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 😭

You can't just turn up - they'll have nothing ready for you.

I've just had major spinal surgery 2.5 weeks ago - I waited 5 and a half YEARS.

I was in agony - a 60 degree lumbar curve, 30 thoracic curve with rib/pelvis impingement - excruciating pain - bone on bone. My life was on hold.

Sadly the NHS doesn't work.

I sympathise but realistically what do you expect to happen, they chuck out a person from the bed they need (so an unsafe discharge)- to make room for you?

My Dad needed important surgery, all preparations done, then on the morning of the surgery 4-5 surgeons from different areas of the hospital had a meeting and basically fought for a single ICU bed for that day. Luckily for us my Dads case won so surgery went ahead. I feel for the people who were told actually no you can’t have your surgery.

The NHS is a mess and you can thank the government for it. It sucks. I hope you get sorted soon.

By all means, turn up at the hospital and demand an earlier appointment/date. But how do you think they get an earlier appointment/date? It's by cancelling somebody else. Everybody thinks their surgery is the most important and top priority, but the fact is these things are decided by somebody at management/consultant level according to clinical need.
Although unfortunately in my experience, whoever shouts the loudest gets sorted first as people threaten legal action that the NHS obviously wants to avoid.
Past and current industrial action also has a part to play in delays.
It's all so wrong and a direct result of years of chronic underfunding unfortunately.

The fact that (they said) I'm at the top of the list but haven't had my op shows that they're not cancelling or kicking anybody else out of bed to make space for me. I don't think any amount of emails I send or phone calls I make will make a difference at this point.

Agree with this. It's needed to maintain priority in a system with too few beds and underfunding directly down to the govt.
if you shout the loudest you might get bumped up but again is that right or fair?

Caring more about somebody else's operation above my own isn't going to raise my kids is it? When you're an LP of three young children your only motivation is to be alive to raise them.

I don't know one person that would care about a faceless stranger getting a slot for life saving surgery, above getting their own.

It shouldn't be about who shouts loudest for their surgery, of course it shouldn't, but best believe I'll be shouting loudly for mine because my children depend on it.

You have my sympathy OP. I've had my surgery cancelled 3 times and have a new date for the end of September but I've been told that's not guaranteed. I've been reassured that I'm on the urgent list but I haven't found that very reassuring! I found a lump in January, biopsies are inconclusive, scans identify it as likely malignant (& they found a second one for good measure).

I'm a lone parent and my DS has complex health needs. Each time I've had to arrange care for him (only certain people are trained to provide this) and then I've had to cancel it all. I contacted private providers (I figured I'd find a way to finance it) but they can't get me in for months either. So I'm just sat waiting.

I really hope you get sorted soon, it's very stressful and I wanted to let you know that I completely understand how you're feeling

Ffs women, you're allowed to want to live FOR YOU as well as for anyone else!

Am cross you still haven't heard anything yet OP.

Time to be sorting all this with a new Government … anyone who voted Tory should be at the very bottom of the pile !!! Thinking you are MORE important because you are a single fckn parent IS SELFISH and not how the NHS works… how it DOES actually work is beyond me but remember a HUGE part of the nhs budget goes to FATCATS … THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO STOP

@alsowaiting I'm so sorry, that's terrible. You must be beside yourself 😔

Have you spoken to PALS at all? They seemed pretty helpless in my case but from what I've read from others sometimes they can be brilliant (and a complaint to them seems to hold more weight than a complaint without them)

Clutching at straws perhaps as the enormity of the situation is just that desperate.

If you ever want to talk, offload or vent please don't hesitate to PM. I know the waiting feels like purgatory.

Are you also in London by any chance?

Keeping everything crossed that you get your surgery soon. I'm not religious but will pray for us both. Hang in there ❤️

I am more important to my children just like other people are most important to their children and loved ones. Doubly so when they are a carer of children with SN who rely on them for everything.

Until you have been in my position you have absolutely no right to pass judgement on anything.

..and chill out with the fucking capitals.

a HUGE part of the nhs budget goes to FATCATS

No it doesn't. Stop shouting.

I think it’s pretty obvious the OP doesn’t expect that. If you read her posts.

Wow. I think the OP is just trying not to die. Probably best not to yell incoherent bile at her. If you can just use the capital letters for the occasional emphasizing of a random word, the Daily Mail might be looking for writers.

I wish you all the best @Wndof , I really hope you get your operation soon.
mine been waiting over a year just to see a consultant. The operation I need will be seen as non urgent, and is a huge op, so I’m expecting to wait YEARS rather than months for it to be done … by which time I might’ve gone through the menopause and be deemed as not needing it anymore.. but we shall see. There are people out there, like yourself, who need surgery far more urgently than me, and I do hope they prioritise you on the next list.

@Wndof there has been a lot on this thread, heartbreaking stuff, and stuff that would have been better placed elsewhere.

I work in a related field and wanted to say that I am certain that whilst the NHS may behave like a monolith - and it feels like you are screaming into the void - those individuals involved in your care, the neurosurgeon and their team, will absolutely be rooting for you and fighting your corner and agitating to get your aneurysm secured as soon as they can.

It may sound empty, but it I am so sorry that you have been put through this - please update after your operation.

@kerryelaine100You're a vile person, your grammar is shocking and you appear to have a problem with your caps lock key. HTH

That’s such a disgrace and completely unacceptable. Go to the hospital and wait out the day. I’d make up a sign that explains why you are there so everyone knows your plight. Tell the local press that you are doing this. They might put your situation in the news. Go to a lawyer and get a letter saying that you’ll take them to court for damages as your need is to save your life.

RTFT, the hospital aren't doing this for fun, the OPs treating team know she needs this surgery and the press and lawyers can't magic up an ITU bed where there isn't one. I'm sure you mean well but I don't think that telling the OP to publicise her private medical info to try to make a hospital give her something they haven't got helps anyone and probably causes more stress all round.

OP I'm sorry you're in this position, it must be so frightening and I hope you get your surgery soon

If a person dies from no treatment because of no bed in the hospital then at least there will be a public record and a legal process in place. It’s an awful situation to be in.

@Wndof I’m also the proud(?) possessor of a cerebral aneurysm, though it’s much smaller than yours and hasn’t changed size or shape in the 20 plus years since it was detected after its big brother ruptured inside my brain. My consultant recommended not to have surgery due to its position plus I already had extensive damage from the first one rupturing. I’m lucky to be alive and I can well understand how you’re feeling right now. Stay strong and I hope your next post might be a new surgery date.

Well mine's been cancelled again, fourth time. I've emailed my MP and others but feel very despondent, there's literally nothing I can do is there? Apparently I'm on the urgent list, so urgent that my next appointment is now November! That'll be 11 months since finding the lump.