Fed up of waiting for hospital :(

[SunshineAndRainfall]

I’m absolutely not posting to slate into anyone or slate any services. These things happen and sometimes life just gets in the way. I’m incredibly grateful to all NHS staff who continue to work hard under impossible circumstances.

I was meant to have a phone call for a hospital appointment last week which I’ve waited a long time for. I took the morning off work specifically for it and no call I’ve tried to phone the specific department but it just rings out with no answer.

I can’t get through to my GP surgery because the phones lines are solid and I’m not able to try all day; I work in a job that doesn’t allow me to have my phone and even on days off I can’t get through because of the sheer number of calls. It’s not their fault at all, but it is so frustrating

I’m also waiting on another hospital appointment for a chronic problem which I was referred for a year ago. I’ve not heard anything back from the hospitals end other than they are working on the referrals made in the year prior to my appointment. The man on the phone didn’t say it, but my impression was that my appointment won’t be this side of this year, if this year at all. It’s not a life threatening problem, but one which is painful and difficult to manage and makes everyday life harder than it should be, and the GP felt needs to be seen by the hospital specialist. I understand it isn’t and shouldn’t be a priority as it’s not life threatening, but waiting 2 years + for something that needs to be seen by a specialist is a long time.

This isn’t supposed to be a sweeping dig at anyone or any services, I just feel so frustrated overall- I don’t have the money to go private but it feels like this is the only way to get help. I feel so sorry for the individual staff who are working under extremely difficult conditions and are probably facing the brunt of patients’ frustration everyday, it’s not their fault. The whole thing is just impossible.

Sorry I just needed to get this all off my chest. I’m not a frequent flyer at the GP surgery and I can probably count on one hand how many appointments I have had in the last decade.

This sounds like such a pain, I'd be gutted too, especially if you've wasted a precious morning of leave. I don't have a y advice, jist to say you're being very gracious about this horrible state of affairs.

What time was your appointment? When I've had phone appointments with the hospital I'm told to expect a call an hour before or two hours after the scheduled time.

Unfortunately this is where our NHS is now, this is the state oh healthcare in the UK. It’s shocking and quite frankly scary because the health of our nation is suffering. It’s mainly because of the austerity years which left our NHS in a precarious situation, then a pandemic hit and our healthcare system was in no fit state to cope.
It’s shit and we should all be very worried, because any of us could be badly affected. I’m sorry you are having these issues, it’s not good enough. We are a first world Country, we should have a first class healthcare system.

Hope you hear something soon.

You mean you had an appointment and they were supposed to call you but didn't?

This is exactly what PALS are for at the hospital (are you in England?). Please search for PALS on your hospital website and send them an email telling them what's happened. Similar happened to me before and they got me another appointment in a couple weeks after the receptionist on the phone was saying I'd have to wait and have another through "probably in a couple of month"

I am having a private MRI today and another private investigation on Friday. I was getting nowhere with NHS and am on morphine patch and using crutches. Private is the only route for me to get anything done. I am lucky to be able to afford it. If surgery is recommended I will have to go on an NHS list as that would cost more than I can manage. But at least I will hopefully know what is wrong.

A sorry mess.

I totally understand where you are coming from, but I implore you not to get abusive when talking to people on the phone. Remember you are not the only person who has phoned them before, any delays are not their fault. Politeness and a sense of humour goes a long way. I do know what I am talking about here. I was due for a TKR and had been due to go in for surgery the very week the first lockdown started. Due to the pandemic I was told it could be a couple of years. When I spoke to the admissions team I explained how bad the pain was ....all with a sense of humour without making light of it.....Surgery was in November and now I'm waiting for the other knee to be done. Remember we are only human and doing our job

Get pals involved and I guarantee they’ll sort it within the week. I have an autoimmune disorder and during covid was forgotten for over a year. I made a complaint to pals and within a week had a phone appointment that actually happened.

I sympathise OP - I’m currently pregnant and the quality of care thus far has been far from reassuring.

