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 😭

Please don't 'kick off' at the secretary, it's not her decision.

The NHS is shit and has been for years. 13 years ago my daughter (at about 10 weeks pregnant) had serious concerns something was wrong. Her midwife wanted her to wait until 12 week scan. Fortunately my son in law took her for a scan privately. Turned out the baby had died and was basically decomposing, poisoning her system. Naturally she was devastated and a DNC was needed urgently. After turning up at 8 am for the procedure and waiting hours in
a hot, stuffy, windowless waiting room the doctor came in and said unfortunately her procedure was cancelled and another appointment would have to be made. My son in law very quietly said she was going to have the procedure that day, the doctor said no and my son in law said “I don’t think you heard me, she’s having this done today”. She got the procedure. So maybe by turning up and making a fuss in person you might get something moving. I do hope so.

Sad to say the key words in that sentence might be "I work in a hospital" I'm afraid. We don't know/maybe even you don't know - but he might have been bumped up the queue because you work there. On the other hand - a variety of conditions apply across the country and many people across the country report they're not even allowed to ring their doctors surgery any longer - but must make an appointment by computer (even if they don't have/can't use a computer - so how does that work then?). Where I live - I am still able to ring in the normal way and make an appointment in the normal way thankfully.

That is one seriously good husband she has there. He shouldnt have had to push things like he did - but he really stepped up to the mark for your daughter (a lot wouldnt have). Sounds like he handled this really well for her.

Lolalady your daughters DH sounds wonderful. Thank goodness she got her procedure. Her story reminds me of a good friend of mine who presented at the EPU with symptoms of an ectopic and was told it was a normal miscarriage and sent home. Shortly after her fallopian tube ruptured and she needed emergency surgery. She's lucky to be alive.

My father required life saving surgery a couple of years ago and I feel so fortunate reading this that it went ahead as scheduled without any cancellations. It is not just the inconvenience and potential cost of cancellations - time off work, travelling distances etc., it is the mental preparation that both the patient and the family goes through. Gearing themselves up for the operation and preparing mentally for it. I cannot imagine going through all of that and then to get a last minute cancellation.

I feel so sorry for you Op. I sincerely hope that you get the Op soon and don't have to go through this again.

I'm glad your father got his surgery when he needed it, Juvenile. I can imagine that was a huge relief.

I still haven't heard anything back from anybody so sent off another two emails this morning to the consultants P.A and the admissions coordinator (whom I'm certain is sick of the sight of my name by now)

How much contact is too much? I don't want to piss anybody off but do want to make sure I'm kept in mind and not forgotten about.

Is emailing/calling every day overkill?

Local journalist here, have you thought about going to the press? Your local paper and radio station would definitely chase this up and make lots of calls on your behalf too and help put on the pressure. Every little helps. I think your case is shocking and the NHS trust should be answerable and accountable. Get your MP to raise it with the Health Secretary too.

@NonstopMam Coincidentally I was just talking to a friend about doing exactly this. How would I go about getting the press involved? I live in London and my area doesn't have its own paper per se. Is there a mainstream news outlet that you reccomend? I know the daily mail isn't very popular, atleast on MN.

I have emailed my MP but haven't heard anything back yet.

I received a generic reply from the admissions coordinator "I am still waiting on doctor to give you a new date"

Nothing at all from his P.A which has upset me as from what I've read on here they are usually the ones who get things going.

DM do get things done though! (However, they'd probably want you to pose in a bright coloured shift dress and heels looking sad...) Try the BBC's health reporter and definitely reach out to Jeremy Vine on Radio 2. Evening Standard and Metro are others I'd contact. Make sure to mention your family history as that's key info really that I'd think should have you at the top of the operation list.

Thank you! I've sent an email to the BBC, the daily mirror, daily mail, the sun, the evening standard and metro. Phew. Hopefully one of them will reply and run my story.

I'm not keen on showing my face as I've kept my diagnosis private so far. Is that something that they would insist on?

When did you realise you were racist?

Racist? What are you talking about?

I work on ITU. We have 16 beds. We will always have 16 beds.
Each shift we currently have 12 nurses rostered to work (we are running at 30% + vacancy)
One nurse is in charge so 11 beds are staffed. The other 5 beds are empty.
Find nurses, then the beds can be utilised effectively.

There are obviously other factors - the patient that should be discharged suddenly develops an issue so is delayed, there are no beds (see above) on the ward so can’t be discharged off ITU, emergency admission top trumps planned surgical lists etc etc.

Surgical cases are not cancelled without huge amounts of work - but fundamentally it is a lack of appropriately highly trained staff.

Complain to PALS but asked what the board are doing about this, not ITU.
I hope you get a new date quickly & the surgery is a success.

Consultants P.A has just called me.

No update unfortunately she just wanted to pass on his apologies and to tell me that they're doing everything they can to get me in ASAP. She mentioned that there was a team of people needed for the procedure aside him and they all have to align and be available on the same day. She also said that they are finding this whole thing very traumatic as they want to be able to provide the care that the patients need

You're a racist. It is years of underfunding by the government which has caused this, not immigrants. Immigrants make up a good proportion of the NHS's staff too.

And no, ITUs don't hold beds 'just encase' (sic), do you seriously think anyone involved wants to cancel needed treatment for patients? Nobody wants that.

What do you think the media can actually do to solve this? No one can magic up an ITU bed no matter how many media outlets the OP contacts. That's just wasting the time of everyone involved, including the OP who doesn't need a wild goose chase or to have to tell her private medical info for the general public to see.

I'm sure OP is at the top of the list, but being at the top of the list doesn't help if there is no bed.

Not necessarily. Hope you get some action that helps - and that you're not waiting too long for your op. x

It’s the Tory government you should be mad at … not the nurses

I think the best you can get is if you're able to attend on short notice - so basically if a patient cancels. That's what happened to me when I was waiting for an urgent operation, GP said to phone the hospital, tell them it was affecting my ability to work (not that it was affecting my ability to care for my son, though I'd said that to my GP as well!). It wasn't that long before they called me in - but it was much more straightforward surgery, usually home same day but they kept me in overnight because of having a bouncy toddler.

Not racist at all… but our NHS and education systems are hugely over stretched and under funded… and just can’t cope with the growing population.

Just to drop my four penneth into the mix … in 2021 my husband was dying on a mixed 6 bed ward. We had a curtain around us but that was that. I said to the ladies on the ward that I was sorry if I cried/yelled/screamed when he went … I didn’t know what I’d be like. Unbeknownst to me my friend’s daughter who was a ‘just’ qualified nurse rang the bed manager and asked was it appropriate for me to be in a ward with my husband dying. A guy was suddenly wheeled out of the little side room and into the main ward. We were wheeled into the side room and within 30minutes my husband died. Sadly there is little humanity left in the NHS and I’m immensely sad you are going through this. My husband previously had open heart surgery postponed twice so I know what you’re going through. Sending you love ❤️