My son's operation date has been moved for the 3rd time

[elliejjtiny]

I've typed this out and lost it twice so I'm going to keep it brief this time. Basically ds4 (aged 11) has been waiting to have an operation at a hospital 90 minutes away. He needs 2 weeks minimum off school and 6 weeks off sport. I have sorted out childcare, rearranged appointments and called in favours so that my other dc can still do activities during half term. It took me ages, multiple hours. Now the operation date has been moved and I have to start all over again.

It’s frustrating. However, it will have been cancelled because the hospital doesn’t have in place everything it needs to keep your DS safe and cared for during the operation and afterwards. And that would be my priority.

Thank you. It's just so avoidable. I've been phoning the admin people several times saying he hasn't had the pre operation appointment and they have said they will look into it and phone back. Except they didn't phone back despite much chasing. Then I get a phone call to say he can't have his operation on that date because he hasn't had his pre operation appointment yet.

So avoidable? What do you mean? Do you know the pressure services are under? Or do you think the surgeons just cba?

I know the pressures they are under. I just mean that if when they phoned and gave me a date for the operation and I pointed out that he hasn't had his pre operation appointment yet then they could have put off the operation then while they sorted out a pre operation appointment.

Or when the 2nd attempt got cancelled because the locum surgeon said it would be fine about ds's previous operation complications and then the nurse doing the pre operation assessment said ds couldn't have his operation at the private hospital as an nhs patient but needed to go to the children's hospital where there is a picu.

Or the first time when his operation got cancelled because ds was ill for 6 months while he was waiting to get treatment for another problem.

It's not the people that I'm moaning about, I know they all work really hard, it's the system that is broken.

My DH had a heart operation cancelled around 10 times in the last year. I was looking at my old diary and it is full of cancellations. It finally went ahead and he is recovering.