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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to feel like I want to punch the highly incompetent individual.....

32 replies

Overtiredmum · 29/03/2010 22:08

who booked in my dad's appointment at Kings College Hospital in London to assess my dad's brain tumour?????????????

He was diagnosed two months ago, and referred to see a specialist as the consultant at our local hospital wasn't sure the best course of treatment. They requested an urgent assessment, it took 2 months to get an appointment, which was today. I spent £50 getting a private car and driver to get us there, taking into account London rush hour, my husband took a days holiday to look after the kids, we got to Kings, sat there for an hour before we were ushered into a room to be told: "We are very sorry but your consultant is on holiday, and since there is no management here today, we are unable to rebook your appointment"!!

My poor mum spent the entire train journey home crying, my dad just looked shocked and said "Is it cos I'm 65, they don't care about me now?"!!! What do you say to that???

I understand the need for cancelling appointments for various reasons, but the hospital have openly admitted that it was down to "human admin error" and we now have to wait at least another month before we can be seen again.

So, AIBU that I just want someone to help my poor daddy???

OP posts:

Poledra · 29/03/2010 22:10

God, that is so crap. Hugs and a big glass of wine for you.

morejuiceplease · 29/03/2010 22:12

That's awful. Definitely NU to punch someone. Hope your dads ok.

Original poster

Overtiredmum · 29/03/2010 22:13

I thought so too, thanks Poledra. I finish work at 11pm tonight so will be sitting at home with a BOTTLE of vino in my hand by 11.30.

OP posts:

Rosebud05 · 29/03/2010 22:15

YADNBU to be furious at 'the system' and devastated on your parent's behalf, though it probably isn't down to one individual. It is shocking that an appointment was booked for when the consultant was on holiday.
It might be worth contacting PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) who may be able to liase with consultant to get another appointment sooner or, at the very least, ensure that such a cock up doesn't happen again.
I hope you get it sorted quickly. Absolutely horrible situation for you all and I'd be furious too.

madamy · 29/03/2010 22:16

Does it have to be that hospital or can the GP refer him elsewhere - like the Marsden? I would imagine that there is more than just that 1 specialist in London?

Vallhala · 29/03/2010 22:19

YANBU at all. Sadly yours is one of many tales of Kings' poor performance and attitude. Major teaching hospital it may be, it's bloody appalling in many respets.

I don't know if this will help and I do know that there are others here who know far more about hospital booking procedure than I, but AFAIK as soon as you have an appointment, but not until it's made - or in your Daddy's case a 2nd appointment - you are in a position to go back to your GP and insist ask him/her nicely to push for that appointment to be brought forward.

I hope that you get this sorted very quickly and that your Daddy has a full and speedy recovery as a result.

Original poster

Overtiredmum · 29/03/2010 22:21

Rosebud it is PALS that managed to get the appointment for a months time, although it isn't timed, we've been told to get there for 11am but we have to just sit and wait. If we want a specific appointment then it will be at least another 2 months.

Madamy: I asked if we could see another consultant, but apparently he is the only one who specialise in this sort of tumour, and we need to wait for him.

OP posts:

LynetteScavo · 29/03/2010 22:21

That is awful!

When the hell is the consultant back from holiday???

No management? WTF? I would demand to be seen the second the consultant is back from holiday!

Bloody for you!

Original poster

Overtiredmum · 29/03/2010 22:23

Thanks Vallhala. I called Dad's original consultant who diagnosed him this afternoon to update him, as dad has a follow-up appointment with him which is now BEFORE dad's second appointment. This consultant was appalled. His secretary called back later to say that Kings had not even been in touch with them to request the original scans!

OP posts:

MyCatIsABastard · 29/03/2010 22:24

That is appalling. I have to say I would be on the phone shouting like a bloody banshee, complaining to all the senior management and contacting my MP. Waiting another month to 2 months is bloody bloody dreadful.

Northernlurker · 29/03/2010 22:25

Sometime it really is as simple as human error. Exactly whose error is the tricky bit - and there will be recriminations behind the scenes. It could be that the consultants secretary didn't cancel the clinic, or the consultant forgot that he was on holiday and so basically went awol(they do that on occasion and are utterly mortified by it) or an admin type had a mental abherration and made a total cock up of it.
On behalf of the NHS I am really sorry you had this awful thing happen at such a stressful time. I agree PALS is a good call to make. You need the first available appointment with the doc when they get back. You need them to look at cancellations or converting other unused appointments (we differentiate in clinics often between first appointments and follow ups. Follow ups are shorter but two follow ups = 1 first attendance iyswim) You should ask your dad's GP to write to the consultant with any new symptoms and you should insist that they provide you with a written explanation of what happened and a refund of all your travel costs. They can do that with a bit of nudging and finding the right person to say yes. I've refunded people's car parking charges before now when sad to say we've had similar hiccups. (Am an NHS manager) Please, please tell your Dad that we do care, we really do. Some of us make mistakes and we need to acknowledge that but it isn't because we don't care. I hope you hear some good news soon.

