What A Difference A Day Makes!

[ditchcrawler]

12 hours ago, Laurie Booth said:

They might not be any better

My nephew has been unable to get a doctor to see his daughter with ear ache, The just send antibiotics and say if its not better next week they will make an appointment with the ENT clinic. Doctors on the whole have just gone to ground

[Laurie Booth]

Just now, ditchcrawler said:

My nephew has been unable to get a doctor to see his daughter with ear ache, The just send antibiotics and say if its not better next week they will make an appointment with the ENT clinic. Doctors on the whole have just gone to ground

This is the problem, it's the doctors fobbing patients off. Just like your nephew's daughter, I've been referred to a clinic.

[system 4-50]

On 06/11/2020 at 19:48, system 4-50 said:

I aim to enquire of my various relatives and friends if they want it, and if there are no takers by the new year, I shall be looking to part with it to a good home from the general public at a suitable sum.

A small update.

A relative has expressed an interest in the boat so its staying in the family for the moment.  I'm not sure he understands the workload it entails but we shall see.

As for me, 25 sessions of radiotherapy completed and next Monday an operation to remove a growth the size of a fist from my leg.  Wish me luck!  

PS. My gas CH boiler has just decided to expire!

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, system 4-50 said:

A small update.

A relative has expressed an interest in the boat so its staying in the family for the moment.  I'm not sure he understands the workload it entails but we shall see.

As for me, 25 sessions of radiotherapy completed and next Monday an operation to remove a growth the size of a fist from my leg.  Wish me luck!  

PS. My gas CH boiler has just decided to expire!

All the very best of luck.

 

[Beo]

Good luck with both leg and boiler 

[cuthound]

16 hours ago, system 4-50 said:

A small update.

A relative has expressed an interest in the boat so its staying in the family for the moment.  I'm not sure he understands the workload it entails but we shall see.

As for me, 25 sessions of radiotherapy completed and next Monday an operation to remove a growth the size of a fist from my leg.  Wish me luck!  

PS. My gas CH boiler has just decided to expire!

 

Good luck. I hope the operation is a complete success and you recover quickly.

 

Last November I had a successful operation to remove a benign tumour the size of a large tomato which had attached itself to one of my parathyroid glands.

 

 

Edited March 11, 2021 by cuthound
Clarification

[system 4-50]

Ha!  Operation cancelled.  Apparently Monday's date was given in error.  Now expected to be w/b April 12th.  

[ditchcrawler]

Bugger.

 

[system 4-50]

Not sure whether to put this here or in the Joke thread.  There are lots of competent people in the NHS but their admin systems are unsatisfactory.

 

Radiotherapy Complete, appointments to be set for Surgery.

Steps required in no particular order:

Full Scan

Surgeon's review

Covid Test

Blood tests

Operation

 

Appointments Booked In Time Order

 

1. Appointments booked: (? = date not yet set)

Full Scan

? Surgeon's review

? Covid Test

? Blood tests

? Operation

 

2. Appointments booked:

Operation

Full Scan

? Surgeon's review

? Covid Test

? Blood tests

 

Comment: Scan is too soon after an operation

 

3. Appointments rebooked:

Operation

Full Scan (much later)

? Surgeon's review

? Covid Test

? Blood tests

 

Comment: Operation date issued in admin error.

 

4. Appointments rebooked:

Operation (much later)

Full Scan (later)

? Surgeon's review

? Covid Test

? Blood tests

 

Comment: Scan must be before operation

 

5. Appointments rebooked:

Surgeon's review

Full Scan

Covid Test

Blood tests

Operation

 

Comment: Scan must come before Surgeon's Review

 

Current State:

Comment: We do not seem to be able to get the necessary steps done before the Operation....

 

(This is a simplified version!)

[Nightwatch]

Some years ago, I had need to write to my MP. A first for me.

 

Was in need of a by-pass operation at the Royal Brompton in London. Second time around so under a senior surgeon. Any way, all going well, scans, mri’s ect’s prods and pokes all carried out. Waiting for operation date. Got the date. Yippee! Admitted to hospital. Operation cancelled. Emergency came in. Acceptable and understandable.

Got a phone call to attend Brompton for another MRI scan. Two hour trip each way etc.

Spoke to Surgeon Secretary a week or so after the scan to see where I was on the waiting list. She told me, the scan had bought some time regarding time zero and me getting ‘done’. I was really surprised that a Senior surgeon of my surgeons’ standing should be given targets to get people ‘done’ within time limits.

 

So, in support of my friendly surgeon, I wrote to My MP  suggesting that targets are un-necessary for these highly trained and regarded ‘operators’. My MP passed me onto Andy Burnett. Present Health Secretary at the tIme.

