What is Call 4 Concern?

Call 4 Concern is a patient safety service we offer to A&E and inpatients at Southport and Ormskiirk hospitals.

It’s part of Martha’s Rule - a national NHS initiative that recognises that patients’ loved ones know them better than anyone, and may notice small changes before their care team does.

Call 4 Concern is here to help if you are worried that:

• You or your loved one is getting worse while in hospital, and
• You feel your concerns have not been fully listened to or acted upon.

Call 4 Concern enables you to ask for extra help if you are seriously worried about a patient’s condition.

When should Call 4 Concern be used?

Ward nurses and doctors should always be your first point of contact. However, if you remain concerned, Call 4 Concern is there as an extra layer of support.

You should use Call 4 Concern if:

• You notice changes in breathing, pain, behaviour, or alertness
• You are concerned a patient seems more unwell than before
• You have already spoken to ward staff but are still worried
• You feel urgent medical review is needed

Sometimes patients or families notice small changes before anyone else. If something doesn’t feel right, it’s important to say so.

When should Call 4 Concern not be used?

If you have concerns that are not related to a patient’s health or medical care, please raise these with the ward nursing team in the first instance.

This may include concerns about:

• The quality or variety of food provided
• The cleanliness of the ward
• The general hospital environment
• Any other non-clinical issue
• The ward team will advise you on the appropriate next steps.

How to contact the Call 4 Concern Team?

Please call: 07584 367 564

The Call 4 Concern team will ask you for your name and contact details, the name and location of the patient, and a brief description of your concern.

Please note that the Call 4 Concern team will aim to answer your call and resolve your concerns in a timely manner. However, depending on the demand for the service, there may be times when the team are delayed in responding to your call or visiting you.

We appreciate your patience and understanding.

What happens next?

Following a call or visit the Call 4 Concern team will then assess how best to help you or the patient and decide on the best course of action to try to resolve your concerns. This may involve:

• asking the patient’s healthcare team to visit you on the ward to perform an assessment.
• sending members of the Call 4 Concern team (experienced clinical practitioners specialising in reviewing and assessing unwell adult patients) to assess you or the patient’s current state of health.

Additional contact information

If you still feel your concerns have not been resolved, you may wish to contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) team:

• Telephone: 01704 704 703 (Please note all incoming and outgoing PALS calls are recorded for training and monitoring purposes)
• Email: soh-tr.pals@merseywestlancs.nhs.uk

Call 4 Concern© copyright is owned by Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust and used with their kind permission.