To be miffed that hospital scan cancelled due to Covid.

[WestendVBroadway]

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 ?

@WestendVBroadway

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.

Disclaimer: daily fail and other journos can jog on!!!

It's really crap that your scan has been cancelled, I do get that you're frustrated. And trust me, we do value people's lives equally. I cannot tell you just how frustrating it is for me to see posts like this. Of course, you need your scan promptly. I really do feel for you, and for the many others who have had procedures and appointments cancelled.

On my ward, I look after resp HDU patients. Currently, almost all are covid, the ward is full, there aren't enough beds. Added to that, there aren't enough staff (due to them being off sick or isolating. Others are reluctant to come and work on our ward). They also need to be fit tested properly for P3 masks before working on my ward. Hooded respirators are in short supply. Oh and they need to be trained - as a minimum - in managing chest drains, NIV, tracheostomies, central lines etc.

You mentioned that your husband says that covid patients should go to the Nightingale Hospitals. The idea behind that is fab.....however, those Nightingale hospitals need to be properly staffed. The nurses needed to look after the patients there should be HDU trained as a minimum. This isn't training that can be quickly. If we can't get enough of these staff for the likes of my ward (and no doubt, countless other wards like mine across the country), then I don't see how we can then properly staff the Nightingale wards, plus keeps wards like mine open for non-covid patients. If the government moved all HDU nurses to the Nightingale wards, who would then be available to look after the people who don't have covid but still require say, a chest drain for a pneumothorax or BIPAP due to a type 2 resp failure? Who would be available to look after the trachy patient that needs Optiflow or NIV?

It's really really crap. Each night I finish a shift, I go home wishing that I could have done more. My staff feel the same. I really hope that you get your scan soon. Take care x

@Ffsnosexallowed

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??

Wash your hands and sing happy birthday twice?

Its all very well wringing your hands at people but they are scared and dying of preventable illnesses and there is so much misinformation about empty hospitals and nurses being furloughed due to no work its insane

@MrsFezziwig

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

I wish they did with mine. I found it horrendous!

I had a consultant appointment cancelled back in March. It's been booked for April this year. 13 months later. I'm dreading going and discovering how much worse my condition has got as a result of the delay.

The problem we have is that this government, like most governments, is reactive rather than proactive. We know there will be a massive fall out as a result of all these cancelled procedures. The government needs to take steps now to start funding extra staff training etc to ensure that this ticking time bomb can be dealt with before it reaches the point where it explodes.

Unfortunately they won't, because they are too busy fighting the Covid fire and anything that is seen as diverting resources away from that will be viewed negatively by the public who tend to be short sighted on the whole.

I fear that this is just the beginning of an NHS that will repeatedly experience being overwhelmed, only not always for Covid reasons.

It's shit, but when hospitals reach a certain point then they have to cancel things.

Yes you still get assessed of there's a chance it could be cancer, and the 2 week rule has held up pretty well, including getting scans, especially summer/autumn (when nearly all scans were running in a reasonably timely fashion). As you've been waiting 4 months (which covers a period close to normality) I'm guessing this is not a cancer diagnostic scan?

When you also need to scan in ICU, and ICU is triple the size it was and full, then you just cannot keep other scanning running to the same capacity. So other scans will have to wait. This is just one part of what they mean when they say it is dangerous to let the NHS be overwhelmed.

Posters who have been pointing this out for weeks have been condemned here as scaremongers. Because it's not pretty to look at what it really does mean for everyone during any weeks of collapse (regional or national).

We can't solve the long running issues of the NHS management and funding in the short term. But we can make a difference to the course of the pandemic.

I’m in Edinburgh and i just had my mri scan on Wednesday

Oh God! I hope this doesn't happen where I am :( I have an MRI scan every year in summer months to check the amount of regrowth of my tumor, I hope they don't delay it as it had started to regrow last year and wanted to keep an extra eye on it now...

I hope you get sorted OP.. a phone consultation obviously can't replace a scan!! Though maybe at the phone consultation they are trying to decide if you need the scan urgently or not and then they can move you up/down the list as appropriate?

DH was approved for an operation last March, it's not yet life-thratening but very painful... He almost got the op in November but was bounced off the reduced theatre list...

It's unfortunate but it is what it is. We fully understand that the NHS has to redirect all capacity at the moment.

I had gallbladder removal put off due to the last outbreak. Due to this, I have ended up costing the NHS a much more significant amount of money due to issues that occurred due to the op being cancelled. A lot more.

And this will be the case with so many more.

I had already had numerous admissions with severe flare ups and pancreatitis. Was due to have it removed when I was already in recovering from pancreatitis yet they then decided to clear all the beds. Before the first lockdown. Was told I would be added to the list and would hear back soon.

That was a lie as I wasn't added to any list.

As a result I developed what is technically classed as an eating disorder as so many foods were triggering extreme pains. So I ended up too scared to eat. I still have issues even though it was eventually removed thanks to a wonderful individual who fought for it to be removed for me whom I'm eternally grateful to.

Things massively struggled at home trying to look after my family while having these extreme flare ups and I was too scared to attend hospital again due to all of the initial putting off attending in the first wave and I was petrified about catching Covid and then paasing it onto my family and I would have had to try and look after all of us while suffering other health conditions myself.

