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 😭

I votes YANBU because you’re not at all U to feel the way you do.

However I also think there’s not much point in just showing up.

I get it because when my Dd was a baby she really needed surgery and it kept being put off. She did get it in the end though and is fine now.

What do you expect pals to do?

Uh, I don't know. Help?

This is the second cancellation. As PP said above the hospital will be fined if there's a third cancellation.

Surely if you turn up in the hope that a bed will become available and you’re top of the list at the time, you’d have to go without food and drink in anticipation of an op? How long would you be able to do that for?

You could catch covid and thus be unable to attend next week or so when they fit you in.

You could be ejected from the premises by hospital security.

You could be removed from the list under NHS zero tolerance rules for patient behaviour.

You would pay a fortune in parking for no purpose.

I'm so sorry that you've been let down at the last minute. Hopefully they will contact you soon for another appointment. It must be frustrating.

The staff that you would interact with won’t be the ones scheduling ops. I can’t see how it would get you a date any sooner than waiting in the comfort of your own home.
Its shit- I get it- I’ve waited over a year for two separate life changing surgeries, and this was pre covid with no strikes going on!

Anyone else think it's despicable of Mumsnet to stick a BUPA advert in the middle of this thread???

My MILs life saving surgery for a brain tumour was cancelled on the day, or the evening before, a total of 13 times. This was nearly 20 years ago, so it’s not a new thing.

She needed both a HDU and ICU bed free as they weren’t sure which she would need, and every time it was cancelled because one or the other wasn’t available.

It was horrifically stressful. It’s also very common. But if there isn’t a bed available, you going down there won’t get you your operation. MIL was in a ward and it was the same story.

It's unlikely they'll need to have me turfed out by security, I'm not one for antisocial behaviour. I just want to be seen and spoken to, that'll suffice.

It's easier to fob somebody off over the phone.

I had major surgery in August, I was scheduled for July. The NHS had sent a letter apologising for the long wait for care and warned I would not be seen for months if not years. I funded it privately to be treated at a local hospital before my tumour destroyed more tissue. My Caregiver took day off work to drive me, I had kids organised, and I was about to leave the house when the ward clerk rang to say the operation I was paying for was cancelled. This was due to unforeseen staffing issues. The medical secretary rang later to apologise about short notice (2 hours prior to me being gowned up I was called to cancel this). She was very upset and had patients shouting at her who had been driven a long way for operations scheduled that morning. She had to tell some of them in the car park and turn them away as they simply did not have the staff available to attend to everyone. I told her not to worry and she rebooked me. I feel sorry for front line staff in health care facilities facing the brunt of rage from the patient population when the problem lurks behind the scenes in lack of beds, lack of theatres, lack of staff etc.

Probably with a new surgery date that might be slightly sooner than it would be if you hadn't turned up, but home nevertheless.

So, in other words, it's worth doing. If it's life saving surgery, you only have one life and anything you do to speed up the operation could make a difference. You've already got the day off, etc.

I used to work in pre op assessment and I can tell you for sure that they will not be doing your op if it has been cancelled whether you turn up or not. The lists will have been changed, the consultant may be doing other things and your notes and pre op paperwork etc won’t have been taken to theatres ready for your arrival.

That being said I completely understand your anger and frustration. The way patients are treated nowadays is awful. Unfortunately to the “bed managers” you are just a number not a human being. All I can suggest is constantly calling the bookings team to get a new date asap.

Why not, give it a go! At least then if there’s an on the day cancellation you might have a chance. It’s horrible when you’ve got a major surgery and it’s cancelled as you psych yourself up so much. I know it can’t be helped, I ended up blocking an ICU bed for 14 days instead of 2 days after my surgery due to complications - but it’s still upsetting

Minfilia wow 13 times, your poor MIL. I take it the fines for 3 cancellations wasn't a thing back then? Mine is also brain surgery.

I do understand why people think I'm wasting my time, I think I probably am too. I just feel so desperate 😞

Its would be completely pointless, they cant do the op unless there is the high dependency bed available for you, turning up wont change that. As frustrating as it is, you, and the staff you will see are powerless to change that. There is a national, massive, shortage of beds. Your anger and frustration needs directing towards the government, not the staff on the wards and units in your hospital.

Im sorry this has happened and i hope you get your surgery rescheduled asap

A question, if there are no beds what do they do when they have an emergency? My surgery is for a brain aneurysm, currently unruptured of course.

What happens if somebodies aneurysm does rupture or another person has a stroke? Do they just leave them to die if there's no beds?

It feels like I'll be fucked either way at the minute to be honest.

It probably worked in the same way that people say "I only put down one school so I HAD to be given that school".
No they put down one school, and were lucky enough to meet the criteria. otherwise they'd have been given the nearest school that had places.

Realistically, you're going to sit in a hot waiting room, with people who are ill, potentially infectious; if you genuinely think you have a chance at being told to go ahead, you can't eat anything all day so you're ready for a GA and even if a bed in ICU becomes available there's a not unreasonable chance the surgeon will either have been given other things to do or might even be at a different hospital.
Doesn't sound worth it to me.

I am not sure - but I didn’t know there were fines now for cancellations! I had my appointment recently rearranged 8 times so to me this is just how the NHS is…

I don’t blame you for feeling the way that you do. Maybe going down might make you feel better, or at least less powerless. But they won’t be able to operate tomorrow.

Im sorry the NHS is such a shit show. This shouldn’t be happening to you.

I can really understand your frustrations. My son was in hospital for abdominal surgery he was 1st on the list everything went pear shaped and he was in theatre for 8 hours . All the other children were sent home, I was mortified thankfully the parents were understanding and sympathetic.

If you have a Tory MP go and sit in their office and refuse to move until you get the OP. They are more responsible than the hospital

I had my surgery following an accident cancel twice on successive days. It was not ideal but I took the mature view that some unfortunate person needed the services of the surgeon and the theatre mor than me.

Op i feel for you so, so much. I've had life saving surgery myself and can only imagine how i would have coped with what is happening to you. The desperation and frustration that you feel is coming off your post in waves. I totally understand why you are planning to sit in the hospital tomorrow but sadly it will achieve nothing. You will be either totally ignored or removed by security if you kick up a fuss. . I don't know what the answer is, but is there not someone sympathetic at the hospital? Somebody who could help?

@Galatine Instead of implying I'm immature why don't you just come right out and say it?

Fancy being an arse to somebody down on their luck. That could never be me.

Email PALS and copy your MP. Your anxiety over treatment is important to point out. I wouldn't go to the hospital.

My DH had his op cancelled twice - and was told he was at the bottom of the list again. The second time when he was gowned up and an hour away from surgery. In that case apparently you have to be offered another one in the next 28 days if you are at the hospital.

Its hard enough to fight for an appointment and your distress needs to be documented.

I've got a Home Security advert 🤷‍♀️

A number are kept open for emergencies, and the rest for schedualed, if there are too many emergencies then schedualed patients get cancelled. People are stepped down as quickly as possible. Wards in my trust that were not used for high dependency patients now have monitors so they can be used for stepping down patients that require more care than used to be provided on a standard ward. Patients are put in units that arent designed for them, for example, medical outliers are placed on surgical wards as the beds are needed. Patients are transferred to other hospitals when necessary too. Plus, staying on A&E or assessment units for 48+ hours as theres no where to admit them too is also common, with A&E's utilising corridors and keeping patients on trolleys.

Its a massive logistical nightmare that impacts pretty much every patient using the NHS on a daily basis and is unsustainable.