Original poster

Overtiredmum · 29/03/2010 22:27

Hmmmmm MP, hadn't thought of that one.

What I'm worried about is the fact that if dad can only see one particular consultant, how time-critical is it that he sees him?

OP posts:

Northernlurker · 29/03/2010 22:28

x posted. You need to ask why they haven't requested the scans. Is it because they want to take another set or different type of images - because if so they can be doing that NOW and then you can see the doc with the results. It's not unknown for doctors to see a patient for the first time and THEN say 'oh you need x doing before I can help you, off you go and get it done and I'll see you after that - in 8 weeks' And yes I want to slap them too when they pull that one!

Northernlurker · 29/03/2010 22:30

x posted again. You mean how much worse is the tumour getting whilst it's untreated and you're waiting for the appointment don't you? That's one to ask your Dad's current consultant. All I know is that some things do move very slowly and some don't. Not very helpful.

edam · 29/03/2010 22:32

That's appalling for your poor Dad and the rest of you too. Northernlurker's advice sounds spot on - do hope it helps.

Original poster

Overtiredmum · 29/03/2010 22:32

Thanks NL, its not down to you to apologise, but appreciate the sentiment. It was PALS who told me that it was down to human admin error, that the holiday was a planned absence and had been for some time. Thats fine I understand and appreciate that. The appointment he has now been given for end of April is an "add on" or so the PALS woman called it, and said we will just be seen as and when the consultant can squeeze us in, but he was fully booked for at least 6 weeks, so if we needed to be more specific, we would be waiting at least another 2 months. The woman at PALS was very honest with everything and very efficient. Am still not happy though. Its not even about the money, I would happy £500 to get dad there if we could had to. Its more about needing a direction of where we need to go now to get dad treated, if that makes sense.

OP posts:

Original poster

Overtiredmum · 29/03/2010 22:36

NL x posted loads I think ! I was assuming that dads appointment today would involve another scan then a sit down with the consultant, so yes agree that he could at the very least have had that done. But then whats the point if they don't even have his original scan? They would have nothing to compare it to, to see what (if anything) has changed in 4 months.

I have total respect for everything NHS, I think all the docs, nurses, specialist etc do a fantastic job, very often under awful conditions with not very much thanks. Just wish I could do more. My parents have paid for years into private medical insurance, but when I called them today and asked how quickly we could get an appointment, they said it would cost £1500 as they don't cover neurology!

OP posts:

edam · 29/03/2010 22:50

That's typical of PMI, I'm afraid. Policies are full of exclusions. Too late for your parents but for yourself, it's worth putting your money into savings, not medical insurance, and using those savings if you ever do need to go private. Although given interest rates at the moment savings aren't doing so well they are probably still a better option than PMI.

brassband · 29/03/2010 23:06

Can you book a private comsultation ?

Rollmops · 30/03/2010 10:47

This is utterly ridiculous!
The hospital admits that it was their error and your Dad is still expected to wait a month before being seen by Doc?!!? It's a brain tumor not a splinter!
I would be absolutely fuming and taking this to the bleeping head of the operations, pronto. I would demand the first appointment as soon as the Doc is back from the holiday or they will be reading an article about how callously over 60-s are treated at Kings etc.etc.in Telegraph/Mail/whatever.

WorkingMotherNStudent · 30/03/2010 12:00

the chances are it is not the receptionists fault, but that they went to book it on their system and there was a slot available, it is usually the fault of the person who is going on holiday or the admin manager as if the person who is going on holiday does not inform the manager then the slot will not be cancelled, stopping someone from being able to book into these slots, or the manager has been given this information and has not acted on it properly leaving the slots open by accident.
I know as i work in a cancer screening clinic and know how it works. im so sorry, the best thing to do is to keep complaining to the manager of the department, they do take complaints very seriosly and they always try to fit people in if they have to due to things like this. hope things work out soon

2shoeskickedtheeasterbunny · 30/03/2010 12:02

no ide if yabu or not bit omg that is awful, your poor parents.

Original poster

Overtiredmum · 30/03/2010 20:28

Thanks for your replies everyone. Well, I have spent most of the day on the phone trying to get another appointment only to be told the same as before. I have however managed to negotiate a reasonable fee for an MRI and consultation at a local private hospital, for next week, so hopefully at least for now my parents will be able to deal with the wait for the appointment at Kings on the 26th. I have to say what an entirely different service you get when you offer to pay for it, not that my parents haven't contributed towards the NHS over 50 long years of hard work, but I guess thats a completely different argument and one I might get lynched for ! I am trying to draft a subtle and polite letter to the Kings consultant, but it always ends up with me being angry and I can imagine it would just end up in the bin. So, help with comments for my letter would be greatfully received.........

OP posts:

southeastastra · 30/03/2010 20:31

it's awful - my dad twice waited all day for a hernia op (after taking nil by mouth the night before) to be told at 4 in the afternoon both times that it was cancelled.

he's 80, make me so angry.

southeastastra · 30/03/2010 20:32

sorry though op know it's not quite the same

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