Fuming at 71 year old's 10 hour wait at NGH

[medusa 16]

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that they cancelled your op Saffy, and so frustrated on your behalf that you have to start all over again with the mental planning for this (if you decide to go through it again).

 

I'm sending you as much strength as one post can hold. Keep on keeping on love.

[zippy 10]

Well, my thoughts are .. In any other job, if you have a list of stuff you have to do that day, you finish it, even if it means a call to say . "running late, won't be home till .. " but that's just my opinion and I don't know the rules and regulations for the NHS.

 

.

 

 

at what point does that stop though ?

 

how late do you want staff to stay ? and how many days a week do you want them to stay ?

 

I don't walk out if i'm in the middle of doing something when my shift ends, but to programme work beyond the end of the working day ?

 

you do realise how many extra unpaid and unclaimed/ unable to be taken back hours most clinicians do as it is ?

[mediman 10]

I am adding to this thread now because I too had my op cancelled yesterday. Having been messed about since November I finally got to the TAU yesterday .. Had my bloods taken and mrsa swabs done as I had had my pre op in November and it was ten weeks past that date.

 

Was initially told I would be going down roughly 2.30.

 

I was not allowed to take my Oramorph because of the anesthetic and pain killers used during and after the op .. And I had also forgotten to pack my tramadol. So all I had was Diazepam and Paracetamol.

 

By four I sent my husband back home to collect my case .. We live 30 miles away.

 

My operation would take two and a half hours ..

 

I didn't realise the theatres shut at 6pm apart from the emergency ones that run 24 hours.

 

At 5 my surgeon came and gave me the news that sadly I wouldn't be operated on that day.

 

I appreciate that this was because the last surgery over ran .. Something that can't be helped at times, but why did no one tell me before 5pm???

 

Apparently my surgeon was ready and willing to operate, but theatre staff are not forced to stay beyond 6pm.

 

I'd like to say a big thanks to them .. My journey home was agony and I am now in severe spasm.

 

I am, at this moment, deliberating whether to actually have this surgery as the stress of yesterday has caused me physical and emotional problems.

 

My thanks to my surgeon who was willing to carry on .. But why was I not told earlier, knowing that the operation was a good two and a half hours on the operating table? Surely the nursing staff have seen this sort of thing before.

 

Good on the surgeon willing to stay and do the op, but please dont blame the theatre staff, for all you know they may have been quite willing to stay and do the op aswell. The blame goes higher up in the system, overtime is being cut back due to the savings the hospitals have now got to make to balance the bugets. Blame the goverment who are the instigators of these cuts.

[tasha_78_1 10]

Well, my thoughts are .. In any other job, if you have a list of stuff you have to do that day, you finish it, even if it means a call to say . "running late, won't be home till .. " but that's just my opinion and I don't know the rules and regulations for the NHS.

 

.. And I can understand if you are staying IN hospital and need an op, that they can be cancelled at any time as it depends when all staff needed can get together. I had this experience last May ..but luckily they found another person to replace the one who was needed elsewhere and mine wasn't cancelled but it wouldn't have mattered if it had been because I was in hospital getting sufficient pain relief and care.

 

The theatre staff (nurses, ODP`s, support workers) cannot work indefinitely. They are employed for a certain number of hours and are not obliged to stay beyond that time. All theatre staff do stay often way beyond their finish time. They do not get paid for the time they work over (or for any coffee and luch breaks missed), it is given back to them as "time owing" which has to be taken at a time convenient to the department. In reality this often means never. It is often the fault of the person who compiles the operating list that there is too much on the list for the operating session (which does have a set time) The theatre staff have also been on duty since early morning so are not at their best at the end of the day. The job tires the body and the mind, I wouldnt want to be operated on by theatre staff who have already been working for 9 or 10 hours

[Dizzyblonde 10]

Not sure I'd want to be "fitted in" at the end of the day. Its got to be difficult scheduling variables in hospitals, they are probably under pressure to reduce waiting lists, but should you not know if you are in a standby slot?

[JFKvsNixon 11]

I am adding to this thread now because I too had my op cancelled yesterday. Having been messed about since November I finally got to the TAU yesterday .. Had my bloods taken and mrsa swabs done as I had had my pre op in November and it was ten weeks past that date.

 

Was initially told I would be going down roughly 2.30.

 

I was not allowed to take my Oramorph because of the anesthetic and pain killers used during and after the op .. And I had also forgotten to pack my tramadol. So all I had was Diazepam and Paracetamol.

