Disappointed

[Patsy33]

Hi all,
I was supposed to start my first radiation treatment today, at 12.30 pm.
Just had a phone call to say, treatment is waiting on a signature from Consultant. If they can't get one, the treatment won't be allowed to be carried out. They've tried to ring him but not getting answered. Been told not to start out on my my journey till 11.45 am, and to ring them to find out if signature has been done.
What a fiasco! They've had about 5 weeks to sort this out. To say I am disappointed is an understatement. I've been psyching myself up for a long time now. Hoping it will be assorted... but I have a feeling.... :-(

[gness]

Patsy...... another consultant must be able to sign. Suppose this one died yesterday.....they will still have to treat you.
It’s up to you what you do but me? As I did with MrG in a similar situation...... go to the hospital and sit there.

Hope you get sorted....it’s all to stressful without this sort of shoddy disorganisation....x

[teacake44]

Sounds like poor organisation skills of clerical workers to me. hope all goes well when you do get their. I think they should be ringing you really.

[Patsy33]

My husband is going ballistic! He wants to do what you had done gness!
I have to ring them now. Thanks for replies.

[Patsy33]

^^
I think you're right TC.

[Mamyalynne]

Don't blame you for being disappointed, let's hope they are damn quick getting this sorted so you can begin treatment.x

[Barsel]

What a sorry state of affairs Patsy. I hope you manage to get the treatment you need and good luck. x

[teacake44]

Don't let any clerical error get you down to much. The medical staff, and consultant who will be treating you, care about your well being. :0)

[Patsy33]

Just rang and signature has been done! Thank goodness. Still, should have been sorted before all this panic. I'm all nervous now after all this palaver. Felt really relaxed before...
Thanks for your support everyone. xx

[Mamyalynne]

Best wishesx

[pixie374]

Disorganisation really doesn't help anyone. I know so many people who have prepared themselves, mentally, for procedures and operations who have been cancelled at the last minute.
Obviously, emergencies happen... but it is so tough on those waiting.
Hope everything goes well, Patsy xx

[Peter Pedant]

when you finally start your tmt
( ie after )
write to the chief exec saying a clerical error has prevented you from starting tmt, and he should bear in mind the effect it has on the patient
( altho you realise that no detriment has taken place)
there is reputational damage, he should take into account

which hospital by the way ?

no it not just a signature - I think he has to sign for correct diagnosis, the mask if any is the right size, the treatment area is the right size ( contains all the tumour) and the dose is correct.

what happens if they drop dead? My radiotherapist was doing his own locum prior to retirement and had taken his eye of the barl big time - I ended up wishing he had .....
( GP paid for a second opinion as she agreed that my tmt had not been optimal)

[retrocop]

I feel your pain. I went to St Georges about 3 years ago and stayed overnight for an operation the next day.I couldn't eat but only sip water.Next a.m. I was woken and told to have a shower with Hibiscrub and wait. The nurse returned later and shaved the relevant areas.
At about 1500hrs I was told the operation had been cancelled.This was the second cancellation but the first didn't reach this stage.I went ballistic and a consultant was summoned to sheepishly tell me that incoming emergencies took precedence. I believed the lying barsteward until the ward sister actually admitted a Group meeting of the hospital Governors had over ran and the surgeon was in attendance at this meeting.
My wife wrote a very strong letter of complaint to the Trust. Ironic that she worked in endoscopy in the same hospital trust but at Queen Mary's Roehampton the sister hospital. I got the op about 3 months later. :-(

[hc4361]

That is disgraceful. I feel for you

[Sqad]

Consultants don't grow on trees.
They do get ill, they do have sudden and unforeseen commitments and emergencies do occur on a regular basis.
There is NO slack in the NHS.

[retrocop]

//emergencies do occur on a regular basis.//

That I accept and understand Sqad. When that was trotted out to me I accepted it. When I learnt the truth and told it was a bare faced lie I didn't.

[Sqad]

retro....I am not sure what you mean, are you talking on a general basis or a personal one?
If it is the former, then your informant is misinformed, but if it is the latter, then I cannot comment as i do not know the details..........unlike your informant apparently.

[teacake44]

I think to be fair when your very ill, and its your life and well being on the line, you expect nothing to go wrong, and a safety net all the way. In reality that's not always possible. In saying that I've only experienced hospital once in my lifetime ( so far). Asked to be there at 8.00am for day opp, sat all day in waiting room, at 6.30 pm I was asked to come back the next morning at same time, or, they advised, if I stop overnight in a bed they have spare, I would more or less be sure to be the first on the list next morning. So I stopped, no big deal really. That's just the way it go's.

[retrocop]

//retro....I am not sure what you mean, are you talking on a general basis or a personal one//

I am talking on a personal basis. I was lied to by a Hospital doctor as to the reason for my cancellation. Not more than 30 minutes later I was told the truth by another hospital professional.

[Sqad]

retro LOL.....O.K.

[bednobs]

Or maybe the sister had it wrong and the driver had ito right. Peter cheif execs can be women you know!