The pain team members were working with Covid patients so trying to get anyone that would be able to help with issues from long term chronic pain sufferers was extremely difficult.

If my gallbladder hadn't eventually been removed and with another lockdown I really don't know what I would have done. The pain from that is horrendous and add on top daily severe chronic pain and it is too much.

I really do hope that people can get the treatment they need as it is honestly causing so much devastation leaving people without treatment and quality of life is going downhill dramatically for so many.

I really do hope that you do get your scan as quick as possible as it is needed.

I would hope that it is a consultant calling to discuss possible things with you and to determine where to place you in a list.

As a simple call cannot replace a scan at all.

Wishing you all the best as I know how worrying it all is.

I am in The South West, don't want to be too specific as may be 'outing'.
If I had a scan privately would I have to continue treatment privately? I had an ultrasound in November which picked up suspicious growth, the MRI was to investigate further. I first went to GP with issues in September.

My friend died in the last lockdown,her cancer treatment was stopped .

YANBU to be frustrated, but what would you have us do?

Option 1 - keep as much of a normal service in all departments as possible (taking in to consideration people being off for COVID related reasons) and inadequately staff our acute wards (A&E, ICU, EAU, HDU, Emergency surgery etc), taking in to account staff absence due to COVID and a massively increased bed need?

Option 2 - keep a skeletal staff in other departments to deal with urgent, life threatening cases (e.g. cancer diagnoses) and staff acute care as well as possible?

We've already cancelled staff leave, bought in locum and agency staff, got our final year medical and nursing students working for us, recruited volunteer HCPs...

If I had a scan privately would I have to continue treatment privately?

No. You could have the private MRI results sent to your GP and hospital consultant (if you have one) and they can act on it.

During first lockdown, private care was also mainly stopped, I think it is going ahead now - we are making referral for some services.

@Almostslimjim

YANBU to be frustrated, but what would you have us do?

Option 1 - keep as much of a normal service in all departments as possible (taking in to consideration people being off for COVID related reasons) and inadequately staff our acute wards (A&E, ICU, EAU, HDU, Emergency surgery etc), taking in to account staff absence due to COVID and a massively increased bed need?

Option 2 - keep a skeletal staff in other departments to deal with urgent, life threatening cases (e.g. cancer diagnoses) and staff acute care as well as possible?

We've already cancelled staff leave, bought in locum and agency staff, got our final year medical and nursing students working for us, recruited volunteer HCPs...

Option 2, definitely

Assign 80% of care to Covid and 20% reserved for other urgent things (Cancer treatment, other serious conditions (Heart attack, stroke etc)

Having 100% of care directed to one condition is madness, Pringlemonsters friend died because their cancer care just stopped. This is unacceptable

it's awful you've had your scan cancelled and I'm really sorry for the extra stress it's causing - and for the others on here in similar situations.

But some of you are really not listening to what's going on.

What’s the condition ?
I’d also consider a private scan of budget affords and if you are really worried

It's hard, but it's not just that covid patients need the scans. As pp said we are still trying to catch up on previous cancelled scans and now we are suffering a lack of staff.

Our CT/MRI teams are struggling at the moment as there is sickness (other stuff as well as covid) the self isolating due to contact which we didnt have in the first lockdown. Staff with childcare/homeschooling issues.

We are looking into an extra van but will have to be paid for as is the extra staff (agency) to cover the gaps in main scanners. I'm no manager but I suspect it is our trust that has to pay for it, no extra £ from govt!

As I understand it the radiologists have gone through the waiting lists and prioritised patients on their need based on the request forms and that means some co dition will be moved to the bottom of the pile sadly.

@Pringlemonster

My friend died in the last lockdown,her cancer treatment was stopped .

Sorry for your loss, this is awful

Thats a pretty poor performance by your health are provider. MRI scanners are a basic modern diagnostic tool for many conditions which cannot be diagnosed without them, so to have an expensive MRI scanner sitting there out of action is a big failure on the part of that NHS Trust. Cancelling also creates massive stress for patients.

I has an MRI scan last night at 8.30pm. All very efficient.

For some reason, this country accepts long days for basic modern diagnostics like MRI scans. I've heard of someone who had a fractured kneecap who was refused an MRI scan and who was told to keep exercising for 4 months despite complaining of severe pain - only discovered when the knee collapsed.

Imo this is the sort of things where people should be referred out of area to a hospital that could see them.

Making people wait is as much of a killer as covid (ONS data)

@TonMoulin

Imo this is the sort of things where people should be referred out of area to a hospital that could see them.

Making people wait is as much of a killer as covid (ONS data)

Which is a great idea. But I doubt there is a hospital in the country with the capacity to take other hospitals “routine” patients sadly

Getting a private scan is all well and good if you can afford it.

But why is the nhs not using these resources and outsourcing the scans?
Where I live 50% of children live under the poverty line. No way those people could afford to go private. And as some PP mentioned, this could be a death sentence for them

@Sirzy, they talked about moving patients to the other side of the country though... so somehow they. Found some capacity .

[quote TonMoulin]@Sirzy, they talked about moving patients to the other side of the country though... so somehow they. Found some capacity .[/quote]
That happens all the time for things like ITU beds, I’m not sure why the media think that’s new.

But there aren’t going to be many hospitals with capacity to take on extra routine patients more than happens normally within the system.