Striking out on a new bearing

Posted by @ 11:33 pm on Thursday 5th July, 2012.
Categories: Health, or lack thereof
Tags:

It was way back on May 18th that the consultant's secretary at that Leicester hospital told me that she'd contact me within a week concerning the follow-up appointment needed three months after my April 23rd consultation. Needless to say, since that conversation in May I've heard nothing from her, her boss, the Admin Managers or the appointments personnel. No letter, no email, no phone-call. It's an appalling, deceitful and shameful way to run a public service.

Here in the real world we've not been so idle. On June 16th I saw my GP again and at my request he was happy to refer me cross-border to a Coventry hospital for a second opinion. A mere four days later I received a letter detailing the consultation arranged for me and advising me that if surgery is required then it would be "within the NHS 18 week pathway".

I attended that consultation today and after examining me the new consultant decided that he would need to perform another flexible sigmoidoscopy, looking specifically at the areas that are painful and/or dysfunctional. Fearing that I'd be on the waiting-list for a long time due to the 18 week pathway, I asked for some estimate of when the procedure could be done. I was gobsmacked when the consultant checked his diary and offered to do the procedure on July 19th! He didn't involve an Admin Manager, a secretary or an appointments clerk, it was all agreed and arranged between us then and there, even before I'd risen from my seat!

I might email that Leicester hospital to let them know just how simple and easy such things can be, but I suspect that they couldn't care less.

Tonight I'm genuinely happy for the first time in many months. I'm beginning to believe that the light at the end of the tunnel is more than just the illuminating tip of a butt-probe...

3 Responses to “Striking out on a new bearing”

  1. Brian Cowling says:
    Friday 6th July, 2012 at 5:41 am

    Well, I hope you do tell Leicester Hospitals ( http://www.leicestershospitals.nhs.uk/ - where they state that their purpose is "Caring at its best" ). You'll be doing others a great favour - and the hospitals' apparently.

    Good luck later this month.

    Reply? or Quote in reply?
  2. BG! says:
    Friday 6th July, 2012 at 10:15 am

    Originally Posted By Brian Cowling
    ..."Caring at its best"

    I hate those mission-statement slogans, they always remind me of "Arbeit Macht Frei".

    Reply? or Quote in reply?
  3. geoff says:
    Friday 6th July, 2012 at 12:19 pm

    That's great news, I hope it all goes well this time.
    I'm a bit worried about your "light at the end of the tunnel comment" in the circumstances!!!!

    Reply? or Quote in reply?

Have your say - submit a comment

THE SMALL(ish) PRINT... (updated 23/07/2016)

By submitting a comment to this blog you grant me permission to reproduce its content and to reproduce the submitted name/URL in attribution. I will leave your content in its intended place and in its unedited form unless one or more of the following apply:

If you ask me to modify, move or delete your content, I’ll consider making the requested change(s) so long as there’s no significant alteration of the context of the content or of any debate associated with it;
If you change your email address or URL, I’ll update these details in older comments so that I'm not displaying dead links;
If I decide to change the theme or layout of this blog, thus affecting the placement and/or visibility of comments, I’ll make whatever changes I see fit for the smooth running of this blog;
If any comment contains insulting profanity or other content which I deem to be causing or likely to cause trouble, I’ll edit or delete as I see fit for the smooth running of this blog. I’ll try to remember to display the reason(s) for whatever editing I do, so that folk aren’t left hanging wondering what happened and why. If you can at least try to "disguise" your swearing, it would be much appreciated.

Other things to consider:

Comments must contain at least 3 characters;
You can use some code in comments, feel free to give it a shot and see what works;
If adding pics, the recommended maximum dimension is 600px.;
Comments containing many links will be held for moderation;
I reserve the right to amend this policy in line with proven applicable current legislation;
Free Speech: you may well have the right to it, but you've no right to compel me to a) listen to it, or b) publish it!
« Previous/Earlier Post «
» Next/Later Post »