Sorry but this is a NHS rant

[clockboy]

Last year I had to have a major operation (kidney removed) and since then every six months I have to have a blood test & a scan and approximately two weeks after see a consultant with the results.  My next consultancy appointment is in three week time so today I tried to contact the Urology department at the hospital to see why I had not got a scan appointment before my 6 monthly check up. I telephoned the hospital and was given several altermated choices including word recognition which I used and I was promptly put through to a maternity ward. I hung up & redialled I asked an operator this time for the Urology department and was asked if I needed a secretary or Urology. I replied Urology the telephone redirected & then the phone promptly went dead. Redialled & got a message all lines are busy. Redialled and thought I would be smart and asked for secretary. I got an  alter-mated message that started by informing me that secretary only worked to 3:00 p.m. Then the secretary gave me the telephone numbers for either X ray or admissions departments. Before I could leave a message the phone went dead. Redialled this time with the X-ray number and actually spoke to a real person who after exchanging details informed me that no request had been received for a scan & told me I need to contact urology to get the paperwork done.!!!!!!!!!!!! Redialled the secretary to sort but after going through the I only work to 3.o,clock scenario & telephone numbers I now don,t need the phone went dead. Redialled but said yes to the word recognition and with fingers crossed said loud and clear UROLOGY & I was asked do I want to page them I say YES and was informed pager no available !!!!!!!!!!!

Drive to the hospital go directly to the urology department and ask a receptionist if she could possibly please,please sort as there seems to be no scan booked. Asked to wait!!!!! 30 mins later I am told that the scan had indeed not been booked BUT!!!!!!!!!!! the scan you need will now be after the original consultancy date. SO when I get the scan date I WILL HAVE TO TELEPHONE the urology department so they can arrange another consultancy date.

Now I am normally a very calm & placid fellow but then I just lost it and voices and blood pressures was raised . After my wife calmed me down & gave many apologies on my behalf I was given a direct line to the urology department for future use.  

 

Now I know our health service in the UK is under a lot of pressure but surely it must be possible to contact via real people.

 

Watch this space.

[NMarsh]

That is rough! Being in medical school myself, I always hate to hear these types of stories because ultimately these types of situations will likely be out of my hands. Even though it will generally be the physicians name that gets trashed in the process. It's just a shame that you get that much of a run-around for something that is as important as your health. It sounds very similar to the veterans hospital here in the states that are just so poorly managed. There are many doctors that truly care about veterans, but the system ultimately makes it impossible for patients to get in to their physicians. I have heard so many stories at the VA similar to yours where people just get the run-around. Hopefully you have smoother sailing in the future.


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[oldhippy]

So you didn't want the maternity ward? Why not

[Ishima]

I'm expecting things to get worse, at the department store my branch is located in, we're literally 1 minute and maybe a few seconds drive from the hospital, 2 elderly customers on separate occasions have fallen down the escalator, bleeding, one was a head injury, and both had to wait 2- 3 hours for an ambulance. a department store staff member passed out (but soon regained consciousness) before opening at 9am, by the time the EMTs came i was finishing my lunch at what must have been  nearly 2pm. she'd been sitting in the canteen the whole day waiting with other staff members looking after her. Of course the advice is always "stay there, we'll come to you" 

Coupled with how most NHS staff are treated and payed, I'm fully of the opinion that breaking point isn't something that's coming, it's what we're experiencing right now, if the NHS were a patient, a doctor would say it's 'circling the drain'. 

I'm sorry to anyone currently relying on it, and I pray I never have an emergency. Because I will not expect help to come.

Edited January 30, 2017 by Ishima