"Communication and informed consent"

About: Royal Cornwall Hospital (Treliske) / Urology

(as a relative),

My partner has been under the care of the urology department since January due to a kidney stone (an ongoing issue, he has had a couple before). He had a routine check-up scan in January which found a stone at the top of his ureter. He had a repeat scan 4 weeks later as it had not come out yet.

Before being told the results of his scan or hearing anything from his Consultant, he received a link titled: Information about your ureteroscopy (title shortened, this information doesn't seem to have originated from RCHT but we are unsure). He has had a previous traumatic experience with a ureteroscopy in a different hospital and so was very concerned even prior to this that he may have to have another.

On reading the information in the link it suggests another option of shockwave therapy. A few days later he missed a phone call from a hospital number, he tried to call back but couldn't get through to whoever had called him, he phoned his urologists secretary who said this may have been to book in his ureteroscopy. At this point he asked if he could book in an a actual conversation with his Consultant as he has had no discussion at all about his scan results, his options, or his concerns. He was told that shockwave therapy may or may not be an option but the nearest place to have this done is Plymouth. 

Essentially our concern is that he has had very little communication from the urology team about his care. Letters organising scans are fine, but when it comes to the point of organising treatment we feel this needs a more personal discussion of his options, his concerns, alternatives, risks and benefits, and actual informed consent!

It's ok to send information via link but nobody has checked if he has read and understood it, if he needs any extra information, or if he needs a different format (he doesn't need any of these but the point stands). It has now been almost a week since his missed call (with a weekend in between which we understand we were unlikely to receive a call). He asked for a phone conversation with his Consultant and was told maybe in the next few days.

I feel that communication and informed consent has been lacking in his care.

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