I got a letter from Mr Burnett saying I was being unfair to senior surgical staff by complaining that my operation should be delayed because of necessary and essential scan having to be done.

 

This was escalated and became embassasing for me. I was interviewed by two member of hospital staff during recovery. I was the bad guy. 
 

I wasn’t though.

 

PS. On the morning of my operation The Royal Marsden suffered a horrendous major fire and many of their patients were transferred to the Brompton. Thankfully my operation went ahead, it could easily have been postponed again.

Edited March 23, 2021 by Nightwatch

[Richard10002]

44 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

Some years ago, I had need to write to my MP. A first for me.

 

Was in need of a by-pass operation at the Royal Brompton in London. Second time around so under a senior surgeon. Any way, all going well, scans, mri’s ect’s prods and pokes all carried out. Waiting for operation date. Got the date. Yippee! Admitted to hospital. Operation cancelled. Emergency came in. Acceptable and understandable.

Got a phone call to attend Brompton for another MRI scan. Two hour trip each way etc.

Spoke to Surgeon Secretary a week or so after the scan to see where I was on the waiting list. She told me, the scan had bought some time regarding time zero and me getting ‘done’. I was really surprised that a Senior surgeon of my surgeons’ standing should be given targets to get people ‘done’ within time limits.

 

So, in support of my friendly surgeon, I wrote to My MP  suggesting that targets are un-necessary for these highly trained and regarded ‘operators’. My MP passed me onto Andy Burnett. Present Health Secretary at the tIme.

I got a letter from Mr Burnett saying I was being unfair to senior surgical staff by complaining that my operation should be delayed because of necessary and essential scan having to be done.

 

This was escalated and became embassasing for me. I was interviewed by two member of hospital staff during recovery. I was the bad guy. 
 

I wasn’t though.

 

PS. On the morning of my operation The Royal Marsden suffered a horrendous major fire and many of their patients were transferred to the Brompton. Thankfully my operation went ahead, it could easily have been postponed again.

 

I've only written to my MP a couple of times.... she kindly passed my concerns to the relevant minister and I got replies, via her, which effectively told me to piss of as they know what they are doing, and it is the right thing. I don't bother now - which probably suits them

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, system 4-50 said:

Not sure whether to put this here or in the Joke thread.  There are lots of competent people in the NHS but their admin systems are unsatisfactory.

 

Radiotherapy Complete, appointments to be set for Surgery.

Steps required in no particular order:

Full Scan

Surgeon's review

Covid Test

Blood tests

Operation

 

Appointments Booked In Time Order

 

1. Appointments booked: (? = date not yet set)

Full Scan

? Surgeon's review

? Covid Test

? Blood tests

? Operation

 

2. Appointments booked:

Operation

Full Scan

? Surgeon's review

? Covid Test

? Blood tests

 

Comment: Scan is too soon after an operation

 

3. Appointments rebooked:

Operation

Full Scan (much later)

? Surgeon's review

? Covid Test

? Blood tests

 

Comment: Operation date issued in admin error.

 

4. Appointments rebooked:

Operation (much later)

Full Scan (later)

? Surgeon's review

? Covid Test

? Blood tests

 

Comment: Scan must be before operation

 

5. Appointments rebooked:

Surgeon's review

Full Scan

Covid Test

Blood tests

Operation

 

Comment: Scan must come before Surgeon's Review

 

Current State:

Comment: We do not seem to be able to get the necessary steps done before the Operation....

 

(This is a simplified version!)

I had a simpler version.

 

Routine consultation in mid 2019. No action needed now but we will send you a follow up consultation in 12 months time.

 

Mid 2020 came and went, then I got a letter asking me to book a telephone consultation. Fair enough. So I rang up to ask if they needed a blood test first, since I had one last time. Appointments lady was very helpful but said there was nothing about a blood test in the notes, and she couldn't instruct one. Telephone consultation appointment made. Consultant would call me.

 

On the day, stayed within reach of the phone throughout the 4 hour appointment window and for another half hour. No call.

 

Rang the appointment number, more in hope than expectation, and got through at about 6.30 pm. Was told the consultant cancelled the appointment earlier that day as the last blood test on file was 18 months old!

 

New blood test and new telephone appointment made.

 

And final result - we'll see you again in a year's time. 

 

[system 4-50]

An update:

 

I had my operation on April 7th, 5 nights in hospital, a lump the size of a fist removed from my thigh, leaving a crater the moon would be proud of.  Wound has healed well and I was able to drive my van a short distance yesterday, though walking very far is more of a challenge due to lack of practice.  Starting to think about the possibility of visiting my boat in about 2 weeks time???  Possibly after getting a small piece of swarf, probably stainless steel, out of my knee.

Oh and umpteen scans show no sign of spread so that''s good.  (The extra apostrophe is sheer exuberance).