AIBU to think you shouldn’t need to chase up a Doctors surgery for a referral

[Alijane46]

Had a run in with my doctors surgery today, daughter needs an abdominal scan following an appendectomy.

A & E sent an electronic referral letter requesting that DD’s GP request this from our local diagnostic centre.

I phoned the GP the day after my DD was in A&E to make sure they’d received the request. Yes it had been received and yes it would be actioned by a GP that day.

Over a week later and we hadn’t heard anything re the scan.

Phoned the drs today, to be lied to by the receptionist saying they had only received the referral request yesterday. I told her this was not true and they’d received it over a week ago. She then back tracked and said yes it was received in the 22/10 and she had no idea why this hadn’t been actioned and apologised.

Had a text from the dr later today saying this referral has now been made.

I’m sure if I hadn’t chased this up then nothing would have been done.

Pissed off with the NHS - what should have been a straight forward appendectomy turned into a readmission with infection, tachycardia and fever some six hours after discharge. The surgeon we spoke to on readmission, having read DD surgery notes said it was a messy appendix and unfortunately it was an extremely busy weekend, implying the care she’d received might not have been quite as it should have. She was treated for sepsis, so strong IV antibiotics for 48 hours then discharged with a long course of antibiotics to take at home. Seven weeks later Dd is still suffering from abdominal pain and on and off nausea. She’s been so weak and tired she’s had to defer her uni place for a year.

She’s already had one abdominal scan post surgery however the sonographer only scanned her uterus! Was told by a hospital doctor her abdomen was clear of infection. The GP confirmed a week or so later that the results said she had had an abdominal scan but in fact it was a scan of just her uterus. DD confirmed they only scanned the area above her pubic bone not the area where the actual pain was.

Am I being unreasonable to be so mad about the lack of care received by both her GP and the hospital? Or is this just normal for the NHS. Should I complain or a total waste of time?

No you're not, but it's the system that's broken not a negligent GP. To be honest, the major flaw in the system there is that it has to be referred back to the GP to refer to the correct area rather than A+E being able to refer it correctly in the first place!

I’ve just been shocked at the poor level of care for what should have been a simple operation.

A sonographer just scanning her uterus in an abdominal scan and then a dr signing it off as fine.

Being referred from pillar to post but getting no where.

Is this really our NHS today?

Yep, it really is, and I promise it's just as frustrating for the staff as it is for patients. I was admitted last week to a ward with 28 patients, 4 of which that really needed one to one care with Alzheimer's/dementia. Two nurses, two assistants on overnight and for 3 hours of that they were tied up with a distressed elderly woman patient with Alzheimer's trying to escape the ward and being incredibly aggressive/screaming etc. I was in for rapid rehydration for severe dehydration (pregnancy) and didn't get any fluids till 5 hours after I arrived. As a MW I have been on shifts where we have had 25+ women + their babies between 3 of us which is deemed totally fine because management don't count the babies as patients. Like I said, the system is breaking the staff not the other way round.

Keep pushing, just because it's not their fault doesn't mean you should sit back and let it happen, but just be aware they are all trying their best in a broken system. Hope your daughter is well soon xx

Meant to tag onto the end of my first paragraph, those examples are the reasons mistakes are made more often than not, not that the staff can't be arsed and are fobbing you off

Doesn't seem like great care from what you have written, but is probably best to make a direct complaint to the GP and hospital via PALS to get a detailed explanation of your daughters care.

Not sure there is much to be gained by starting an NHS bashing thread on a parenting site tbh.

Being referred from pillar to post but getting no where.

Is this really our NHS today?

Yes, this is totally normal, and as a PP said, it's the system that's broken - the vast majority of individuals involved are doing the very best they can with the tools they have.

My DC have lots of medical needs and I have to keep a running list of referrals/letters/appointments to follow up as it's common for things to get lost in the system.