Call for concern

Sometimes, patients or their loved ones can spot very early signs that someone is getting worse before it becomes clear to healthcare professionals.

If this happens to you or a loved one, speak to a doctor or nurse on the ward as soon as you can.

If you’re still worried after you’ve spoken to the ward team, use our call for concern helpline to speak to a senior nurse in our critical care outreach team.

Call for concern allows you or your loved ones to contact a senior nurse if you’re:

• an inpatient at Ealing or Northwick Park hospital and
• think that your condition might be getting worse and
• have already talked to your ward team but are worried  that they might not have recognised that you’re getting worse.

Contact our call for concern service at:

• Ealing Hospital on 07800 513 979
• Northwick Park Hospital on 07388 857 767

The service is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you use our call for concern helpline, you’ll speak to a senior nurse in our critical care outreach team.

They will ask you these questions:

• Where are you calling from and who are you concerned about?
• What are you most concerned about right now?
• Are there any other healthcare staff on the ward who can help you until I can get to see you / the patient?

The nurse will tell you more about what will happen next. They will also ask you to talk to a doctor or nurse on the ward immediately if you or the person you’re worried about gets any worse.

In rare situations, such as if the team are dealing with an emergency, you may not be able to get through straight away. If this happens, wait a short period of time, then call back.

Our call for concern service is only for situations where you think your condition, or your loved one’s condition, is getting worse.

You can always speak to your ward team if you’re worried about something else – whether that’s about your care or not.

If you’ve spoken to your ward team but still need advice or help, get in touch with our patient advice and liaison service.