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[mariesnowgoose]

Thanks.

I am not so sure. I suspect my initial thought is more likely. Nothing for four weeks then a consultant calls her mobile at 8:30pm to say she is at the top of the list and should come in straight away? Two or three weeks ago she called the Memorial in Darlington to see what was going on. They didn't have a clue but they said they would make sure a consultant reviewed it. My bet is that never happened and the actual consultant (At James Cook in South Tees which is a different county) has only just seen the scans and report.

100% or I’ll eat my hat.

Couple years ago a friend of mine felt really ill. Husband drove her straight to A&E at the RVI because she was feeling so bad.

They did lots of scans & tests and she was at the hospital for several hours. Eventually sent home. Nothing more said or done to say what the problem was.

Three weeks later she got a phone call out of the blue from the PA of a neurologist over the river at the QE: “Mrs X, I’m sorry to tell you you’ve had a massive stroke, could you please stop driving immediately”.

 

[barryd]

Update.

She got a call from just now. She has to come in but its all a bit vague. There will be a bed for her but she doesn't know when. Just told us to come in after lunch. There might be a wait. WTF. Here's an idea. Why not tell the patient to come in when there is an actual bed available?

So we will head there about 1pm. Takes an hour. My bet is we will be sat around all afternoon. Seems unlikely they will do anything today but who knows?

 

[alcam]

Update.

She got a call from just now. She has to come in but its all a bit vague. There will be a bed for her but she doesn't know when. Just told us to come in after lunch. There might be a wait. WTF. Here's an idea. Why not tell the patient to come in when there is an actual bed available?

So we will head there about 1pm. Takes an hour. My bet is we will be sat around all afternoon. Seems unlikely they will do anything today but who knows?

TAKE.A.BOOK.

 

[groyne]

Barry, not sure which way you're coming in, but avoid the Marton exit off the Parkway as it's all road works.
As an aside, last November I was given an appointment date in June to see a Cardiologist at JC. That was cancelled, I'm now booked in, in September.

 

[barryd]

Barry, not sure which way you're coming in, but avoid the Marton exit off the Parkway as it's all road works.
As an aside, last November I was given an appointment date in June to see a Cardiologist at JC. That was cancelled, I'm now booked in, in September.

Thanks. Not worked it out yet. Apparently we need the north entrance car park.

 

[barryd]

Barry, not sure which way you're coming in, but avoid the Marton exit off the Parkway as it's all road works.
As an aside, last November I was given an appointment date in June to see a Cardiologist at JC. That was cancelled, I'm now booked in, in September.

Google Maps says best route is from Middlesbrough from the North. Its the North car park we need V3 apparently. Ward 8.

 

[mariesnowgoose]

Good luck!

Hope she gets sorted soonest

 

[bartman]

TAKE.A.BOOK.

No, take your guitar, that'll encourage them not to keep you waiting around too long

 

[barryd]

No, take your guitar, that'll encourage them not to keep you waiting around too long

Excellent idea!!! Give that man a Ceeeegar!!

Just off now.

 

[groyne]

If you're going to be there regularly, you can get a free carpark pass.

 

[alcam]

If you're going to be there regularly, you can get a free carpark pass.

Overnight ?

 

[molly 2]

More likely they need to improve their stats Barry .

Probably got a cancellation and she got lucky .I phoned hospital to see if I could,d get an earlier appointment. She said 2 30 this afternoon ,result⁵

 

[barryd]

I don't think its a cancellation. I honestly think what has happened is a consultant never got to see her scan until a few days ago despite it being done over four weeks ago. What has happened is she has been put in the "emergency treatment" list. I think this is the same as if she had walked into casualty in agony asking to be treat. When we arrived yesterday it took a few hours for a bed to become available. So now she has a bed even though she doesn't physically need to be in bed because she simply isn't remotely ill.

Trouble is nothing seems to be happening. They were supposed to do an up to date CT Scan and thats not happened so she is not even sure the procedure will happen today now. So she is taking up a bed and there is nothing wrong with her. Right now at least. She's going nuts already. Didn't sleep a wink last night due to all the noise (light sleeper) and has no idea now what will happen today or the next day. It would have been better to just give her a set date for an operation rather than putting a physically well person in a bed with no idea when they are going to do something. She said this morning if nothing happens today she is discharging herself tomorrow.

