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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Operation 'possibly' cancelled...

44 replies

OhTheConfusion · 13/04/2012 15:40

I have just recieved a call (3.15pm) to tell me not to come in at 7.30am on monday as planned as there is no bed for me.

When I said that this was very late to cancel I was told (in a very snippy fashion) that I was 'lucky', she could have called me at 5pm.

My DM and DF are flying in the morning to mind the children and now I 'may or may no recieve a call to say come in on monday' or 'it will be re-scheduled'. I have not slept for 2 weeks and I am on the max dose of home pain relief. AIBU to be in tears?

OP posts:
YonWhaleFish · 13/04/2012 15:41

YANBU, they are!

upahill · 13/04/2012 15:44

Oh that's rough.
Have a good cry- it will help with your frustration.

Hope you are ok soon.

pippop1 · 13/04/2012 15:45

You poor thing. Sadly I have often heard of this scenario and sometimes on the actual day of the operation, even heard of one person that was in the bed awaiting surgery and it was cancelled due to an emergency.

My DH's aunt was due to have a knee replacement, it was cancelled 3 times and on the 4th time she was sent to a private hospital via the NHS and didn't have to pay anything. She wasn't sure if she was pleased or not.

I think you should try and explain to them about your parents flying in and ring on Monday in case there is a cancellation.

Hope you feel better soon.

cocolepew · 13/04/2012 15:47

How horrible for you.

I've been waiting since January for an op, if they cancel on me I'm planning on sharing a bed with someone.

Hope you feel better soon.

hathorinareddress69 · 13/04/2012 15:50

I remember being mortified when DS had an operation that went on much longer than expected and all the other children were sent home.

Blush
WhiteShores · 13/04/2012 15:50

I'm so sorry. Unfortunately these things happen, but they should have been kind and sympathetic about it on the phone. Its absolutely normal to be upset. :(

Original poster
OhTheConfusion · 13/04/2012 15:50

I have been waiting months and just can't take it anymore. All the say is the 'understand' and suggest I 'keep my blood pressure down' :(

OP posts:
YonWhaleFish · 13/04/2012 15:51

I know someone who 2 weeks ago was put under the anathestic and the electricity failed, so the op was cancelled, but they would have woken up thinking it'd been done Shock

TallyMeBanana · 13/04/2012 15:54

Sadly this happens all the time! I know because im a nurse!

My ex FIL had a knee op, he only recently had a follow up appointment. After 8 years! Shock

I kid you not!

TeaTeaLotsOfTea · 13/04/2012 16:02

Oh god you've got me worried.

I'm going to have (hopefully) my last MRI tomorrow and then I see my surgeon on the 23rd of this month.

When I spoke to the registrar on the 2nd April and I asked how long it would be and the possibility of it being cancelled. She said about 8 weeks at the most, and a very slim chance it would be cancelled.

I'm a lone parent and I've got friends and family running round for me when I have my OP. I really really hope its not cancelled now.

Sarcalogos · 13/04/2012 16:13

This is horrible, but common. My only advice is keep ringing (or even better try and get the email address of your consultant).

After waiting patiently in agony for way over the nhs target of '16 weeks' for surgery, I sent ONE desperate email to my consultant and he scheduled me in for the next week. (!) albeit at a different hospital.

I also ended up staying in the private part of the hospital (private ensuite room, nice food) for no charge as it was the only place they had a bed!

I didn't want to make a fuss (assuming everyone else was worse off than me), but at some point you have to prioritise yourself if the NHS wont do it!

Original poster
OhTheConfusion · 14/04/2012 09:19

I had to call up again as no one had told me if I should take my pre-op meds, fast etc and I was told to still do these things just incase.

Here's hoping following another sleepless night :(

OP posts:
landofsoapandglory · 14/04/2012 09:31

I've got 2 procedures scheduled for later this month. As luck would have it they have both come through for the same week! Both surgeons are on holiday so I have to wait to see if I can have them both done or cancel one.

My hospital was on the news this week because they have cancelled more than 500 operations since January 1st!Shock They said it is not the cuts, it is just demand has gone up, what ever that means!

