Operation 'possibly' cancelled...

[OhTheConfusion]

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?

Here is an honest question, though: I get that they book as many elective ops as poss and then unplanned emergencies come in.

But surely it's not beyond the wit of man to budget for an average number of unplanned emergencies?

I mean, I understand that there will be variation in the no. of emergencies, but surely it's possible to work out an average number of (say) emergency hip ops in January when it's snowy, emergency heart ops in August when the heat gets to elderly people, etc, and plan your elective ops accordingly?

I'm sure this is done to some extent but it seems not very efficiently, given the stories here.....

Clyt I had a kidney op - scheduled for Dec 2010 - cancelled - rescheduled for Jan 2011 - cancelled - rescheduled for July 2011 - finally went ahead.

So not in that case!!!

Depends on your bed occupancy rates. If you run at occupancy rates of about 90% then even a small surge in flu cases/weather related issues/holiday makers/school holidays will scupper your balance.

And if you run on less occupancy then you potentially waste an awful lot of money. Staffing wards with not enough people on them and all the extra services and personnel that involves.

ICU beds in particular can be horriby unpredicatable. That's before you factor in other trusts asking for beds and transfers, care homes unable to accept their clients home at short notice, socail care/social services interventions.......it's so complicated.

Humans are sadly unpredicatable.

You have my upmost sympathy and I rally hope you get sorted soon.

It's not just operations though, people get messed about WRT out patient appointments too. I have complex problems with my back and pelvis, on my notes it says I have to see the consultants. After my last procedure on the front of my pelvis, in January, the consultant said he'd see me in six weeks. I got a letter through telling me I had to see a physio who would decide if I needed to see the surgeon again or go back to my GP. I rang up, the receptionist refused to put me in with the consultant, his secretary was on a months holiday so by the time she came back and gave me an appointment with the surgeon it was 12 weeks from when I had had my procedure.

My spinal surgeon had asked to see me 3 months after the injections he had done into my spine. I turned up, they had lost my notes, I sat for hours, I got sent for an xray, came back, got told the consultant wasn't there! They didn't know I was meant to see him as they didn't have my notes, I saw the registrar who didn't know what to do, so I am booked into see the spinal surgeon in June, 6 months after my injections.

I worked in the NHS in the 80s and 90s and there were notes put next to patient's names, on the computers, when they were booked into clinics to avoid them being messed about if the consultant wasn't going to be at the clinic.

I know that the availability of beds are unpredictable, but why are we hearing that 500 operations have been cancelled in one trust this year, so far, alone? The surgeon they interviewed said it was nothing to do with the cuts, so what has happened? We didn't even have a snowy, icy winter where all and sundry were breaking their legs. It makes no sense to me.

Good luck for Monday OP.

My own op was cancelled because the PCT pulled funding. Apparently it isn't a problem worth treating.

I was annoyed because I had seen the surgeon, had the scan and the whole thing. Was just waiting for a date.

Bed occupancy can be plain odd. We have had nighst in our hospital where you begin an night 'average' and are looking at full capacity 6 hrs in.

Thanks everyone, you have all been lovely and MrsNesbit your niceness made me cry :)

I am just crossing my fingers and hoping they say come in on Mon morning. I feel silly but it took a lot to build up the courage and now feel a bit less confident. Also worried about being away from family (baby is only 7mths) :(

You have my sympathy. I once spent all day in a hospital bed waiting for an operation and eventually a doctor came in at about 4.30 to say that the previous operation took far longer than expected and they cancelled my op. This was on the Monday. Luckily on the Tuesday the hospital rang me to say that they had a cancellation on the Friday, so I had it done on Friday.

Hopefully this may happen. Good luck.

Just thinking back, last op I had they told me when I woke up in the recovery suite that they didn't have a bed for me, and please could I ring DP to pick me up?

I actually did, as well.... When it turned out he was working 2 hours away from the hosp for the day, they somehow found a bed........

Depending on what the op is I would seriously look at having the op abroad. For example I dislocated my knee last year. Saw a GP, x-rays and 2 specialists all within 2 hours (at 2 different hospitals). Cost - 30 euros and I didn't need to actually produce the European Health Insurance card or my passport. Lots of people are now travelling abroad for treatment and the standard of care, depending on the country, can be excellent. Depends on the op and the post op care required though and follow up appointments

I was sitting in a gown, all prepared to be taken to theatre when I was told that my op was cancelled - because they'd run out of sterile instruments!!!

I was told to go home and wait for another appointment with no indication when that may be.

I cannot begin to describe the feelings I had shock, anger, the works!

But I discovered that if an operation is cancelled due to 'non-medical issues' i.e. that you are fit and able to undergo surgery but the surgery didn't take place because of other problems, the hospital must offer you an alternative date for the operation with 14 days or you can exercise your right to have the same procedure carried out in s hospital of your choice - including privately at a cost to the NHS.

When the hospital discovered that I knew that rule (and they obviously did too) I had the rearranged op within the 14 days.

Sorry - it's 28 days, and not 14days (it was quite a few years ago since it happened)

info here

Hang in there OP. I had a hysterectomy last year, all worked up about it, planned my life around it, only to get a call at 5pm the night before saying they might not be able to do it due to bed shortage, did I want to reschedule. I was so upset but said I'd take my chances. Turned up the next morning and fortunately they got me in. So it might be okay. Best of luck to you!

It is shit. I urge anyone who this happens to to complain through the hospital's complaints department AND write to your MP.

I used to be a staff nurse on a surgical ward and it was awful when people got cancelled though it was almost always due to emergencies bumping them, but what really used to piss me off was them/their relatives going apeshit at me but refusing to take a complaint form or contemplate writing to the MP - wtf do you think I can do about it???

OP I hope you get in tomorrow and all is well, and hugs to everyone else waiting for surgery.

Thanks again everyone, I have requested a complaints form due to the way the 'lovely' lady who called spoke to me. I was not rude or shouting, I was simply a bit upset and asking why this had happened. She on the other had was horrid :(

Off to take some pre-op drinks, I can live in hope.

My aunt's friend had her operation cancelled after she had been adminstered the anaesthetic so woke up to be told she hadn't had the op.

OP I hope you are able to have the op tomorrow.

WHONEEDSSLEEP - what was the reason for not continuing with the operation?

Oh gosh Whoneedssleep, surely the anaesthetic is a danger in itself? The more I read the more fed up I become :(

that's why I asking for what reason it was cancelled

It's very frustrating, my dd had an operation cancelled three times when we were in hospital...but, she had been admitted as an emergency and they had to cancel two other children's operations and that saved her life. I am eternally grateful and try to remember it when I'm feeling impatient.

I hope you get to have your op, the waiting is awful.