Woman warns Surrey NHS care system is too confusing following father's surgery
Sarah Teasdale praises life-saving NHS staff but reveals the struggle of navigating fragmented care
A daughter has told NHS bosses how her dad went from playing golf and going to the pub to losing a leg before spending months lost in what she described as a confusing, fragmented care system.
Speaking at a Surrey and Sussex NHS board meeting on April 1, Sarah Teasdale said staff were “absolutely amazing” and saved her dad’s life. But she warned the system around that care was “incredibly complex”, leaving her to coordinate everything herself.
From pub nights to hospital beds
Sarah said in August 2024, her dad, Colin, was active and social, celebrating his 80th birthday year by playing golf and heading to the pub most evenings.
By Christmas, everything had changed. After being discharged into community care, his health quickly worsened. He became delirious and was rushed back into hospital with a serious infection.
He was later transferred for specialist treatment, where doctors amputated his leg. “Once the leg was off, he was like a different person,” Sarah said.
After months in hospital and rehab, he is now back home, using a prosthetic leg and rebuilding his independence. “He got home from the hospital and went for a pint that night,” she added. “He is where he is now because of the amazing care.”
“I had seven phone numbers and no clue who did what.”
Despite praising frontline care, Sarah said navigating the system felt overwhelming. She found herself dealing with what seemed like 10 different teams, from NHS staff to council workers, physios and carers. Sarah said there was little clarity over who was responsible.
“I had seven different phone numbers written down,” she said. “I’d ring one, then another, then another just trying to find the right person.” At times, even professionals could not point her in the right direction, she said.
Little guidance, lots of guesswork
Sarah said she was given almost no clear information throughout the process. She received just one leaflet, two charity website links, and no proper explanation of support, benefits or timelines. It took 10 weeks before anyone mentioned financial help. Other support came even later.
“I just needed someone to say: here’s what you need to do, and here’s how long it’ll take,” she said. Delays added to the strain. A wheelchair took around 20 weeks to arrive, while home adaptations dragged on for months. In the meantime, she paid to hire equipment herself. “I basically worked out what he needed,” she said.
“What if someone didn’t have me?”
Sarah said her biggest concern is for people without someone to fight their corner. She said her dad had her to chase calls, fill in forms and push for help but others may not.
“What happens if someone doesn’t have that?” she asked. She called for simple changes, including clearer guidance, fewer contact points and better signposting to support.
Board members agreed improvements are needed, admitting the system is too complicated and poorly joined-up. One senior figure said: “We focus on the task, but forget the whole patient journey.”
Another senior member agreed, adding that the service needs to ensure “the best contact” is made with patients so all the right pathways are working together. She said other people are not that fortunate to have someone advocating for them, especially those in disadvantaged communities, who maybe English is not their first language and they do not understand the system.
Some members said accessing wheelchairs on time is a “national problem” and others welcomed looking at working with charities in future as a short-term solution for long wait for wheel chairs.
Despite the challenges, Sarah said the care saved her dad’s life but the system around it made a difficult time far harder than it needed to be.