AIBU to storm down the hospital and act like a raving lunatic?

[toffeepuddin]

Because that's what I feel like.

My consultant told me to book a hysteroscopy (camera in womb) before I book my IVF. I got told at the reception it was to be16th March and she wrote it down on a card for me. I went ahead and booked my IVF, due to start meds on 31st March.
Received a letter yesterday morning to confirm my hysteroscopy appointment on the 30th March I hope to god its a typo, not only am I on my period then but its when I'm due to start the meds.
If they don't rectify this and say "oh sorry its all fully booked now", it would hold up my treatment which I've been waiting years for. I'm going out of my mind with worry.

As NHS staff have a right to work without being abused by the patients and their family and friends. No one will have deliberately altered the date to make your life difficult, it might have been done by mistake, or maybe they have had no choice but to move your appointment.
Staff are at breaking point in 30+ years I've worked in the NHS I've never seen it this bad, (you should all be very concerned because soon we will not be able to do any thing much more than emergency health care) many staff are desperately demoralised and on the verge of chucking in the towel because we are not able to give the care we want to in the way we want too. It's often silly things that tip us over the edge and cause us to resign, groundless complaints, aggressive patients/families , patients/families making completely unrealistic demands are definitely reasons many go. Ring up stay calm, ask if there's been a admin error if not and the dates been moved in all honestly live with it at least you've still got an appointment. Many of my patients (who are children with complex health needs) can't even get appointment for much more significant things than a hysteroscopy in preparation for IVF.

Nobody has moved this on purpose to make your life hard op. It's an elective procedure. As is the ivf technically, though if course it doesn't feel like that, it feels like it absolutely must be done now.
Spaces may not be available when you want unfortunately and yes, you may have to delay the start of ivf. By all means ring up but I would work on mentally accepting a delay too.

I may be a bit thick but if it is the 30th can't you just start the IVF meds the following month instead or is it not that simple ? Quite honestly getting in a state about it won't help and it certainly won't get you a quicker appt .

Toffee did your letter say anything about a cancellation on it? or did it just give the 30th as the date in an otherwise 'normal' sounding confirmation letter?

A urology clinic appt I had was cancelled and it specifically apologised for the cancellation of the original date (no reason was given) and a new date given.

I'm crossing my fingers for you that this is a typo and hopefully if the 15th had been cancelled, the letter would apologise for the cancellation at the very least.

If the worst has happened and it is a cancellation, YY to explaining the situation re timing of your meds for IVF and how you've been waiting for this opportunity for so long. I hope to goodness they'll be able to work round the necessary dates if needs be.

Sorry, forgot to say the letter I got was an apology for the cancellation and a new appointment date.

If I phone, ill get passed from pillar to post and get a "we'll ring you back" response

"We'll ring you back" is a perfectly reasonable response to be honest. Someone will need to look into your issue and then make a decision as to how it can be resolved. This doesn't happen instantly and going to the hospital in person won't do anything to make that process quicker.

If it's an error, then they should be able to rectify it but this will take some sorting out so you won't get an instant answer. If your appointment has been pushed back for clinical/staffing reasons then this is frustrating but completely unavoidable and you going down there won't make a difference.

I do understand your frustration. But marching down to the hospital and taking your frustration out on staff who are already most likely exhausted, demoralised and under immense pressure won't improve your situation

I've calmed down since this morning, I'm just a bit over whelmed by it all. Last thing I want to do is lose my temper with the staff but I'm skint desperate. The years of infertility have made a huge impact on my anxiety levels. It doesn't say on the letter it was a cancellation or anything like that.
I paid privately for a consultation and hycosy and bloods. It cost nearly a thousand pound, can't really afford to have a hysterscopy on there. I'm just gonna get some sleep and go down tomorrow. If they can't help and I want to make a complaint who do I see?

If it's the NHS don't waste time complaining , things get cancelled / moved if you want things exactly in your time frame then you go private - that's life .

'If they can't help and I want to make a complaint who do I see?'

Because they can't magic up a theatre and bed for you?

And if they do move it and it gets cancelled, then what? Because there's a high chance it'll be cancelled. People are having their cancer surgery cancelled.

Did you see Hospital?

Just because it's not a life and death situation doesn't mean I don't have a right to complain. I double checked, she wrote it down on a card so I went ahead and booked the ivf. The nurse was there and told me infront of her now I have the date for the hysterscopy I can book the ivf. I also phoned back before I booked the ivf to double check the appointment which again they confirmed it was the 16th. It means there messing around the people in the ivf lab as well. I do have a right to complain despite whether youse lot think it's important or not

I have sympathy but even if you complain, it isn't going to be prioritised, they are cancelling much more serious operations and procedures due to shortages of resources. All you'll get is a polite "sorry" but if it helps, then go ahead. I am sorry for you, it sucks. I've been cancelled for an elective orthopaedic op and I'm waiting in agony, so I'm not unsympathetic but I'm not sure what our stretched NHS can do.