 

[mariesnowgoose]

Unfortunately this is the current state of play with our poor old NHS.

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust. One of the biggest in the country, but not one of the best (check its history).

One reason for these sort of cock-ups (which I only learned about very recently) is that staff at one time were not allowed to operate across trust "borders"? This has now been changed, apparently. Maybe there are "issues" with the "joining up" systems and procedures? Or a simple shortage of the right medical/admin staff?

It's no easy operational task, especially when there are way more Chiefs than Indians in these organisations.

 

[Fazerloz]

Discharging herself would be a big mistake. For all you know the theaters may have been used for emergency cases which they have no real control over. Discharging herself could possibly lead to her becoming a future emergency. Round and round it goes. Do you really want to go down that road now she has a bed.

 

[barryd]

Unfortunately this is the current state of play with our poor old NHS.

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust. One of the biggest in the country, but certainly not one of the best.

We had trouble with this before years ago. We get referred to Darlington but for Kidney stuff it gets sent over to South Tees. I think this might have had something to do with how she slipped off the radar years ago. Once this is sorted I am going to see if its possible to bypass Darlington in the future.

She has just this second been on the phone to me and the consultant has just been to see her. It sounds like he has confirmed my suspicion that Darlington has not communicated the results to South Tees until very recently for which he apologised. It also sounded like he seemed to think she shouldn't have been brought in like she has. She had to put the phone down as they are now whisking her away for a CT Scan but I got the feeling after that they might just send her home and reschedule the surgery. Dunno.

All sounds like a bit of a cock up to me. If it is. I'll get to the bottom of it.

 

[mariesnowgoose]

Good luck, Barry.

I'm with Fazerloz!

If there is any chance of them operating this weekend (or tomorrow) and fixing the problem I would try and stick it out.
Get it sorted then you and Michelle can get on with your lives.

I know it's hard to be patient (no pun intended!) in this sort of situation, but it's what we currently have to endure.

Unfortunately, you are literally in the hands of their horrible-not-working-properly systems.

 

[barryd]

Good luck, Barry.

I'm with Fazerloz!

If there is any chance of them operating this weekend (or tomorrow) and fixing the problem I would try and stick it out.
Get it sorted then you and Michelle can get on with your lives.

I know it's hard to be patient (no pun intended!) in this sort of situation, but it's what we currently have to endure.

Unfortunately, you are literally in the hands of their horrible-not-working-properly systems.

She has had a scan but it now sounds (she thinks) like the consultant might send her home to come back for a scheduled procedure. I suppose it depends what they make of the scan.

It seems obvious now to me that there has been a cock up, the consultant saw the results four weeks too late, panicked and called her at 8:30pm at night for half an hour to try and get her in ASAP. How often do consultants call you at 8:30pm at night?

I might add that if it hadn't been for someone on the forum (might have been Fruitcakes) suggesting we call PALS and complain nothing ever would have happened.

 

[barryd]

The saga continues. The consultant has been back to see her and they are sending her home. Apparently there are two stones in the Ureter but because they have now been there a while the damage to her left Kidney is irreparable. If this turns out to be because of the delay after she took ill then 100% someone's head will roll. Get this though, she will now be referred for a later procedure which could take four months! Unfortunately there were a few questions she didn't ask, the most important one being what the hell further damage could be done over that time. However she thinks he also said that the Ureter had expanded also so perhaps its not totally blocked. Surely if they don't think she is any immediate danger they wouldn't be sending her home?

She is relieved to be coming home though.

So my plan is to get her home, go for something nice to eat and just get her chilled out. Next week though ill pick up the mantle and trust me, they picked the wrong person to mess with if I find there has been negligence. They won't know whats hit them.

 

[Val54]

Can you get the consultant's pa number before she leaves so that you have a direct line to him to ask those extra questions. Probably obvious but in these circumstances you often miss these things. Anyway hope everything works out for you both.