(October 19, 2012)
Thats probably a tad unfair… they do their best…are under funded…but…
I wonder what would have happened if I’d been the sort of person who just sits back, presumes professionals know what they are doing and let them get on with it?
To be very honest…I do err towards just letting people get on with things, even though I know professionals are just normal people…over worked..distracted etc etc… but this time it was important to poke the NHS along with a pokey stick (especially as Jane and Annie have both said I should be talking to my consultants secretary by this point).
I’m having two scans… the CT and the endoscopy… both fast tracking… both needing to be before I go back to the consultant and the CT needs to come first (meaning the second can be cancelled if necessary dependent on results of the first).
The endoscopy appointment came through like a dream. The day after I saw my consultant I got a letter asking me to phone for an appointment. I did, I left a message, they rang me back…appointment made. Within three days of referral. Followed by my information pack two days later. Brilliant… Fantastic.
I left it a week or so and rang about my CT scan… was told I was in the system, it was being ‘checked out’ by the X-ray department and I should hear soon.
Today, I decided if nothing came in the post I would chase again…. becuase the window in which to fit the CT scan is narrowing fast.
I did ring the consultants secretary. Who said I’d have as much clout as her to chase CT…so I did.
CT tells me my referral has been checked by X-ray and is now being checked with CT.
I pointed out my narrowing window…. told her when my edoscopy is and suggested a little more speed may be needed with my fast tracking to fit the CT scan in.
She checked a different computer sytem to check my endoscopy appointment…. listened to the penny drop and she said she’d chase it up and get back to me.
Nice lady.
She did… within ten minutes she came back proudly with an appointment… 8.45 on the day before the edoscopy, apologised about the early hour and told me they were totally booked up.
I pointed out that one of the major requirements of a pre-endoscopy routine is to remain in close proximity to a toilet for when the world starts dropping out of your bottom and that my regime starts on Thursday evening. When I say narrow window of opportunity next week I’m talking arrow slit and not french door.
Miraculously another (more civilised) appointment appeared as if by magic at 4.30 on Tuesday afternoon.
Brilliant. Fantastic.
But what would have happened if I hadn’t chased… if I’d presumed that the cogs manned by professionals run smoothly.
I hate to think.
