NHS aaaarrrgggghhhhhh

MIsterGoof

Last weekend I came off my bike and ended up breaking my nose.

A&E gave me a card and told me to ring the ENT department for a follow appointment which should be in the following week.

so

On Monday tried for 1 hour to get through to ENT : Failed
On Tuesday tried for 1 hour to get through to ENT : Failed
On Wednesday tried for 1 hour to get through to ENT : Failed
On Thursday tried for 1 hour to get through to ENT and got through just as I was going to give up.

Spoke to the dept secretary who told me that I could not have an appointment as they did not have my notes. I explained that I had a copy of my notes, but apparently that is not good enough, they need my original notes. So I asked how we could overcome this problem, she promptly transferred me to A&E.

I explained the situation and was told that they did not have my notes but will look for them and to ring back later. I rank back later to be told NO NOTES HERE.

On Friday I rang ENT, and was told that an appointment can not be made unless they have my notes. I explained that I had a copy of them, A & E did not have the at all, I could always FAX / EMAIL them my copy. Apparently this is unacceptable and there was nothing else they could do.

I rang my GP for advice and was told by the receptionist who deals with referrals that I could go see the GP, get a referral, and then get an appointment 2 or 3 weeks later.

Damn useless bunch of chocolate tea pots the lot of 'em.

what is my next action:

GO back to A&E and claim my nose is a new injury, and so get some more notes ?

or what?

daveecp

Try ringing again and if you are given the same run around ask to speak to the chief executive. When you are told that they are unavailable( !) ask to speak with whoever deals with complaints and complain. In the meantime write to the chief exec complaining using the names of anybody that you have dealt with. You might be surprised at how quickly notes are found :twisted:

simplesimoncardiff

Dunno what you're moaning about! I Broke my collar bone over a year ago and still waiting to get it fixed....

Cunobelin

Find the number of PALS (Patient advice and liaison service) ................. this is ight up their street!

In particular express concern that your treatment is being delayed due to the loss of the notes.

Patrick1.0

I thought that labour's borrowing and spending had made this sort of problem a thing of the past...

damage36

Haha, i WORK in outpatient appointments, so this sounds all too familiar.
As advised, ask to speak to PALS who should be able to sort it out for you.
Normally the notes from a patient go to the doctors secretary, but medical records ought to have them otherwise. They will be there somewhere.
A GP referral will take 2-3 weeks MINIMUM so there's really no point bothering with that. Don't rock up at A&E again, because there are too many jokers with no emergency who turn up there anyway.

So yeah, go complain and it should get sorted out.

DMG

drewfromrisca

Hey that's nothing...I went to see a specialist last week for a foot problem, they recommended an insole for me, shaped it for my right foot etc etc and when I went to pick it up a week later they had made it for the wrong foot!!! Also a few months ago I went into local GP complaing of hip and back pain and was told to take 6 weeks off work to rest, went back for scans after 6 weeks and found I had degenerative disc disease all because of another doctor! I've given up all faith of the NHS. Last year my nephew hurt his ankle playing football, went for a x-ray, was told it was fine, hurt it again a few months later and went for another scan to be told that he had an old break in his foot that hadn't been fixed properly.

MIsterGoof

damage36 wrote:

Haha, i WORK in outpatient appointments, so this sounds all too familiar.
As advised, ask to speak to PALS who should be able to sort it out for you.
Normally the notes from a patient go to the doctors secretary, but medical records ought to have them otherwise. They will be there somewhere.
A GP referral will take 2-3 weeks MINIMUM so there's really no point bothering with that. Don't rock up at A&E again, because there are too many jokers with no emergency who turn up there anyway.

So yeah, go complain and it should get sorted out.

