Really hate the NHS at the moment.

[AKMD]

Basic background: A large tumour was picked up on by an out-of-hours GP in April this year. I got told I probably had cancer. It took me 15 weeks to see a consultant, after being referred to the wrong consultant who promptly lost my notes. I got given 3 different diagnoses, one of which gave me less than a year to live. It took until September to actually have the operation, after which I didn't have adequate pain relief and got sent home with an insufficient supply to last me until the follow-up appointment. I didn't get a full diagnosis until 3 weeks after the appointment. I got referred on to another consultant after I had complications post-surgery. Hospital lost my notes but they were subsequently found. I asked for a second opinion, which I've had today, only to find that the hospital didn't pass on my test results or my notes so the consultant I saw didn't have enough information to make a diagnosis. I now have to wait 6 weeks for another appointment while they find my notes and test results. The second opinion consultant does surgery at the other consultant's hospital so she said she will consult with the first one about my case history the original diagnosis of the cause of the complication, which I've challenged.

So I've complained that the second opinion is clearly not going to be independent, will complain about them not being prepared for the consultation today, will complain that these constant mess-ups are seriously affecting my quality of life and mental health, am seeing my GP today about being referred to someone who is actually going to give me an independent 2nd opinion and am generally so angry that I feel like hitting something.

DH says I should be grateful that I'm alive. AIBU?

Gosh, you have had an awful time. No one should put up with that kind of treatment and I hope things improve for you very soon.

But I don't hate the NHS. The alternative makes me shudder.

YABU to hate the NHS, yes, it's far better than not having the NHS.

If what you are looking for is sympathy this is probably not the best place to post.

You can be grateful you're alive and angry at them at the same time! It sounds like a right mess and I'm sorry you went through it.

Diagnosis isn't always easy, so I don't think (without knowing anything about it) that having 3 different diagnoses is necessarily their fault, but losing your notes and giving you the run around is not helpful!

I hope you get some answers soon, and I hope you get well soon too.

Trills: Just because something is the lesser of two evils, doesn't mean we have to put up with it, shrug and say "it could be worse".

YANBU - I've had similar experiences with people fobbing me off, pushing me from pillar to post, shoving me here there and everywhere because of lost notes, etc.

Complain bitterly - it will make you feel a lot better and even though it may not achieve anything with regard to changing the system, at least they'll be aware of just how much they have let you down.

I'm not looking for sympathy, I want to know if people think it is acceptable to

a) have to wait so long on a limited-life diagnosis to see a specialist consultant and have an operation; and
b) expect a second opinion to be independent.

Because DH's opinion is that I am lucky to be alive and everything else is manageable. At the last count I pay upwards of £500 a month in NI contributions and to be frank I expect better.

YANBU. On the whole I think they do a magnificent job, but there are some cases like yours which are shameful and shocking. So sorry you've been through all that. I really hope you have a swift resolution to the whole debacle, and some good news.

YANBU

There is a real "put up and shut up" attitude to complaining about the NHS because it's "free". I'd rather take the portion of my taxes that contribute to my NHS usage and put it towards private healthcare, tbh.

I'm a bit unclear though on your situation; has your prognosis changed from the one year you were given? It is worrying to get three different ones, though. How do you know which one to trust?

I think YABU with your last comment- surely the NHS is free and available for all, regardless of income and NI payments.

YANBU. I lost all faith in the NHS when their complete incompetence lead to my MILs death since that time we have gotten BUPA which has honestly been the best money spent: they've covered surgery for a miscarriage when the NHS said I would have to bleed it out (their honest words), surgery for an ovarian cyst that the gp wouldn't refer me for on the NHS, physio, and numerous tests for recurrent miscarriage that again the gp would not refer to the NHS for.

I find the NHS good in an emergency and for small children, but absolutely dreadful for everything else. It's not working, and there are much better models of healthcare in Europe that I think we should be following here, starting with privatizing the whole system.

Sorry that you've been through the wars OP, hope you get to the bottom of things soon.

Gosh that sounds awful. I hope you get a positive outcome.
I know diagnosis can be difficult - in a much much more minor way I'm waiting for a diagnosis on my broken wrist which I'm hoping to get this afternoon, but which has been going on for a couple of weeks. Nothing on the scale of your problem, but it is inconvenient at best (as in my case) and horrendous at worst (as in yours).
If complaining will make you feel more in control, then do it. You must really focus on what is right for you in this situtaion.
Best wishes.

Sorry, it got a bit tangled.

I got 3 different diagnoses/prognoses for the tumour. At the last consultation I was told it was benign and unlikely to come back, so that's sorted.

The latest screw-up was because I had a complication after the operation, which means that I got referred to a neurologist. I don't want to go into too much detail but I disagreed completely with the first diagnosis and my GP agreed that I should seek a second opinion. When I had the second opinion today, the neurologist was completely unprepared - no notes, no test reults, which should all ahve been passed on by the other hospital - and she made it clear that she was going to go back to her colleague at the first hospital and see what she thought.

YANBU. Your experience sounds extreme but I have enough similar examples just within my own family to convince me that the NHS is letting people down on a too regular basis. It's also not that easy to complain. Get fed up with the responses that it's free and we don't have to pay health insurance and 'at least it's not like the USA' yadda, yadda, yadda... and get fed up with being told it's 'isolated incidents' when report after report shows some fundamental failings.

