Aaaaargh, NHS rant « Singletrack Forum

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Aaaaargh, NHS rant

37 posts & 21 voices | Started 8 months ago by breatheeasy | Latest reply from Quirrel

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breatheeasy - Member

Missus needs a fairly major op. Had the op date set for a couple of months now, potentially off her feet for a few (2-6) weeks so I've had to beg, borrow and brown-nose leave and special arrangements to cover childcare at work.

They've just rang up up offering a cancellation next Monday. Sorry a bit too late notice so we'll just stick with the original date next month please. Oh no, sorry the surgeon can't do that date anymore (presumably got a nice holiday sorted now).

I'm now into a time period where I can't take leave due to project commitments with a wife needing surgery and a daughter needing school/half term cover. Thanks a bunch.

Sorry, poor quality rant. Carry on...

Posted 8 months ago #
dirtyrider - Member

how much are you paying for the op?

Posted 8 months ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

Not being able to do the original date is poor practice. Complain in writing to the hospital explaining how difficult arrangements have been to make.

Posted 8 months ago #
rightplacerighttime - Member

I'm now into a time period where I can't take leave due to project commitments

Whereas the surgeon is obviously taking a holiday?

Maybe the surgeon needs a major op too?

It's not necessarily anyone's "fault" is it?

Serious illness is like that - inconvenient.

Posted 8 months ago #
breatheeasy - Member

how much are you paying for the op?

Not sure if that's a dig in terms of "well, the op is free so MTFU if it all goes pear shaped". If thats the case then the pedant in me might start totting up the taxes I've passed to aforementioned NHS to fund said surgeon.

I do think a letter of complaint might be in order.

Posted 8 months ago #
ianpinder - Member

dirtyrider - Member
how much are you paying for the op?

About 2% of all the money he has ever earn't minus all the other nhs services he has used

Posted 8 months ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

be polite and gentle - disappointed and upset is the tone to take as well as explaining how difficult it has been to make all the arrangements - it will hopefully mean you get a rearranged date quickly and conveniently

Posted 8 months ago #
Stoatsbrother - Member

I wish this was an uncommon story.

Posted 8 months ago #
showerman - Member

what has how much are you paying got to do with it, they take a shit load out of my wages to pay for this so its bad form to treat people in this way

why do we allow the nhs to act like this becouse we belive its a free service it is not every working man and woman pays to use the service

aarrr makes me spit

Posted 8 months ago #
rightplacerighttime - Member

I wish this was an uncommon story.

What, people needing operations?

Posted 8 months ago #
Surrounded By Zulus - Member

More likely is that the surgeon has the opportunity to do a more interesting op for more money in their private sector work. Am wondering what operation could potentially keep someone off their feet for 2-6 weeks also.

Posted 8 months ago #
rightplacerighttime - Member

what has how much are you paying got to do with it, they take a shit load out of my wages to pay for this so its bad form to treat people in this way

What way is that?

You haven't got a clue why the op has been rescheduled?

Maybe they could have carried on with the original date, but they would have had to commit a lot of extra resources to maintain it?

Maybe they have rescheduled it to save YOU money?

Posted 8 months ago #
don simon - Member

That's very poor form, you should complain and you should have a full explanation as to why and what has happened.
Obviously I hope they find a suitable solution for you and everything goes well.

Posted 8 months ago #
mastiles_fanylion - Member

dirtyrider - Member
how much are you paying for the op?

Really not necessary don't you think?

OP - that is pretty crappy - I hope you can get things sorted and that your wife makes a full recovery.

Posted 8 months ago #
float - Member

how much are you paying for the op?

well done sir

Posted 8 months ago #
rightplacerighttime - Member

Hang on a minute.

It is obviously disappointing/inconvenient that the OP's missus isn't getting the op at the time she wanted it.

HOWEVER....

Clearly this is not a life threatening problem.

If it was she'd be in hospital.

And the hospital did offer an EARLIER date to them!!!!!

So if it was something that was causing pain for example, if it were me, I would bloody well get things arranged to take the earlier date, and sod the "project commitments"

What we are talking about here is inconvenience, not negligence.

Get some perspective people.

OP, you are in a horrible situation, but maybe we should all reflect on the fact that we are not in the richest country on the earth, where maybe you'd be having to sell your house for the op if you didn't have the right insurance, or most of the other countries on the earth where you wouldn't even have access to basic medicine.

Posted 8 months ago #
ciderinsport - Member

The NHS doing something before they said they might!! It must be a first

Hope it all works out for mrs breatheeasy and you..

Posted 8 months ago #
don simon - Member

Can't be bothered.

Posted 8 months ago #
Stoatsbrother - Member

rightplacerighttime

nope - cancellation of ops, cancelation of outpatient appointments etc etc. We don't know the reason for the cancellaiton here - but some Consultants do seem to have their clinics or lists cancelled more regularly than others. Just because the NHS is "free at the point of contact" does not entitle us to a predictable and organised pathway.

Now it sounds like the department here was trying to fix things as best they could. I'm having an op in 2 weeks (MTB injury related) and I'Ll believe it's going to happen when it's been done...

Posted 8 months ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

Stoatebrother is right - this is not good service and it should be. People do forget its a national health service. There may be a good reason for the cancellation but as stoatssbrother says it should be predictable and organised.

Posted 8 months ago #
Stoatsbrother - Member

oops to late to edit my post which says we should be entitled to a predictable pathway

Posted 8 months ago #
RichPenny - Member

Agree with TJ here. I wouldn't necessarily register it as a complaint, just point out the difficulties that you've had in arranging your life around the original date and ask if there's anything they can do. Could the op not be done by someone else? I think the calm approach will help them to do their best for you. I would not be happy either in your situation, hope you can get something sorted out.

