Surgery cancelled again. WIBU to turn up to the hospital regardless?

[Wndof]

I've been waiting over a year for life saving surgery. I was finally given a date for 31st August then they changed the date twice, switching my appointment with somebody else and then telling me they'd made a mistake with dates. Finally, 14th September (so tomorrow) was confirmed and I've undergone all of the pre operative tests and assessments, made arrangements for the children, XP secured the time off work.. only for them to text me just now and say the surgery has been cancelled due to a bed issue.

I called the admissions coordinator who has been absolutely terrible throughout and told him that I plan on turning up tomorrow morning and won't be leaving.

I read on here thats what somebody's father did in the same situation and he got his operation.

WIBU to give it a go?

Sorry if I seem dramatic, I just cannot endure this utter shit any longer 😭

They won't be able to do the operation if they haven't got a bed though.

If you want to spend time sitting on a hard chair in the hospital reception then feel free. I can't see what good it will do you. How long are you going to stay? 8 hours? 24 hours? 2 days? a week?

Oh, that's really shit.

I get that theres nothing they can do if there's no bed available for you, but it feels like they don't get the level of planning that's gone into it from your end.

I mean, that's if you ignore the life saving bit.

The constructive thing to do would to be get in touch with PALS. But I think you need a good old vent about this. I get you.

Hope you get the surgery as soon as possible and that you're as ok as you can be.

I'm so sorry, it isn't acceptable. There is no point in going in anyway though, it won't do any good.

Obviously YABVU if you did that but I can understand how difficult and upsetting it must be for you.

I am so sorry this has happened to you, it must be incredibly frustrating. We had the same with all of my son's operations - even a very major one (6 1/2 hours long. We were given a date but told to phone the night before to see if they were going to have a intensive care bed free.
It's the consequence of over a decade of underfunding.

This will be a waste of your time.

Contact PALS and ask for their help.

YANBU to feel frustrated and desperate. But if they physically don't have capacity they won't be able to do it. On my ward if you turned up like that, the staff would be profusely apologetic and would escalate to senior staff, but everybody would know from the first time you stated your case that you would be spending the day sat in a very hot waiting room and then go home at the end of the day. Probably with a new surgery date that might be slightly sooner than it would be if you hadn't turned up, but home nevertheless. I'm sorry, OP, it's shit. And also basically out of the hands of the front line staff you would meet tomorrow.

When i was in hospital I used to hear staff on the phone most days saying surgeries would have to be cancelled. There were no beds. People like me who weren't responding to treatment as fast as expected weren't being discharged.

I cant honestly see the point. If it was as simple as just showing up everyone would do it.

If there are no beds there's nothing they can do. If yours has been cancelled the chances are the theatre will have been reallocated. The surgeon may also have rearranged his schedule.

It's horrible but they're cancelling it by necessity not choice

I understand your frustration and desperation, We've had exactly the same situation with our son and his major surgeries being cancelled at the last minute after waiting on an open ward all day after travelling a fair distance, several times.
If there isn't a bed then there isn't a bed unfortunately.

really sorry this happened. I had last year urgent surgery cancelled 3 times.

Kick off and contact PALS. and do not stop emailing until sorted.

It’s frustrating, but if they simply don’t have the bed capacity as a result of emergency admissions or complications/difficulties with current patients, then they don’t have any other option but to cancel.

What do you think you’re going to achieve by turning up? They’re not going to change their minds just because you cause a scene or refuse to leave. They’ll just get Security involved. If anyone has said their relative got surgery by doing this is talking rubbish.

PALS phone line for this hospital is closed until tomorrow now so I've sent an email. I received an auto reply saying they have high numbers of enquiries and I may be waiting some time for a reply.

How long would I be willing to sit there? God knows. I can spare a day. I don't have anything else to do now do I?

Logically I know it's a waste of time I'm just so upset. They have messed me around so much and now this 😞

How frustrating. I completely sympathise but if there’s no bed then there’s no bed.
I had major surgery last week. Mine was urgent and I realise how fortunate I was in that they did it so quickly. It was a matter of weeks.
Hopefully you’ll get to have the surgery very soon.
💗

@LadyPenelope68

Well it worked for one mumsnetters dad...

I’d try it. What is the worst that can happen?

I’d try it. What is the worst that can happen?

Thats my thinking too.

Worst case scenario it changes nothing and I've wasted my time, but just maybe, as PP said, I could leave there with another appointment a bit sooner than I otherwise would get.

I'm sorry this has happened to you.

I work in theatres and unfortunately this is a common occurance, especially if you need a hdu or itu bed after your procedure.

There are just not enough intensive care beds and they have to manage as best they can. Even normal beds can be an issue some times.

We are working at maximum capacity, and management are insisting that operating lists are booked with as many patients as possible. Unfortunately this means cancellations are common.

If you have been cancelled once there is still a chance you might be cancelled again.

It tends to be third time it will definitely happen as the hospital receives massive fines if a patient is cancelled for the third time.

I hope you get your procedure as soon as possible but I don't think sitting in the hospital tomorrow is the best idea. Try pals. I'm sorry its such a rubbish system.

Turn up and bitch to the executives not frontline staff

it’s crap op, it must be so frustrating x

DH's heart surgery was cancelled 4 times. Each time we'd arranged a hotel, cover for work, travel, it was a nightmare. The last time they cancelled an hour before as we were on the M5 travelling at 6am, and I actually stood screaming on the hard shoulder (got some very funny looks).

When we got back home, I seriously kicked off at the consultant's secretary, and said that each and every cancellation was causing him such severe stress that he'd need a second surgery at the rate he was going. She was very kind, and got him a date for the next week. It wasn't cancelled.

Anaesthetist here. Sorry to hear, its basically a daily occurance now as we just have no beds to admit so non-life/limb is getting bounced. You're welcome to sit there but would say with 95% certainty it will get you nowhere unfortunately. We've just had to pay for my nans op privately as can't bear her bring in such pain for so long at 90yo. It's just an awful state of affairs and we aren't even in winter yet

It's an ICU bed I'll be in need of after the surgery yes.

Gutted to hear it may even be cancelled again in the future.

I'll call PALS in the morning and ask if they can help somehow.

I'm sorry some of you here have experienced the same. It's absolutely shit.

Where would you sit??? Presumably the consultant will be in surgery, not in their clinic. The pre op ward won’t actually let you in. The person who books in surgery will be sitting in an office possibly at the other end of the hospital. Oh, and the poster who claimed her father staged a sit in then got his surgery may well have been ‘exaggerating’.

SkyFullofStars1975 God that's absolutely crap. I'm so sorry. I feel like screaming myself. I have the contact details for my consultants PA so I will try to speak to her tomorrow.

I don't think the decision is made by the consultants themselves or am I mistaken?

I asked the admissions coordinator who was responsible for cancelling my appointment and he said it was the "bed manager" if I recall correctly.

I asked when I would be given a new date and he said he would have to ask my consultant when he comes into work tomorrow, so my consultant might not even know about it yet.

What do you expect pals to do?
If you need and ICU bed and there's none available what do you expect?
These decisions aren't taken lightly.
Bed managers/matrons/surgery leads don't take these decisions lightly