The NHS has buggered up important blood tests that I was supposed to have at the original 8 week booking appointment three, yes, THREE times. Each time they’ve lost the vials, mislabelled them or requested the wrong tests. I’m now nearly 16 weeks and praying that there’s nothing untoward which should have already been spotted.

I’m also struggling badly with horrible vomiting, starting at 4am everyday. The midwife keeps telling me to get medication from the GP but each time I call the GP, I’m on hold for 90 minutes before the line goes dead. On one day I called them 4 times (left on hold for 90 minutes each time) with no luck in getting through. God forbid I had a more urgent problem, like a poorly little one…

@loopylindi

I totally understand where you are coming from, but I implore you not to get abusive when talking to people on the phone. Remember you are not the only person who has phoned them before, any delays are not their fault. Politeness and a sense of humour goes a long way. I do know what I am talking about here. I was due for a TKR and had been due to go in for surgery the very week the first lockdown started. Due to the pandemic I was told it could be a couple of years. When I spoke to the admissions team I explained how bad the pain was ....all with a sense of humour without making light of it.....Surgery was in November and now I'm waiting for the other knee to be done. Remember we are only human and doing our job

Sorry but your post has annoyed me a little bit.

Not sure where in my original post you’ve got the impression that I would be abusive on the phone- in fact i’ve gone out of my way in my opening post to clarify that I’m NOT blaming anyone and I completely understand and am very grateful for all the NHS staff especially during these impossible times. Go back and read my original post and you’ll see I’ve said that several times! I know I’m not the only one phoning and that delays are not their fault, again I’ve said this in my opening post- I even said I feel sorry for the staff facing the brunt of this!

I’m glad you managed to get your medical treatment, that’s fantastic

But not everyone can ‘make humour of it’, it’s great you could but not everyone can. I have had multiple days of work for being unwell which isn’t good financially and for job security and have very limited leave left. I don’t find anything remotely funny in being chronically unwell and waiting 2+ years for treatment. Or for taking time off for hospital calls that don’t happen.

It’s ok to be frustrated at the system, whilst also understanding it’s not the fault of the NHS staff member. I have never been rude to anyone in my life (I’m that person who always apologises for everything I’ve never made any sort of complaint or said anything other than ‘thank you that’s fine!’ for things that most people would complain about. It’s a running joke in my family that I have a fear of complaints or appearing rude!) the idea of even contacting PALS fills me with fear (even though there’s absolutely nothing wrong with doing so!)

It is NOT the fault of the NHS staff, and I never thought for one moment it was. They are tired, overworked, undervalued, the list could go on, it is awful how they are treated and not fair that they are receiving the brunt end of patients frustration.

But the hospital system is a mess right now. If you can’t afford to go private, you have to suffer. That’s it summed up. I know you meant well with your post, but politeness and a sense of humour isn’t going to get me an appointment when there’s hundreds of thousands of other people waiting too.

Thanks for everyone’s comments, I don’t know what made me post today but I woke up unwell again and it just all felt so frustrating. I keep telling myself it could be worse and other people have much worse stresses, but it’s so frustrating sometimes waiting and not knowing when things will get better.

I feel bad for how awful I sounded in my last post I think I just got a bit frustrated and it all came out at once. I really hope I didn’t cause any offence and apologies to anyone if I did.

@SunshineAndRainfall

Thanks for everyone’s comments, I don’t know what made me post today but I woke up unwell again and it just all felt so frustrating. I keep telling myself it could be worse and other people have much worse stresses, but it’s so frustrating sometimes waiting and not knowing when things will get better.

I feel bad for how awful I sounded in my last post I think I just got a bit frustrated and it all came out at once. I really hope I didn’t cause any offence and apologies to anyone if I did.

I didn't mean to offend anybody either, Sunshine. I was really imploring anybody who was in the position that we are (were). I am sure most people understand that the NHS is under incredible pressure but frustration does strange things to most of us.