DMG

Thanks DMG and the othres,

DMG can you please tell me why I am not allowed to forward my copy of the notes to the department? It seems completely pointless im having them if they cant be used to help the situation.

tjhanks

MG

red dragon

I realise that we live in a not so perfect world at times. But on the occasions I have REALLY, REALLY needed the NHS they have been there for me. I to have suffered the lost bits and pieces. But overall they have been very good, and delivered to me the best.

Big Red S

So far, I seem to only have managed to be served by the good side of the NHS.

Only thing they've ever got wrong is told me my toe was bruised when it was broken. But since the treatemnt's exactly the same ("you can take some ibuprofen if you want"), I can't really compalin.

damage36

MIsterGoof wrote:

damage36 wrote:

Haha, i WORK in outpatient appointments, so this sounds all too familiar.
As advised, ask to speak to PALS who should be able to sort it out for you.
Normally the notes from a patient go to the doctors secretary, but medical records ought to have them otherwise. They will be there somewhere.
A GP referral will take 2-3 weeks MINIMUM so there's really no point bothering with that. Don't rock up at A&E again, because there are too many jokers with no emergency who turn up there anyway.

So yeah, go complain and it should get sorted out.

DMG

Thanks DMG and the othres,

DMG can you please tell me why I am not allowed to forward my copy of the notes to the department? It seems completely pointless im having them if they cant be used to help the situation.

tjhanks

MG

They are for you to read, as a reference really. Traditionally notes aren't handed out, they stay in-house. You've got them because government thinks we all ought to have choice choice choice about our healthcare, patient power etc. Basically, you could doctor the notes I suppose, its safer for them to use their own.
To be fair, if someone doesn't follow policy to the letter and then there is a complication down the road, they are culpable. That can be career ending for a doctor - so they have to religiously stick to the rules.

How is the complaining going?

DMG

doog442

I liken my outpatients dept to an airport departure lounge where every flight has been delayed...same kind of atmosphere. The NHS just seem totally overworked,however to their credit in my recent and current dealings every person who has dealt with me has showed genuine concern and been totally professional..

Im waiting for an MRI scan..why cant they tell me where i am in the list :?:

ianjaytee

find a good ent doctor in your area any pay for a private consult most of them will fit you in their nhs list if you need surgery the doc pockets £150 for the private consult

stfc1

I smashed my face up a bit coming off the bike this weekend. Went to the local NHS A&E where they picked the bits of tooth out of my lip, patched me up as best they could and sent me on my way within and hour or two. Rang my NHS dentist Monday morning, got an appointment Monday afternoon and had my teeth tested, x-rayed and rebuilt there and then. Couldn't fault them.

Doesn't help you, of course, and you have my sympathy, but I just wanted to show the other side of the coin.

il_principe

Write to PALS copy it to your MP.

NHS... :x

vermooten

NHS not perfect but I've had nought but great service from them. Two breaks 2 years ago, all treatment happened quickly and efficiently.

They do have trouble managing paperwork though eg impossible to make appointment with GP.

How about threatening them with media coverage of this Kafka-esque situation?

il_principe

vermooten wrote:

NHS not perfect but I've had nought but great service from them. Two breaks 2 years ago, all treatment happened quickly and efficiently.

They do have trouble managing paperwork though eg impossible to make appointment with GP.

Especially if you work. My sister's GP couldn't give her a early morning appointment unless she waited a month! Like so much else with this government it seems geared towards those that don't work, no time for those who actually work and pay for the NHS in the first place.

MIsterGoof

damage36 wrote:

How is the complaining going?
DMG

All sorted,

Couldn't get through Friday or Monday but got through yesterday.

They have made me an appointment for 2 weeks time, they will let me know 1 week before when it is FFS Tell me on the phone

At least it's progressing.

Thanks for all the advice

MG

damage36

To be fair, they do need to check a couple of things rather than bung you into any clinic that appears on the screen. You should be able to check the time over the phone by today I would have thought which would ease your concerns. Glad its gone well.