 

By four I sent my husband back home to collect my case .. We live 30 miles away.

 

My operation would take two and a half hours ..

 

I didn't realise the theatres shut at 6pm apart from the emergency ones that run 24 hours.

 

At 5 my surgeon came and gave me the news that sadly I wouldn't be operated on that day.

 

I appreciate that this was because the last surgery over ran .. Something that can't be helped at times, but why did no one tell me before 5pm???

 

Apparently my surgeon was ready and willing to operate, but theatre staff are not forced to stay beyond 6pm.

 

I'd like to say a big thanks to them .. My journey home was agony and I am now in severe spasm.

 

I am, at this moment, deliberating whether to actually have this surgery as the stress of yesterday has caused me physical and emotional problems.

 

My thanks to my surgeon who was willing to carry on .. But why was I not told earlier, knowing that the operation was a good two and a half hours on the operating table? Surely the nursing staff have seen this sort of thing before.

 

I'm really sorry about your cancelation yesterday, please do not give in because of this temporary setback.

 

Maybe your neuro theatre that you was going into wasn't the only neuro theatre over running, meaning that the co-ordinator in theatre would have had to have juggled their staff around to ensure that their existing operations could be staffed safely, and the people who had to go home could. So it may have been only later on that it could be decided that it wasn't possible to operate on you.

 

You also have to remember that the situation that occurred yesterday for you may happen every day in theatres, so try not to be too hard on the staff who may have had family commitments that they had to go home too.

[MC1970 10]

I think we can all appreciate that unexpected events will sometimes throw out a preplanned arranged op, but what is unforgiveable is that a 71 year old woman is left in a hard upright chair, totally ignored for 10 hours.

 

Surely it wouldn't be too hard to have someone on duty who can see that this kind of thing doesn't happen. A more comfortable easy chair, and the odd cup of tea would have made all the difference to her.

 

If they had given her the odd cup of tea then she wouldn't be nil by mouth ! So they wouldn't be able to operate

[Saffy 10]

They gave me the cup of tea whilst i was waiting for my husband to get home so I could call him to come back. I'd not eaten since 6 the prior evening or drank anything other than a cup of water to take my meds before leaving at 7am.

 

Am aware that staff have lives too .. I just needed a rant! I was in pain going home as they wouldn't let me take my morphine and as it makes me sick I couldn't take it till I got home because I didn't want to throw up in the car. My fault entirely that I'd forgotten my Tramadol .. So I was dealing with severe back and sciatic pain on just paracetamol and diazepam.

 

I think the only real complaint I have is that surely the staff in the TAU must have known at 4 when I told them I was sending my husband home, that there was a high possibility I wouldn't get done.

 

Never mind .. It's a new day and all that.

[ange1312 10]

I'm sorry to hear of all the negative experiences people are having. I believe that these can be directly attributed to the changes the coalition government are making to the NHS and things are only going to get worse, especially if the bill goes through the house of Lords. The politicians say that the changes will improve patients care but it is evident from these experiences that is just not the case. If you feel that the NHS reforms should be amended or abolished you can join a petition at

 

 

And let the government know you oppose the bill.

[Ms Macbeth 73]

They gave me the cup of tea whilst i was waiting for my husband to get home so I could call him to come back. I'd not eaten since 6 the prior evening or drank anything other than a cup of water to take my meds before leaving at 7am.

 

Am aware that staff have lives too .. I just needed a rant! I was in pain going home as they wouldn't let me take my morphine and as it makes me sick I couldn't take it till I got home because I didn't want to throw up in the car. My fault entirely that I'd forgotten my Tramadol .. So I was dealing with severe back and sciatic pain on just paracetamol and diazepam.

 

I think the only real complaint I have is that surely the staff in the TAU must have known at 4 when I told them I was sending my husband home, that there was a high possibility I wouldn't get done.

 

Never mind .. It's a new day and all that.

 

And wouldn't it have been simple common sense and courtesy to sit down with you and tell you they were running late, and it was unlikely you would get to theatre. Perhaps you could arrange to have the first appointment of the day next time? Then you'd be guaranteed your theatre slot - as long as everyone necessary turned up on the day.

[Saffy 10]

Yep .. It's sorted. My surgeon is putting me first on the list .. Just waiting on a date .. 15th or 17th of this month, so not long now.

[Ms Macbeth 73]

Yep .. It's sorted. My surgeon is putting me first on the list .. Just waiting on a date .. 15th or 17th of this month, so not long now.

 

Excellent news, and fingers crossed you get the outcome you want.