Original poster
OhTheConfusion · 14/04/2012 11:02

Oh I hope everyone elses procedures go well. The system really is terrible, I don't understand how they seem to book appointments for when people are on holidays etc. If I did that I would have no business left!

OP posts:
myBOYSareBONKERS · 14/04/2012 11:33

I work in theatres and patients are cancelled on the day of operation if there are no post operative beds. It is awful and I feel SO sorry for the patient who has organised their life around this one day.

However - if there are no beds as the hospital is full what are we meant to do?? As it is the staff in my trust often work 20 hours to care for patients over night in the theatre complex as they HAD to be done. Would you want to be cared for by a nurse who has been at work 20 hours - I know I certainly wouldnt

Original poster
OhTheConfusion · 14/04/2012 12:12

No one would want to be in that position myBoys, but I don't see why they book in more than they can cope with?

My local trust has cancelled over 400 operations in three months. I may now need more pre-op meds, it has been a higher cost in letters, postage and admin staff and I need to continue on strong pain relief at a cost to the nhs as i have a maternity excemption cert.

OP posts:
Thevelveteenrabbit · 14/04/2012 12:16

It is not that they book in more than they can do - they book an elective list but then beds get filled up by non elective (emergency) patients then there are no beds to put elective patients in to. Monday is always a bad day as beds get filled up over the weekend and there are not the senior clinicians on duty to get these patients discharged until the Monday.

theodorakis · 14/04/2012 12:24

Can you manage to go private? I wouldn't really want to be a patient in a hospital that stretched.

mrsnesbit · 14/04/2012 12:36

They defo do not book in more than they have beds for, the beds become occupied with emergencies.
Sad fact unfortunately.

I work in HDU & ICU and we make every possible effort to make beds available for people and are bitterly disapointed if surgeries have to be cancelled if we have filled up with emergencies.
So sorry that this has happened to you op, especially given that you are in terrible pain and have gone to such lengths to arrange things around your surgery.
I hoep that it can go ahead for you my lovely x

BBQJuly · 14/04/2012 12:38

YANBU. But sadly it is very common to be kept waiting longer than you're led to expect and to have the goalposts moved many times. It's a disgrace and yes it does leave people in pain and ill while they are waiting.

Cherriesarelovely · 14/04/2012 12:43

I have also heard of this happening many times but how absolutely dreadful for you especially as you are already feeling so wretched. I really hope it does happen on Monday.

theodorakis · 14/04/2012 13:10

I think it is a shame that they can get away with this, it is so unfair on the staff who have to take the rap for bad management and for the patients. It takes a lot of courage to turn up for surgery, and it seems unfair that people should be abused in this way. This is exactly why I left the NHS 15 years ago.

cwtch4967 · 14/04/2012 14:05

A friend of mine was waiting for open heart surgery, off work and told he needed the operation within 3 months. Fast forward 18 months and he finally had a call to go in - he was sent home after 4 hours. A few weeks later he went in again, this time sent home that evening - he finally had it done the week after. It was a nightmare.
In some ways you were lucky to be given notice - most people have to call on the day to see if there is still a bed for them.

myBOYSareBONKERS · 14/04/2012 17:05

Private is not always best.

They often don't have the experienced staff on overnight so if you were taken very ill there would be no senior doctors in the hospital to treat you.

We often have patients from the local private hospital who have had to be transferred to us as the surgery has become more complicated then expected or have become ill - simply because the private hospital does not have the skills to look after them.

An option would be to go Private within a NHS hospital.

Clytaemnestra · 14/04/2012 18:41

When I had my first hip operation, they called me at 5PM to tell me to come in that night as I was first on the surgery list and they didn't want my bed to disappear overnight. Second one, went in on the day and I sat in a waiting room for four hours while all the consultants had a massive row about who was getting sent home - ended up three people got canceled and I had surgery mainly because a) my consultant is very shouty and b) he and his nurse did a mini pre-op consultation where, they got me into the ward sister's office drew an arrow on my leg and then told me that they couldn't send me home now as I was prepped for surgery. I love my consultant.

I believe if they cancel you you HAVE to get the operation done within a short time frame (14 days?) otherwise they get severely penalised, but I don't know if that applies for all kinds of surgery.