NHS Consultant appointment cancelled/delayed 4x

ljonski

Last April , i went to local GP and he reluctantly put me on the list(or so he said) to see the stomach specialist for non urgent consultation.
Months went by and no letter for appointment. By September got a bit concerned and contacted them to find out that no referral made .
With GP blaming hospital and hospital blaming GP for non referral .Eventually got Dec. appointment. Then cancelled to jan. Then cancelled to feb. Then this week cancelled to early april. Then today -2 days later cancelled to late April. All appointments are for thursday mornings. I assume that no other day is available as consultant is either operating, on holiday or Privately consulting!
I believe that until i see the Consultant , then i am not on any official waiting list.
Today's excellent Crime stastistics once again remind me of the addage:
Lies , damned lies and statistics.

unfortunately i will not be complaining officially in case i upset the consultant who will be operating......

brook2jack

try ringing the consultants Secretary, explain the situation and say you are willing to take a cancellation appointment at short notice.

The last couple of months at our local hospitals have been a nightmare as wards, non urgent ops and out patient clinics have had to be shut as norovirus, flu and other sickness bugs have swept through. It often happens around wintertime and has a knock on effect as cancelled patients, ops are rescheduled.As these patients are on the system the administrators are on everyone's case to clear the backlog so it doesn't affect the statistics.

bluenoseam

if it's a general hospital you'll find that the consultant only has consultation rooms available to him one day a week, the rest of the week he'll be operating etc.

kazzah60

brook2jack wrote: »

try ringing the consultants Secretary, explain the situation and say you are willing to take a cancellation appointment at short notice.

The last couple of months at our local hospitals have been a nightmare as wards, non urgent ops and out patient clinics have had to be shut as norovirus, flu and other sickness bugs have swept through. It often happens around wintertime and has a knock on effect as cancelled patients, ops are rescheduled.As these patients are on the system the administrators are on everyone's case to clear the backlog so it doesn't affect the statistics.

I agree with this statement - your consultants secretary holds virtually all the power - make a friend of her and you will be much more fortunate in being able to arrange your appointments
my sons consultant 's secretary is fabulous - she is happy for us to call before 8 in the morning ( before the Docs get in and she gets caught up with their needs) and will always swap an inconvenient appointment

mind you I have ALWAYS been polite with her, thanked her and taken her a box of chocolates when going for the consultation - they get very little recognition and a few nice words and some consideration go a long way in my experience

Herongull

There is a target time of 18 weeks from GP referral to hospital consultant to the start of treatment.

So if you need an operation, then the operation should take place within 18 weeks.

The 18 weeks only starts when the referral is received by the hospital. It looks like the first GP referral didn't get onto the system. This could be due to problems at the GP surgery or got lost in the post or it got lost at the hospital end.

If the 2nd referral letter was received by the hospital in Sept, then the 18 weeks should start from then. This means that your operation (if the consultant decides you need one) should take place in January.

This is clearly not going to happen in your case.

I have heard that with some hospitals if the 18 week target is missed, then the patient is always the first to be cancelled.

The reason for this is that hospital needs to get as many of their patients as possible treated within 18 weeks. Patients where the 18 week target can be met are prioritised ahead of those who have missed the target.

So patients either get treated in 18 weeks or else they miss the target and wait ages and ages and keep getting cancelled.

Try contacting PALS at the hospital and explain what happened in your case and see if they can do anything.

pmduk

I second the suggestion of contacting PALS, but also check the NHS Choose & Book website, there may be other options close by.

Dizzy_Ditzy

Actually, NO, the secretary does NOT hold all the keys to a clinic

As you are a new referral, you are better off getting PALS involved.

Sadly, the secretaries take too much flak for clinics being cancelled. They are always the first point of call for patients who are frustrated with the rubbishness of the system. We are actually tied up by the same system

I hope you get your appointment soon. Please let me know if I can e of any assistance

Secretary

antonic

I think the problem is that in your own words "its a non urgent appointment" - which to means you will be at the end of any waiting list as its not an acute problem.

kazzah60

queen_of_cheap wrote: »

Actually, NO, the secretary does NOT hold all the keys to a clinic

As you are a new referral, you are better off getting PALS involved.

Sadly, the secretaries take too much flak for clinics being cancelled. They are always the first point of call for patients who are frustrated with the rubbishness of the system. We are actually tied up by the same system

I hope you get your appointment soon. Please let me know if I can e of any assistance


sorry- my mistake - the consultant my son is under and also my husband have very helpful secretaries who are happy to make appointments for patients - in fact my sons consultants secretary schedules all his appointments and NONE go out via the appointments team - this may be because the condition is time senistive and has very specific windows of opportunity for treatment - but I know for a fact that she personally schedules the routine and emergency appointments herself.

In my experience PALS are as useful as a chocolate fireguard - I have had several sessions of contact with them over the years and in EVERY case they were unable to move things along
but that's just my experience

smala01

If you are that concerned, why don't you just pay £120 to see the consultant privately at time convenient to yourself. Probably in the next week.

I know its a lot of money, but whats your sanity and peace of mind worth?

Smala01

ljonski

If you are that concerned, why don't you just pay £120 to see the consultant privately at time convenient to yourself. Probably in the next week.

That's exactly what the consultant wants.-And thats part of my point,that The Consultant probably has a free slot next week , but i would have to cross his greasy palm with Gold to get it.

I would advise any youngster to take up private medical insurance,not because i believe in it , just because there is one law for the rich and one for the poor, and in things like health its foolish to be enchained to your consience.
I am not making a political statement because it was the same under the last administration and the one before that and before that........

This situation arose just after the war when the Atlee Government in order to get the NHS through the statute books had to placate the Doctors,by allowing them to have a certain amount of hours in the working week in Private practice. Otherwise it is doubtful whether there would have agreed to work in the NHS.

It is time these lucrative hours were curtailed, but it certainly won't be happening in the foreseeable future!