I'm hoping that it's a mistake. The first line of the letter I got the other month started with something like I apologise that your appointment on the 20th December has been cancelled." Then went on to give the new appointment date and time.

I also hope that if it is cancelled, because the procedure is time sensitive in this case because you are scheduled to start medication on the new date, that they will try their absolute best to squeeze you in in time for you to start it. Good luck. And yes I know it's not life and death but for the OP it's hugely important and a source of a great deal of anguish and anxiety. It seems v insensitive to be saying 'oh suck it up, this happens etc.'

I really understand your frustration but please try and calm down. IVF is so stressful so you really don't want to go into the process already highly stressed. It won't help. Hope you get it all sorted, but I fear that you may need to be prepared a little longer.

A complaint won't change anything . Most fertility clinics will handle some general gynaecology too. I'm a long term Gynae patient, see a fertility and IVF specialist because she handles surgical gynaecology including women needing laparoscopy. That includes cancer patients, ladies with endometriosis, etc. They will go by clinical priority and if there's a large list of ladies needing surgery, investigations etc they will have to prioritise their care first, then your hysteroscopy.

I was discharged from hospital in January 4th, told I was urgent/highest priority for specialist review with above doctor, that appointment isn't until 7th March and that's just the way it goes unfortunately. In the same vein been told I was urgent priority for pain clinic - they rang saying they won't be seeing me until the end of May.

It's frustrating but my last admission the lady opposite me was in her 80s and had highly suspected cancer. She couldn't get an MRI for a fortnight, so her op and diagnosis was continually pushed back. Nothing anyone could do , there's limited resources, too few staff, and too many patients.

Unfortunately that's just the way it is right now. I am honestly sorry you are feeling so anxious though, I've been there and I know it's horrible .

Prepared "to wait" a bit longer. (Flaming iPad)

You do of course have the right to complain but it just means managers will look at it and try to work out what to do to avoid it again, apologise to you but it won't change anything - a complaint won't get you seen any faster , they don't change dates of procedures for no reason - they don't want to muck you around or make things worse. There will be a legitimate reason.

Thank you I will try. Arch thanks i has caused me pain a lot of pain, I know the NHS is stretched, there's people in physical pain waiting for appointments but in my own bubble it's the worst. The infertility has ate at me, took a toll on my mental health and I can be very tunnel visioned over it. I know going down there like a lunatic won't do me any help, I'm more scared I'll burst out crying more than anything

OP I feel for you but it is unlikely that anything has gone wrong here .. the hospital and all appointments and procedures are stretched I am not convinced that going in person is for the best. The person to speak to is your consultant's secretary. Tell her what has happened and see if she can come up with a satisfactory solution. As said by PPs elective operations are always going to be subject to being cancelled and this is much worse than ever before. Our local trust has cancelled 'routine' procedures for this quarter. I am sure that your consultant and his or her team will want to help you but there may not be a lot of leeway unless this was a clerical error or there is a cancellation. I cannot think that you are likely to have any grounds for complaint. Everyone will be trying their best... and YES watch. Hospital ( BBC ) . Best of luck.

I understand that you're upset but what do you hope to achieve by going down there in person that can't be accomplished over the phone?

You have a right to complain if someone has deliberately moved your appointment to make your life difficult. But IMO you don't have a right to complain if your procedure was cancelled because there were insuffiecient staff to undertake your proceedure or someone else needed it or a similiar proceedure more perhaps for a diagnosis for a life threatening condition and therefore had to jump the queue or maybe as money is so tight someone decided that the cost of a hysteroscopy for a non life threatening condition/diagnosis could not be justified that week and therefore your appointment had to be moved.
I also don't think you have a right to complain if it was a simply error someone wrote the wrong date down, NHS staff are overstretched and mistakes are made. Your world has not come to an end because of a moved appointment.

Surely they can't just move an appointment without thinking of the affect it can have on peoples treatment schedules.

Errrr yes they do. I have had a cancer operation persponed before!

toffee I know the NHS is stretched and pulled in every which way, but as you say, it's not only people in life and death situations and physical pain that need it. Just because pain isn't physical doesn't mean it isn't agonising. Good luck

Op, if it's the 30th that's two weeks later. That's all. Yes it will mean changing your cycle but it is not going to make a material difference to your chances of ivf working. I think this is probably representative of elder anxiety TBH.