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Original poster

bloody nhs! grrrrrrrrrr

13 replies

sweetmonkey · 30/08/2006 14:45

have suffered tonsilitus nearly all my life. finally in March at the age of 24 i got told i was to have them out. the waiting list was about 6 months and that someone would phone me 4 weeks before the op to arrange a date with me to go in.

so since the weekend ive had a sore throat. thought id phone the hospital up to see how long the list was now and she said "oh you should have been in today. ive just taken you off our list.

i explained i didnt know anything about it and that i hadnt received a phone call and got told they dont make phone calls, they send letters out.

now got to be reput on the list and wait again.grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

OP posts:

bundle · 30/08/2006 14:46

tell them you'll take a cancellation, give them your mobile number, someone is bound to not be fit for surgery and fall off the list.

Original poster

sweetmonkey · 30/08/2006 14:56

the only thing is i need to make sure i can get time off work and cancellations prob wouldnt be any good for me as such short notice.

Plus at work its coming up to the busiest time of year as we deal with boilers and stuff

OP posts:

Uwila · 30/08/2006 15:11

Twats. This is the thing I hate most and the list is long about the NHS. They put you out with tonsilitis and leave you waiting another six months (at least) because they can't be bothered to pick up the telephone? What a horrible excuse for professionals. "OH we don't do that" is really no excuse at all in my book.

Original poster

sweetmonkey · 30/08/2006 15:13

the only reason i knew they phoned is because thats what the woman told me ages ago when i first got told to have them out . i also got told by the doctor i should have had them out as a child and he was astounded i hadnt been offered the option.

im just so annoyed as like ive said its coming into the busy period at work and its gonna be almost impossible to get time off.grrrrr

sorry just needed to rant

OP posts:

tribpot · 30/08/2006 15:29

But if they send letters out can she explain why you haven't had a letter? Have you recently moved house or similar?

In any case, I think you need to make a complaint in writing, both to the hospital and to whoever it was told you there would be a phone call, was this someone at your GP surgery? If so, the practice manager.

Apart from the fact that it's bloody annoying for you that you've got to wait, and annoying for the NHS that the slot was wasted (through no fault of your own!) the fact that you didn't attend might count against you in the future depending on hospital policy. (The general rule for outpatient appointments is three failures to attend will cause the referral to be cancelled).

Their computer system therefore should also know that you didn't fail to attend, they failed to tell you to attend.

I think it's also worth asking that you not be put at the bottom of the list under the circumstances, although I don't know how far you'll get with that.

If this doesn't work, I would write to your MP. I have to confess to working for the NHS and I have seen MP letters on behalf of constituents for things far more trivial than this!

Original poster

sweetmonkey · 30/08/2006 15:33

nope ive been at the same address for nearly 20 years so that cane be their excuse. it was the woman at the hospital that told me they rang which is why ive still been waiting and didnt bother chasing it up. i may well write to someone just wasnt sure what good it would do

OP posts:

bundle · 30/08/2006 15:34

take a cancellation and phone in sick. say you were stretchered in for emergency op (partly true)

Original poster

sweetmonkey · 30/08/2006 15:39

to be honest if it were at my last job i would but ive been here a year and love my job and the people i work with. my bosses son got kiled in a motorbike accident a month ago and things are still quite strained here. i dont wanna leave them in the sh*t.

OP posts:

mazzystar · 30/08/2006 15:53

how long would you need off work to recover?

its got to be better for them in the long run to have it dealt with rather than you being under par or having to to take days off sick.

and do write to the NHS (after making sure your DP or other hasn't put the letter, unopened, somewhere safe). they need to know.

tribpot · 30/08/2006 15:53

You should definitely write. They can't just ignore stuff like this any more.

Original poster

sweetmonkey · 30/08/2006 15:58

2 weeks off. i always go in when ive had it before. its not that my work are being difficult bt i dont want to put them in a diffiult situation and make things any more stressful than they are at mo

OP posts:

mazzystar · 30/08/2006 16:07

Didn't mean to imply that they were, but you mustn't feel guilty for getting something that has caused a lifetime of pain and discomfort fixed at last.

Original poster

sweetmonkey · 30/08/2006 16:11

yeah i do see your point. just so frustrating. if id have gone in today it would have been sorted by now

OP posts:

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