NHS Jobsworth's

Ted_Hutchinson

Just come back from pathology lab fuming at the attitude of health professionals.

For some time now I've had a urinary tract infection which makes me feel lousy and various antibiotics haven't cleared it so it's sensible to test the urine to find out what bacteria are causing the problem so a more appropriate anti-biotic could be tried. Providing the sample isn't the problem, it's getting it tested and getting the result in a timely manner.

Twice samples have gone to the path lab and twice the results have come back as a faulty sample and no test result. What makes me cross is that it takes 10 days to report back that the sample wasn't testable ( the last occasion they report the sample bottle had leaked, I can't understand how it took them 10 days to discover that). What adds insult to injury is the confidentiality of discussing these non test results. I want to get better and am fed up with feeling ill all the time yet when these no test results come back the receptionist, after looking on the screen showing the test results have been returned cannot simply tell me a new sample is required, I have to wait to speak to a doctor for him to explain the path lab claims the bottle leaked in transit. I'm fed up with going back and forth to the surgery simply because NHS protocol deems only highly trained doctors can explain a void test needs repeating. I can accept that should the test be positive or negative this could have medical consequences which could need professional guidance but surely requiring me to make an appointment to see a doctor simply to be told the test didn't happen is carrying it to extremes. If there's nothing testable in the sample bottle when it arrives at the lab then surely they can use the phone to get another sample provided. This has now been going on for 3 weeks and it will be another 10 days before the treatment starts. That's if they manage to open the sample bottle without spilling it.

IvanOpinion

Ted
I know how you feel. My wife had been waiting for a CAT scan for quite a while and after finally getting it the results took 3 weeks to arrive at the doctors. DW asked the receptionist what the outcome was but had to make an appointment ... so another week passed. Upon talking to the doctor it appears the letter from the hospital mentioned a 'small Calcium deposit in the brain'. She asked what this meant but her GP said 'I don't know' so DW asked him to find out so he said he would compose a letter.

What a load of !!!!!!! DW phoned the hospital and got put through to the relevant doctors secretary and asked her. She said that she was not qualified and asked why she was ringing, after a lengthy explanation the secretary said that she would get the doctor to phone her. About 20 minutes later the doctor called back and explained everything (and commented that it should not be the patients job to do this) ... I just wish I could remember the doctors name because the health service needs more doctors that care enough to return a call.

The only thing I ask is why did the letter not explain the actual meaning of Calcium deposits in the Brain a bit more - obviously the GP did not understand what it meant.

ivan

WHA

Don't get me started on the NHS! But just a few recent issues.

1 - Took mother in law to doctor appointment, then left her there to take 2 yr old son for a walk. Came back - mother not in waiting room - asked receptionist if she was with the doctor - was told she couldn't tell me because of patient confidentiality!!!!!!!!

2 - Father in hospital for three months due to series of wrong diagnoses, wrong treatments, various superbug infections etc. Moved hospitals and new consultant has admitted serious mistakes were made. All for a very simple and straightforward stomach problem. Now a healthy middle aged man has lost several stones in weight, can't walk and has lost use of a lung! If that isn't bad enough, he is "bed blocking" because blocked ears due to earwax makes him dizzy and he can't even try to learn to walk again. Now I would have thought that a simple ear-syringing would be done almost immediately - but the ward sister says her staff can't do it and he has been given an appointment at the ENT clinic, in THREE WEEKS TIME - he will need ambulance transport to get there! So for the next three weeks he is stagnating on a ward before he can begin to improve. No wonder billions of pounds are being wasted!

3 - My doctor wants regular (3 monthly) blood tests for diabetes (border line), cholesterol and blood pressure, with the practice nurse. Blood pressure has been very high on each of the last three occasions and the nurse each time asked me to see the doctor, who simply said that the readings were probably too high because of the meter that the nurse uses - if he ignores the nurse's readings, why bother asking for them? Also, the blood tests, first time, nurse ticked wrong box and so wrong tests were done - receptionist didn't say this, just that I had to see the Dr. Went for doctors appointment, only to be told I needed an appointment with the nurse for a new test. What a waste of everyone's time!

4 - So much for patient confidentiality. I phoned for blood test results - told they were OK - I asked for the readings (I have been researching what the readings should be) - receptionist told me over the phone. How did she know I was who I said I was? She could easily have divulged confidential information to someone else.

5 - Picked up repeat prescription. Handed one for someone else, different name, different address. Very interesting to see what they were being prescribed, but what about their confidentiality???

It is about time they stopped whingeing about pay and conditions and did the job they are there to do. In my opinion, many of them are overworked only because of their own inefficiency.