I'd be getting hold of lawyers if I were you. And I hope you make a full recovery.

There is a real "put up and shut up" attitude to complaining about the NHS because it's "free".

debka that's what I moaning about. I'm not suggesting for a moment that I should get better healthcare than someone who pays less in NI contributions, but that everyone is entitled to a better service than the one I'm receiving because it isn't free.

Is the colleague at the other hospital more senior?

I still don't think that YABU, even though that is Fantastic News.

I can't imagine the horror of being told that you have a certain time left. I would be furious. You have every right to be upset.

"You have every right to be upset."

More than that, I'd say you had a good case to sue for the effects of emotional trauma

And put even more strain on the NHS Cogito?

The NHS have a coffer to pay out for stuff like this. I wouldn't think that OP would be depriving someone of treatment if she were to sue.

I'm NOT suggesting that she does or doesn't btw, just saying that they're prepared for being sued.

Is there any way at all you can borrow some money and go privately?

My father's treatment got dramatically better when he did this. I think it saved his life, in fact.

Yanbu. The nhs screwed my mother's case up to the point she nearly died and is now disabled. Of course it is better than having no nhs (but given the care she needed wasn't available privately apparently not having the nhs might actually have meant better care for her...) but that doesn't mean they don't screw up and of course you have a right to be angry.

My mother was recommended to sue after her ordeal but was too traumatised.

As it is, the maternity related care I've experienced had been great...but an operations I've had have been private and will continue to be as long as we can afford it.

It seems to be the admin side of the NHS needs to be looked at and changed. I had a similar experience with my own cancer diagnosis. Had a lump in my neck and after tests they couldn't be sure what it was, cancer was only a 8% chance but due to were it was I wanted it removed.
Once diagnosed my consultant had to attend the MDT which decide individual treatment plans. This took place in a different hospital. I was told it would take place within 2 weeks and i'd be contacted afterwards to come back and discuss things. After 6 weeks I hadn't heard anything so called both hospitals and it soon became apparant that each thought the other had my records. I ended up calling my cancer nurse in tears who spoke to my consultant who had me in the next day to tell me the ooycome of the MDT. (which was another operation and then radioiodine treatment) My records had allegedly been lost between hospitals ! Was assured I'd be operated on within the month, operation was at yet another hospital.
After a month had heard nothing again so contacted that hospital to discover that they had no record of me.
I eventually got the operation 3 and a half months after diagnosis ! All due to the lack of communication between hospitals and my notes not being transferred. I only got the operation etc. when I did because I contacted them and found out myself what was going on, other people won't and will just think everything is fine as they are in the system.

Luckily my cancer was an early stage one and they said they got it all during the initial operation and i'm now in remission.

The NHS is a great thing as my surgeon and consultant saved my life, but the admin staff and the computing system really need looked at as that seems to be a big problem and it is costing people their lifes.

They are both 'Dr' so I'm presuming they're the same rank. If anything, the doctor I saw today is older so likely to be more senior if there's any difference.

I don't really think suing the NHS is a great idea but legal action is on the cards if that's the only way to get them to sort themselves out. I'll see what PALS and my GP have to say.

I am just so cross that the attitude seems to be 'well, we're seeing you and you're still alve so what is there to complain about?' Anyone who's had a diagnosis like that will be able to tell you that every day spent waiting for a letter, a phonecall, an appointment, adds more and more frustration, worry and upset to the point that it's hard to function properly. I thought the system was looking out for me but that hasn't been the case and if I hadn't pushed, I would still be waiting. This secondary diagnosis is affecting my ability to work, to look after my child and to lead a normal life. Days and weeks do matter.

There's a difference between saying "don't complain" and saying "don't hate the NHS".

You asked if you were being unreasonable to hate the NHS. The answer is yes.

StealthP @ 13.06-

yy to that!!!

OP you are so right - I think most individuals on the NHS are lovely, competent, caring people, but the system absolutely fucks people over.

It is a much smaller e.g., but - last week a colleague who has been ttc for ages and finally got pg experienced symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy. Her lovely MW picked this up and actually drove her to GP's to get a referral - they waited around for a while, got one, colleague referred to hospital - only to be told after some more waiting that they did not have enough ultrasound machines to give her a scan till tomorrow.

Her friend who is a doctor at that hosp say US machines cost around £20k (no idea if this is right myself, but if it is....!). So instead of having her fears alleviated she has used up an unnecessary dr's appointment and still had to wait 4 days before finding out if she will need to terminate her much-wanted baby :(

It is the stupid stuff like this that makes me angry with the NHS - not the people, but the fact that, say, after an experienced MW has picked up ectopic symptoms, she can't just refer you, she has to get a GP with probably less experience of pg women to do the referral, and once there, they don't have enough slack built into the schedule to accommodate sudden referrals etc.

I think wrong diagnosis is one thing - drs make mistakes, though I understand how upsetting it must be, you poor poor thing!! - but it's the running you around, the taking no account of your mental situation, that is the worst. Hope you are feeling better for venting x