To be angry about DDs op being cancelled?

[whatjendid]

For background, my daughter is 16 months old and has a rare genetic condition. This is manageable but she had been booked into Great Ormond St for a tongue reduction for 24th January.

We were informed of surgery on Christmas Eve (causing me great anxiety) and she had her pre-op yesterday and earlier today we received a call to say that her surgery has been cancelled due to the surgeon now not being available. AIBU to be pissed off? This is pretty major surgery in terms of recovery with a minimum of a week in hospital post op. I have timed changing jobs to ensure that I can take enough time off for recovery, booked the dog into kennels, booked her out of nursery etc in prep. 10 days out just doesn’t feel fair.

Thanks x

I think some people need to be kinder with the OP here - she’s not laying into the surgeon or denying that there was probably a good reason for it; simply expressing frustration and anger at a meticulously planned operation has been cancelled last minute.

I don't think people are being harsh, just explaining why.
I don't think you can appreciate how frustrating it is until you experience it.
I'm sure OP knows it isn't the surgeon's fault but unfortunately that doesn't make it any less frustrating.

@PurpleDaisies @JeezyPeeps that's how it can happen. If there was a big emergency 10/11 days ago then upcoming lists getting rearranged and cancelled.

I've been on both sides of this unfortunate scenario as both the postponed patient/parent and the postponing clinician. It isn't great for anyone, and it is absolutely understandable that you are upset.
It is perfectly reasonable to be angry at the situation, but it probably isn't any individual's fault. Not that that makes it better I know - sometimes it is worse in fact as you don't have anyone that you can really take it up with. But please don't feel that it is anything personal. In circumstances like this, neither the individual staff members nor the Trust are happy about it either. It is always particularly difficult when it is a very specialist procedure as there are so few people who can do them. I hope you get a new date soon and that everything goes smoothly when the time comes.

It's awful, frustrating and emotionally draining when things like this are cancelled however the NHS just hasn't got the resources and won't cancel unless it has to. Last year I had surgery it was cancelled three times I waited 7 months in the end. When I finally had surgery it didn't go to plan and all patients after me were cancelled that would have had an awful knock on effect for them all and other patients on the waiting list.
It's frustrating but it's not the staffs fault more the system.
Hope you get a new date soon and it all goes to plan.

I had a surgery cancelled the day before. What massively pissed me off is that the cancellation arrived by sodding post. They could have rang me two days before. I'd arranged childcare, a relative coming to stay to help, spent many hours writing unnecessary cover work, my employer had booked a covering teacher for three weeks who was then last minute cancelled. It's shit but it happens. I'm still very grateful for the NHS and all that they do.

Frustrating, absolutely: but as others have said, you don't know why.

From the other side, dh was an nhs dentist when I went in to labour with dd1 at 8am. He took me to the hospital, I was only 1cm, so they said it would probably be a few more hours. He went back to work till I was 7cm. The receptionists had to cancel his last 20 patients that day. They explained why. 13 of those 20 kicked off on the phone. I had dd1 at 9pm and he was back at work the next day. 6 of the 13 were seen in his lunch hour.

@georgialondon

I said it was unlikely, not impossible. They want to disrupt as few procedures as possible, and to get back on track with the schedule. It is possible that they needed to go as far as ten days ahead, but they will be trying to avoid that.

Although TBF I don't know how GOSH specifically works, they might do it that way as a matter of course.

My sister had a stroke, it was then discovered she needed a carotidectomy, removal of about four inches of her carotid artery from her neck. Unfortunately both anaesthetists who could gas her were off. She was kept in scheduled for surgery a week later. She was prepped and starved when word came from theatre that her op was cancelled. Five hours later the surgeon and gasman appeared to apologise, an aneurism had burst and took much longer to repair.

Unfortunately the unexpected happens and sometimes other people are more in need than you. It is frustrating but an op is never pulled lightly.

I understand how frustrated you feel, but they don't cancel without a good reason

Surgery is not cancelled without a very good reason. It's really inconvenient, but sometimes just can't be helped.

@Raera

What was on the news about GOSH surgeons?

Totally frustrating and totally outwith your control.

Also frustrating for NHS and outwith NHS control.

It takes a lot of organising on BOTH sides for such a major op, and I'm sure they will try to reorganise it for asap, but unfortunately there's nothing either you or the NHS can do about it. :(

I hope all goes well with the op when it happens. x

YANBU to be annoyed with the situation. It’s stressful and hugely difficult both practically and psychologically.

But you know it’s one of those things. There are hundreds of reasons it could have been delayed. In fact it’s even worse when you are cancelled on the day.

I hope you get a new date soon and the support network you have planned can be flexible. You will all get there and eventually this will be but a small bump in the road.

@Crunchymum there was a report issued yesterday in which it was stated that "relationships had broken down" between two specific consultants in one department at GOSH. It wasn't anything negative about their surgeons in general and was in no way relevant to the type of procedure that the OP's child is scheduled for.

Frustrating but at least you got plenty notice. When I was in hospital last year my room was opposite the nurses station. Due to an influx of emergency admissions (me being one of them) they were phoning people due in that day for surgery and cancelling them.

It's annoying but as pp said it's not a decision the hospital will have made lightly

in a word flu - there has been a severe outbreak & already major hospitals are having extra staff & wards dealing with this & nurses & doctors (or their dependents) could be ill -although this is a very important op for your dc & its horrible to have ops cancelled (especially she says with deep feelings, if its cancelled when you have been fasting all day & have to come back all over again) but its part & parcel of the way systems work. As pp have said they may have had to find a space for a life threatening op & sadly you & little one have to be delayed - hope dc gets her new appointment asap