Bikerbaboon

I have ad a few happenings with the nhs over the last year. 2 visits for me and a 2 week stay, 3 visits for the wife and a 2 week stay and 2 visits for my house mate and a 1 week stay. any my wife being diagnosed with MS.

Over all the staff are willing to help but the management of the time and money is massivly wastefull that then puts a strain else where in the nhs.

I was waiting for a mri scan on my right foot. It was put in to a back slab while i was in hospital after 4 days of waiting i got my appointment....... but the doc noted it down wrong and sent me down to get my left leg scanned



I even pointed out to the radiographer that my was the wrong body part they where scanning. but unfortunatly they had to do what the doctor orderd. Wait another week in hospital ( imagen the cost and a waste of a bed for a broken foot) to get the mri scan, they could not send me home as i would then have to join hte waiting list forhte mri that runs in to the months.

LGI runs 1 mri scanner 8 hours a day 5 days a week so that 8 MRI scanns a day they can do.... the private hospital just down the raod has got 2 mri scanners and runs them 24 hous a day 7 days a week. who do you think is getting the most form the expencive equipment and is not wasteing money keeping people in beds when they dont need to be there?

yesterday My wife went to the doctor to get pain meds for the MS and was told off for haveing MS and wanting treatment as it was costing hte NHS £3 a day in pain meds. :shock:

MIsterGoof

I just releievd the postman of his struggle to get this months C+ through the letterbox and he also gave me the letter from the Hospital.

The letter was dated from Friday. I'm confused :?: , but at least I've got an appointment.

cee

I think it is easy to find individual cases where the service of the NHS has been poor.

On the whole however, no matter what an individuals experience, citizens from most other countries in the world would rather have the NHS than what they have.

Bikerbaboon

cee wrote:

I think it is easy to find individual cases where the service of the NHS has been poor.

On the whole however, no matter what an individuals experience, citizens from most other countries in the world would rather have the NHS than what they have.

I did try to make the point that its was only a couple of problems that the nhs had with our treatments. refferals to spechialists and phsyo all were great and the genearl treatmetn for my wifes MS had been top notch........ Remember the nhs is one of the largest employers in the eu so will always have problems. ......


my point was supposeed to be about how they have wasted hundreds of pounds on wasted bed time in a hospital and they a doctor has the cheak to have a go at my wife whos hads are so painful that she can not pick up her hand bag, about wanting pain meds.

Brixtonbiker

Only had good service from NHS in Lambeth, But before in North London very bad service in Enfield.

It really depends on which area you live though.

Lambeth = Guy's and St Thomas' are brilliant

wildmoustache

jashburnham wrote:

vermooten wrote:

NHS not perfect but I've had nought but great service from them. Two breaks 2 years ago, all treatment happened quickly and efficiently.

They do have trouble managing paperwork though eg impossible to make appointment with GP.

Especially if you work. My sister's GP couldn't give her a early morning appointment unless she waited a month! Like so much else with this government it seems geared towards those that don't work, no time for those who actually work and pay for the NHS in the first place.

jash - i seem to be agreeing with almost everything you're posting around here are you me?

couldn't agree more on this. Complete f**king scandal how inaccessible a lot of taxpayer funded services are to taxpayers. the anger will get taken out on them at the next election though i am not too hopeful the tories will be better, but it's worth whacking labour.

overall i think the nhs is not bad, but this thread covers its two big weakpoints IMO - poorly joined up service and hard to access by those who pay the bills

Tim Farr

Can't find fault with my GP surgery - perhaps have to wait 5/6 days for an appointment, but if it's urgent they'll see you that day.

The hospital have been marvellous. Diagnosed with minor bladder cancer in 1997 I have had check ups - cystoscopy - ever since and will continue to do so until 10 years after the latest growth. My latest growth was excised in Feb 2007 - so at the minimum the check ups will be until Feb 2017.

In fact I've had a cystooscopy this morning; it's all clear and he's told me 12 months to the next one. Great news for me and my family. Thank you NHS