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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be miffed that hospital scan cancelled due to Covid.

67 replies

WestendVBroadway · 07/01/2021 18:31

I was due to have an MRI scan soon, been waiting over 4 months. I have just been informed that this will now be a consultation over the phone ffs. I realise hospitals are over run with Covid patients, but people are still dying from other conditions. The health correspondent on BBC said yesterday that if people are worried about cancer etc , they should not put off going to their GP. What is the point if they end up having to delay tests and the thus treatment ?

OP posts:
LakieLady · 07/01/2021 19:45

I was waiting for an MRI during the first lockdown. They drafted in a mobile MRI team and I had it done in high tech trailer in a health centre car park, only a few weeks later than it would have been had the hospital been doing them.

They might end up doing something similar in your area, but it will take a little while to get it set up.

I know it must be a worry, but I guess it's not something you can do anything about (unless you have the funds to go private, possibly) so just hang on in there.

Good luck.

Original poster
WestendVBroadway · 07/01/2021 20:51

Thank you @LakieLady I may have to go private, had not even occurred to me. I will see what they say in the telephone consultation.

OP posts:
OldBean2 · 07/01/2021 21:06

I have had a 24 hr cardiac monitor cancelled following a stroke in December. I am sorry but you roll with the punches on this, there are six people off for Covid related reasons in the Cardiac OP Dep't, the hospital has 46% of it beds filled with Covid-19 patients.

I know it is not their fault and they will get to me as soon as they can. I think I would rather be waiting than have Covid-19.

Skysblue · 07/01/2021 21:08

Urgent cancer ops are being cancelled 😭

Lemonpiano · 07/01/2021 21:10

How do you roll with the punches when these decisions mean you die?

Heartlantern2 · 07/01/2021 21:12

Ridiculous.

Maybe now it will be a priority for funds to actually get to the NHS- although I doubt it when it’s easier for the common folk to all just blame themselves instead.

I’m SO angry about all that money wasted on track and trace when it could have gone to the NHS

OldBean2 · 07/01/2021 21:22

@Lemonpiano

How do you roll with the punches when these decisions mean you die?
If I was feeling facetious I might say we all have to die sometime, however if there are not the staff to provide the treatment safely, then you have to wait. It is annoying but it is not personal.
Fiddlersgreen · 07/01/2021 21:27

@Skysblue

Urgent cancer ops are being cancelled 😭
Not in my Trust they’re not
Lucieintheskye · 07/01/2021 21:41

I've been waiting 8 months for some appointments, I've had others cancelled days before. My local hospital has had to redeploy all spare staff to covid wards so all my specialists have gone. I've been waiting for an appt with the pain clinic since last september and unless it gets cancelled, I have a video appt in late March. You're definitely not alone OP!

Ffsnosexallowed · 07/01/2021 21:46

You're not unreasonable to be miffed - but what do you suggest they do? NHS don't have the staff and resources to deal with day to day activities as well as coronavirus patients. Should we refuse to treat coronavirus patients? Just leave them to die? Should we allow positive staff to continue to work? Should we not keep covid and noncovid patients separate?? Just how to people think the NHS can cope? Our community nursing teams are at less than 50% capacity at the minute. We have hundreds of staff ill or isolating. Covid popping up in virtually ALL wards. What are we supposed to do??

Sh05 · 07/01/2021 22:27

I'm sure op knows and understands the reasons why this is happening, we don't need to pile on people.
OP I hope you're offered another appointment soon. Could you ask your consultant to refer you to a private hospital that maybe taking some of the load from NHS hospitals.

MrsFezziwig · 07/01/2021 22:30

How can you replace an MRI scan with a telephone consultation? Confused

Stinkyjellycat · 07/01/2021 22:31

I was referred for an MRI in January. The GP said he’d mark it as urgent. I’m still waiting 🤷🏻‍♀️

Conkergame · 07/01/2021 22:34

OP YANBU, it sucks. Obviously it’s not the doctors’ faults but that doesn’t make it less rubbish for you. Hope you get an appointment soon whether NHS or private

Original poster
WestendVBroadway · 07/01/2021 22:57

Thank you all, I do understand the reasons, and I certainly don't think we she not treat Covid patients. However some people are in a lot worse situations than myself, some are being denied life saving cancer treatment etc. Everyone's chance at life should be equally valued. My husband had always said that the nightingale hospitals should be reserved for Covid patients and others should be treated at the 'normal' hospitals. I realise that there are not sufficient nursing staff available to man them all, but something needs to change.

