AIBU to be annoyed after my operation was cancelled at hospital?

[TheOpalFox]

Would you be annoyed if you travelled an hour to go to your operation… and you had the gown on and socks and they cancelled ???????? Due to staff issues. ? :(

Thats madness. They must have known staffing levels before getting you ready?? Hope you get sorted soon x

You're not unreasonable to be annoyed, no. It must be very frustrating.

However, there's not much the hospital can do about it.

Staff issues might not always mean that they didn’t rota enough staff or someone called in sick. It could be that something urgent came up and staff were called to that. Or something went on longer than expected and they cancelled yours so that there wasn’t a knock on effect for everything else. Still shit for you though.

Nothing new there, frustrating yes but par for the course.

I had my gallbladder out 20yrs ago and I was warned that until I was actually in the operating theatre, there was every chance the operation may be cancelled (as had happened to the lady sat next to me in pre-op).

That said, it works the other way as well.
My BIL was referred for a minor op a few months ago and was put on the waiting list expecting it to be 6-12months.
The SAME WEEK he got a call and was asked if he could attend on the Friday as a slot had become available (he did and it was carried out successfully).

My DH needed two very rushed emergency operations this last year and I know they had to cancel day patients at the last minute probably when they were already gowned up. I felt awful about it and I won't complain if it happens to me in the future as potentially it means they've been able to save someone's life. It is a massive inconvenience though so I do sympathise.

No, you’re not, but it’s happening daily in the NHS. A real shit show at the moment, despite ever increasing amounts thrown at it.🙄

The right hand never seems to know what the left hand is doing.

Hope you get your op soon.

DH spent a week in hospital because operation kept getting cancelled last minute - that was hard.

A decade ago friends were upset when there was a last minute cancellation just as their son was due to go down. It turned into a police investiagtion - though think in end it was fault with equipment - so then they were greatful to avoid added risk.

It may be a more urgent case has come in and reallocated staff - or someone gone off sick after coming in. I'd be annoyed having traveled in but these things do happen a lot.

I would be frustrated but also understanding that there are limited resources and sometimes these things happen. I would also be grateful that my operation wasn't so serous/urgent that it was one of those that couldn't be bumped to a later date.

I doubt if it's anything to do with levels of NHS funding.

I hope you get your operation soon @TheOpalFox

Yeah that's ridiculous. I guess it's better than the surgeon walking off mid way through the operation?! But it sounds almost like the doctor must've had a heart attack while walking towards the surgery if it had to be cancelled at such short notice?! Bizarre.

I hope it happens really soon!

This happened to me twice when I needed an operation on a broken shoulder. Both times gowned up & about to go down when an emergency came in. It was frustrating and my anxiety was sky high but I couldn’t have a go at them - an emergency comes first. Third time lucky!

Elective surgeries are always prone to this as they are probably non urgent . Nothing staff can do so just resign yourself to a reschedule.

There two I struggled to undertand brother turning up to correct location date and time and being told they'd recolcated the scan to a hopsital 25 miles away due to staff issues-and being surpsied that was an issue to a non driver with limited money.

My Dad before he passed - housebound and very ill - and mum as carer booking hospital transport for a appointment with one department - got there entire department was on a training day - complete waste of time and parents refused to try again as it was too much for Dad.

That definitely sounds frustrating! I hope you get your surgery soon.

Was it your hysterectomy they cancelled @TheOpalFox?

It happens and is very disappointing but there isn't much to be done. Staff might be off ill or might have been called away on emergencies. Anger won't help. I feel for you though.

Is your hospital a major trauma centre ( if that's the right name). It might be that you've been bumped because of incoming emergencies? I don't think they ever say.

Happened to my DH three times. He was waiting for elective surgery to repair the ACL. Three times he was given a bed, gowns and socks and then cancelled at the last minute. The fourth time they put him 1st on the list and he had it done late afternoon. Incoming trauma cases get priority and electives are bumped. Annoying though!

I wouldn't be bothered about travelling an hour though. Most people have to travel to get to a hospital.

I travelled over three hours for an operation last month. We had to leave at 04.30 in the morning.

Anyway - if they get emergencies in, they do cancel non-urgent cases.
I'm sorry this happened to you.

This time last year I just arrived at hospital, I was bleeding internally from a ruptured ectopic pregnancy and was really, really ill. I was rushed to emergency surgery where I had a fallopian tube removed. Someone's routine operation may have been cancelled because the surgeon was busy saving my life. It's frustrating but you never know what is going on behind the scenes in a hospital. I would have died if the surgeons would have said OK you can go at the back of the queue behind all of the surgeries we have planned today and we will get to you when we can.

YANBU. That's genuinely shocking. What a rude, and disrespectful waste of a person's time. As though your time is less valuable than theirs. Not to mention the emotional/psychological stress of gearing yourself up for surgery, not eating, getting time off work, finding someone to take you home and keep an eye on you, only to then find it was all for nothing. And still you're left with the thing that you needed sorting! And I say this as someone working in the NHS that well understands the challenges we are facing re resources, staffing, etc.

I would urge you to write and make a formal complaint OP, to make your voice heard. It's honestly a disgrace that something like this can happen. You should speak up.

It's not always to do with whose time is more valuable.

Sometimes it's about staff dealing with emergencies, or last minute staff sickness.

Awful when it happens though, especially when you've been nil by mouth for ages and prepared yourself mentally.

Just happened to me in the last hour. NHS staff couldn’t have given less of a shit. Just , tough luck, Off you go. Waited years. Organised everything. Self employed so out of pocket. Single parent so lots of logistics. I’m fuming! 🤬

I'm not saying individual staff believe this, but the system clearly treats people in this manner. It shouldn't be happening in a functional healthcare system. These aren't unexpected situations where waves of trauma cases sweep into a hospital that isn't prepared. These are planned surgeries patients have been given appointments for. A functional system should be able to ensure the operations they've initiated can go ahead in all but the most extreme/rare situations.

Are... are you joking? Genuinely shocking? It happens all the time so it shouldn't be a shock to you. Yes it frustrating but worse things happen.

It also won't have been due to any member of staff saying oh you know what I can't be arsed with this one, I'm going down the pub.