATH should have addressed as a matter of urgency."
The trust said: “As with other areas of the trust, and the NHS more widely, we are currently facing workforce pressures within the switchboard department.
"We are actively working to address these and bring in additional staff to ensure the service continues to meet the needs of those who use it.
“We have also spoken directly to the individual concerned and are looking at the issues they raised with us.”