OP posts:
StacySoloman · 07/01/2021 23:02

This is the frustrating thing about people talking about how we're all over reacting to covid as it has a low % death rate or is mild for most people, and we shouldn't have all these lockdown measures ("young people should get on with their lives!")

It doesn't matter if only a small percentage of the population are hospitalised with covid if that number is more than hospital capacity!

Even if someone is not personally at high risk from covid - they might well be in a car accident, get appendicitis or need a cancer diagnosis.

365sleepstogo · 07/01/2021 23:09

Urgent cancer ops are being cancelled 😭

Not in my Trust they’re not

They will be if the patient will/may need ITU after their surgery and the hospital is running close to capacity.
Or if the nurses have been sent to work on COVID wards/ITU.
ITU patients usually have 1:1 care but in some hospitals it’s now 1:3 or more.

Spidey66 · 07/01/2021 23:12

I do feel for you. I’m both an NHS nurse in mental health and also waiting for treatment for gallstones. I have no idea when that will be, and trust me gallstones is really painful. I’m not able to see patients face to face at the moment (I work in the community and my team does initial assessments) and I don’t not like it. Patients prefer f2f, and you can pick up far more from seeing them f2f. Lockdown v.1.0 I was redeployed to do the depots and I preferred that cos I much refer f2f contact.

The difficulty is that the NHS has been underfunded for years. It’s taken a pandemic for the consequences to come to the fore.

CharlotteRose90 · 07/01/2021 23:15

What trusts or areas are you all from? I’m in Manchester and I’ve had an mri, X-ray in the first lockdown and having an ultrasound in 2 weeks. All for different reasons and booked within the last 6 months or so. I must be very lucky 🙈

ihatetrump · 08/01/2021 06:31

Perfectly reasonable to be upset about a cancelled appointment. Don't blame the hospital, blame the government.

Sirzy · 08/01/2021 06:38

It’s rubbish but the problem is hospitals only have limited capacity. They will also be losing staff to the virus. This means things sadly will have to give from all areas.

The problem is the lack of long term looking after the NHS combined wihh things being so out of control now the system just can’t cope.

Ds has a test he has been waiting for since March next week and I’m dreading it being cancelled but the whole thing is just out of control

Mustbeme124 · 08/01/2021 06:58

I work in MRI, we are still trying to get through the cancelled scans from the first wave. The waiting lists are always massive but made worse obviously by the current situation. Scanners are running 12 hours a day 7 days a week as always to try and catch up. I understand your frustration as I’ve been waiting for treatment that has been delayed. All suspected cancer scans are being prioritised but that doesn’t help all the other non cancer related people I’m sorry.
I would go private if you can afford it.

Mindymomo · 08/01/2021 06:59

It will also be difficult trying to get it done privately. Our local private hospital had the children in their rooms last lockdown and their operating theatres were for covid patients, so all other scans and xrays couldn’t go ahead. My husband had a triple heart bypass last May, he eventually got it private, but had to wait for 2 weeks until the private hospital was allowed to take non covid patients.

emmathedilemma · 08/01/2021 07:04

I think you'll be looking at £1000-2000 to go private once you include a pre-consultation and follow up to review your results. The problem with going private is that if you need any treatment then you're still going to have to wait for that unless you can pay for that too. The NHS will be able to use your scan results though. Even our local private hospital was on restricted services in the first lockdown as they were providing a "safe" facility for nhs cancer patients and high risk such as cystic fibrosis. Interestingly I got an NHS MRI appointment in under 3 weeks just before Xmas which rather made me panic about what they might be looking for but thankfully it was all clear!

inquietant · 08/01/2021 07:10

Yanbu to be upset and frustrated.

Sadly this is the consequence caused by all the individual bastards who ignored/pushed/bent rules, and the bastard government who ignored all the scientific advice pre-Christmas.

It is a very worrying time - there is basically no health care now.