got my eyes opened the other day

I can honestly say that I have never felt let down by the NHS when it comes hospital services. Maybe I have been lucky, although I have been treated for serious conditions including ovarian cancer and MS (the latter diagnosed this year), so maybe lucky is not the right word. Things have not always been perfect, but everyone has been trying their best. The sad thing is hearing that good staff left because they'd had enough of being put upon. I will miss their kindness. P

The one thing I do recommend is having someone with you when you can, because if things are not going as expected it's useful to have somebody you can send off to find out what is happening. Being on your own, sometimes it's hard to know if you should ask someone for more information or not and the 'dithering' can make it worse. Take a friend.

I thought the NHS was supposed to have just such a database these days.
A friend of mine has had problems with the admin, too. On one occasion she got a telling off immediately after her return from theatre to the ward, by a nurse who told her she should know the date of her follow up x- ray appointment. After a phone call, tho, it turned out that no x-ray appointment had been made, as they had lost the request form.
It's depressing to hear politicians going on about saving the NHS and yet to know that so much time and money is being wasted.

We were fortunate we could afford the fee. I feel for those that haven't got a spare three figure sum available.

ninathenana I also would have made a private appointment as you did, though it should not be necessary.

Luckygirl My GP receptionist will give out blood results once the doctor has vetted them. I agree with your comment about 'joined up thinking'. Wouldn't it seem likely that a general patient data base would provide all information and results for everyone relevant. As long as someone enters the information/results. For instance, the XRay Dept could enter an xray result directly onto the data base. A Consultant could enter the result of a consultation directly onto the data base .... with an alert going to whomever that the information is now available.

Luckygirl We have today attended a private appointment, where DS was diagnosed as Autistic (he's 24) No surprise to him or the family.

ninathenana - that is shocking and I am sure you will find that there are guidelines about waiting times, even though we know that mental health is the Cinderella. I seriously would consider writing to MP about this - it is beyond reason; and I do not think you should let it ride - although of course your son will have the final say.

I have been waiting 3 months and have heard nothing about a possible appointment to see a foot surgeon.

The problems in these posts illustrate one of the biggest problems in the NHS and that is communication. The lack of joined up thinking causes so much waste of time and resources.

I am also very surprised to hear that a receptionist gave details of test results - that is not really acceptable.

I got a bit irate when one of our GP's, who we had never met, rang one day to say that he had looked at DH's test results and thought he needed a supplement. As the tests had been ordered by his consultant haematologist who has been overseeing his treatment for over three years I really didn't see we needed anyone else butting in and we refused to do anything till we had spoken to the consultant.

update, the doc rang, a very nice lady and explained that I was fine, the other doc had ordered the wrong tests and I am not in need of any medication, my anxiety levels are soaring though.
What was the other doc thinking of asking for the wrong tests?

DD has to have regular hospital visits and she needs to see the consultant. She turns up, gets called into see a junior doctor who examines her and says she needs to see the consultant. Unfortunately his appointment book is full for the day and she will need to make another appointment. She does, and gets called into see a junior doctor who says..........

She nearly died of shock a few weeks ago. She had an appointment to see the consultant and did.

Even worse if it's a mental health problem.
DS was referred for an assessment back in February. I rang a fortnight ago to check where he was on the list. "Oh, I'm afraid it will be two years before he gets an appointment.

Ethel I'm sorry for your experience

To add to what I said above I was told the week previously that as I had the beginning of a cold I would be ok for a general anaesthetic (by a staff nurse) as she said it would only be a problem if I had a chest infection . I would have cancelled my procedure myself if I had not listened to her.

Yesterday I rang my GP for results of blood tests taken last week and had them read out on the phone by a receptionist, No probs, everything ok, I got a letter today saying that I must make an appointment to see a doc re the test results, I spoke to the nurse who told me that I may have a condition (not serious) but that may need to be treated and she gave me different results for my blood. I queiried this and she said that she did not understand.
I await the doctor ringing me tonight to explain. The letter must have been posted before the receptionist spoke to me yesterday. A lot of hassle could have been avoided if she had just said, you need to see a doctor and given me an appointment yesterday. Are these people thick.
I sometimes think almost all NHS admin staff are braindead.

I think the NHS should address the issues of its admin quickly rather than keep saying it is short of money. If it got its act together it could save loads.

Last October DH was told he needed an operation and the doc apologised that it might be 'sometime before March' but that they were doing Saturday ops to try to bring down the waiting list. It seemed reasonable therefore to book a holiday for the end of July. They did pre-op tests the same day, then called him back for more, different test, then back again for a blood test. As we live an hour and a half away why couldn't they do them all at once? Why are his appointments always around 8 am? It wouldn't be hard to look at the address of the patient and call in the local ones early.

Since then he has been called twice to take up a cancellation and both times has not been able to take it up because he has to stop some meds a week before. That must be in his notes!

He was given a date in May which he was happy with and then they called him to say they had brought it forward by 4 days and he had no choice to decline as we were giving a birthday party for a little boy on the Child Protection Register.

Then they offered him a date just before our holiday which he had no option but to decline because it was booked and paid for and the insurance would not have paid out as he could decline. They seemed to think he was being unreasonable. They told him it would now be in September. It isn't, he has to go for more pre-op tests in October for his op in November - possibly.

Apart from it being awful for DH it has cost the NHS a lot of money for the 7 lots of pre-op test when only would was necessary.

Our GP was sympathetic but unsurprised. He says the NHS has no call logging system and relies on bits of paper which don't always get where they should and not always read.

I am sorry you have had this unpleasant experience. If you had a cold, it is probably just as well to leave it until another day.

At least you will know what to expect and can take a good book/kinde to pas the time.

It is very unfortunate to be on the receiving end of the results of the pressure that the NHS is under. Might you try talking with your GP to help you understand the reasoning behind this procedure?

Sadly many people may have had similar experiences, but it doesn't make it any easier on you.
Having a cold is a well known bar to a general anaesthetic and sniffles before a procedure are a worry. 70 in a waiting room? Not uncommon especially for a big teaching hospital and Nil By Mouth is also, I am afraid standard practice.
About 6 weeks ago we had cancelled a week with the DC and DGC at their holiday/weekend place in Somerset because DH was due to have a procedure under GA . Stopped his Warfarin 5 days before, did that thing of ringing to see if they had a bed, and success. To hospital on the train (2 hours, door to door) to London the day before, settled into a ward (an achievement in itself) NBM from midnight, and he waited. And waited.
Around 5 the next day I got a phone call to say they were discharging him because nobody had actually booked a slot for him for theatre!
So I had to get the train back to London to bring him home. Not best chuffed!!
Sh*t happens.