So if it was something that was causing pain for example, if it were me, I would bloody well get things arranged to take the earlier date, and sod the "project commitments"

Perhaps you don't have a job where the company dictates your leave though? Sounds like the OP does which clearly makes last minute arrangements very difficult indeed

Posted 8 months ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

carers leave - legal entitlement IIRC

Posted 8 months ago #
RichPenny - Member

Good point. Still could make things difficult insisting on something like that though, I guess it depends on the scenario.

Posted 8 months ago #
crikey - Member

Without commenting on the rights and wrongs, phone the hospital switchboard, ask for the number for Mr. Mightbegoingonholidays secretary, and speak, nicely, to her. Ask if it would be possible to speak directly with Mr. Might... and arrange a time to call. Explain the situation to him directly and see if you can arrange a time which is good for both of you.

The majority of surgeons are highly pressured, highly overworked, highly regarded, but under all that actually pretty nice people. Yes, there are the occasional knobbers, but on the whole they are decent and understanding folk who will help out if they can.

Posted 8 months ago #
project - Member

Perhaps go back to your GP, and ask for a new choose and book appointment , thers more than one hospital, and quite a few consultants out there, bit like Halfords.

Posted 8 months ago #
doctornickriviera - Member

nice one project...you cant choose and book your theatre slot, consultant maybe but that is all. puts them back to the start of the waiting list.

it's possible a genuine mistake has been made here... someone in admin may have booked a theatre date in error when your consultant is on leave. It is possible your missus had her date altered to fit in a big cancer case etc. Lots of surgeons dont do any private practice you know.

and theyve offered you a date next week. Id say they are already trying to appease you and are gernuinely sorry for the inconvenience.

Posted 8 months ago #
project - Member

Dr Nick, you make a very good point, about booking a theatre slot, it must be an unbelievable nightmare to organise the theatres, staff to man them, and a bed to recover in, along with a surgeon, all for the same day, then repeat it many times for many different patients,then to fit in emergencies, and cancellations.

I take my hat off to all concerned,who must have a very stressful job.

Posted 8 months ago #
doctornickriviera - Member

My Wife is a burns and plastic surgeon, she could coin it in if she wanted to - think about female plastic surgeon- but we dont need the extra cash and it would mean her giving up evenings and weekends to try and keep vain people happy rather than spending quality time with me, no im mistaken our daughter.
She does loads of big complex skin cancer work and unfortunately she sometimes has to rearrange a non urgent for a life and death cancer case. It's unfortunate but c'est la vie. If it was my mum i'd want the cancer case sorted before the tummy tuck.

Posted 8 months ago #
don simon - Member

She does loads of big complex skin cancer work and unfortunately she sometimes has to rearrange a non urgent for a life and death cancer case.

Which is more than fair enough Drnick, hello drnick, but Mrs Breatheeasy would need it to be explained fully for her to see it like that and to understand. In my experience it's the reason behind the decision and explanation that is lacking and a cause of lack of understanding and frustration on the part of the ~~client~~ patient.

Posted 8 months ago #
doctornickriviera - Member

well dont rant on here and degrade the nhsand its staff, and politely speak to your consultants secretary tomorrow. oh and stop making presumptions. yeah its a bummer your wifes op was cancelled and i'm sorry to hear that, but I assure you that most people in the nhs work bloody hard to deliver good patient care, believe me when the NHS has gone things will get a whole lot worse.

Posted 8 months ago #
mastiles_fanylion - Member

You gotta love a doctor's bedside manner...

Posted 8 months ago #
samuri - Member

I'm sorry your wife needs an operation and it's affecting you in this way. Really, that's a right old shitty stick of life right there.

But go live in a country without the NHS, you have to pay insurance in those other countries. That's a lot more than the NHS. Actually, you can pay money in this country too, I know I do. I pay to the NHS and the private companies. Ho hum.

Back to the original point though, go to France or America and get an operation on the NHS. Oh hang on, you can't. Some large men will escort you to the door. Goodbye.

I agree, it's a poor quality rant, the virtually free health service in this country is one I've used lots of times before, it's not perfect but my god it's getting close. I have nothing but absolute 100% respect in the people who make up the front line of that service. They really are **** awesome.

I feel your pain and understand it's hard to deal with but you also have to accept they are often terribly overloaded, under immense pressure to cut the costs and generally get a load of crap from everyone. Reason with them, explain your difficulties and they will try and help where they can.

Posted 8 months ago #
luke - Member

I sympathise with you, my wife was ill a few years back, and had emergency live saving surgery, after her symptoms being missed by her GP, but spotted by the A&E doctor to then be ignored by her consultant on the ward, leading to a race across the county to get into another hospital where the surgeon had left the golf course to meet us for the op on a saturday night.
After the main op she had further items that needed another operation but as these werent life threating we were looking at 3-4 months wait.
I wasnt happy about this so looked in to going private to speed things up, we couldn't afford it so I sold my bikes and my watch collection to raise the money, but luckily before we got around to booking private a cancellation meant the wife had it on the nhs in a matter of days, and my hats off to them, as dispite several blunders on there behalf without the first operation she wouldn't have been her now.
Now we have 2 kids and i'm the only person in the house who works, it was the summer holidays so we had no childcare provision I spoke to work and got 2 weeks off, when it first happend then when I asked for more it was refused, so I told them to shove there job and walked out.

To me my family and there health are more important than a job, who if your honest probably don't give a monkeys about you or your families health and wellbeing, so my view is why should you care about the company. If they won't give you the time off for something like this, than personally I wouldn't want to work for them.

Posted 8 months ago #
restless - Member

if your child is school age then why not try asking a few other parents to take/collect for a few weeks, or use a before/after school club?
you wouldnt have to take so much time off work then.

Posted 8 months ago #