NHS colleague has queue jumped a waiting list

[iamfrustrated]

I want to preface this by saying that everything I say, I have been told by my colleague themselves. I am not making assumptions.

This colleague is waiting for some fairly urgent surgery. During the pre-operative assessment a fairly minor issue was detected. It does not preclude the major surgery but can be solved by a minor surgical procedure.

They have, in the space of two weeks, been seen by a consultant, listed for surgery, pre-assessed for this procedure and given a date. Meanwhile, I am waiting for an appointment in the same department and it’s going on seven months without an idea of when I will be seen.

My managers are aware of the situation and she is almost gleeful in how they are telling everyone that this has happened, that they’ve jumped the queue and they have basically cheated the system for a date.

I am so angry. I do not see how it is fair. AIBU to complain to my managers about this, as at the very least I think you shouldn’t be so gleeful about it?

The general gist is she was annoyed that the minor procedure might disrupt a holiday she has planned next year. So she complained and complained to the manager and next thing we know, she’s bragging the next morning about getting fast tracked!

Perhaps surgical team decided they didn't want to do major surgey without minor issue being sorted first? So she was fast tracked to enable major surgery to take place.

She’s said this isn’t the case. She’s very gleeful.

If your manager offered to fast track your appointment, would you turn it down? Hand on heart?

So just hearsay then?

Right, so who fast tracked her?

On what basis was this done?

Who are you going to report for abuse of their position exactly?

This happens ALL THE TIME especially with relatives of senior NHS employees. I’m married to a consultant - had surgery 18 months ago, was advised against having it privately (my preference), it was scheduled almost immediately, I got a side room and every clinical person I met said “are you related to Dr Vinvertebrate?”

DH’s hospital even managed to fund a treatment for DM’s cancer that is not on the NHS protocol for it. That’s communism, folks.

It’s obscene, the NHS is totally unethical and untrustworthy and OP should absolutely call this out.

This is what she’s told us. Seems like the manager was the one to do it

Why don't you ask your manager why she has been fast tracked OP, and while you're at it, ask if it can be done for you too.

Presumably you also reported this unethical and untrustworthy behaviour?

Then report it if you believe it to be unethical. If you know someone is abusing their position then you've got a responsibility to report it

So if that's true, pick up the phone to your whistle blowing line.

It would seem an obvious course of action wouldn't it?

I don’t particularly want to get it done for myself because I know it’s wrong. But I also don’t want to rock the boat and get a bunch of people in trouble

Yes. I suspect she won't.

Why not? If you have evidence of wrongdoing why wouldn't you whistle blow?

So you want to complain here where no one can actually do anything about it, but you won't complain to the people who can?

People are generally allowed to vent

Very true, but isn't actually taking action far more cathartic and may even improve things.

It's incredible. Two women working together with exactly the same clinical issues and exactly the same treatment needed, but one fast racked because despite working together, only she worked for the NHS.

I neither solicited special treatment nor reported it (particularly after 4 hours of major abdominal surgery). And I’m hardly likely to say “nah, just give mum the cheap chemo that doesn’t work - it’s perfectly good enough for everyone else!”

Any organisation as corrupt as the NHS won’t give a shit anyway. 🤷‍♀️

Something here doesn't add up. How could your manager influence the team doing the op to change the waiting list? Things like that are all held electronically with dates attached.

I wonder if there's another explanation - either a health complication she doesn't want to share that makes her a higher priority, or perhaps she was lucky to be offered a cancellation slot that had just become available.

I didn’t say it was the same. Just the same department

I fear that you don’t understand how it works in reality. One email from a consultant to expedite is all it takes.

Not when you're complicit through silence in the corruption.