Call 4 Concern
Are you concerned about a patient's condition getting worse? Contact our 'Call 4 Concern©' team on 01284 713000 and ask for "Call 4 Concern".
Patient safety is a high priority at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.
Call 4 Concern© (C4C) is a public patient safety service which enables patients and families to call for help and advice if they feel their healthcare team has not recognised their own, or their loved one’s worsening condition.
C4C is run by our critical care outreach team (CCOT) who are a small team of highly trained nurses providing care to our sickest patients outside of the intensive care unit – for example, on ordinary wards.
When to use Call 4 Concern
Contact Call 4 Concern if:
- a noticeable change in the patient occurs, and you feel that the health care team is not recognising your concerns
- you feel there is confusion over what needs to be done for the patient and you need clear information about what is happening
- you have spoken to the ward nurse or doctor, but you still have ongoing concerns.
Please be reassured that using C4C will not negatively affect your or your loved one’s care in any way. We recognise that sometimes the patient or a close loved one can see that something is wrong before the healthcare team does. No one knows your needs or those of your loved one, better than you and your family.
How to contact Call 4 Concern
The Call 4 Concern Team are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help support healthcare teams who are caring for acutely ill patients.
Contact the C4C team through the West Suffolk Hospital switchboard by calling 01284 713000 and asking to speak to the ‘Call 4 Concern’ team. When making the call, please ensure you know the name of the patient you are calling about, the ward they are on and a description of the issue you are concerned about.
Before contacting our Call 4 Concern team, please always speak to the ward staff first if you are worried a patient in our care is becoming more unwell.
Responding to your call
After receiving your call, the C4C team will visit the patient on the ward to discuss the concerns you’ve raised and liaise with the patient’s medical team and other healthcare professionals on the ward to discuss further treatment options.
Call 4 Concern is a small, busy team, so there may be occasions when they are unable to take your call immediately because they are already dealing with unwell patients.
If, when you phone the West Suffolk Hospital switchboard (on 01284 713000) and ask to speak to the Call 4 Concern team, no one is available to take your call, then you will be advised to call back in half an hour.
When not to use Call 4 Concern©
C4C is a service to raise urgent issues around a patient’s worsening health. It must not be used to make general complaints about a patient’s care.
To report problems regarding your hospital bed, room, food, parking, or any other general issues, please speak to a nurse or the ward manager. You can also contact the matron to discuss any issues further.
Alternative ways to raise a concern or give feedback