I'm going to give the background and will try to be as open and honest as I can. I am not going to name individuals where I think we have got it wrong but will identify departments. If I do not identify problems, then nothing will change. I will also enthuse where appropriate. For context, I am also going through the final stages of divorce and moving from what was my home to a lovely apartment. So there is an awful lot going on at the same time, and everything refers to events in Jersey, their health service, other departments and charities.
Back July 2025, I went to my GP complaining of an earache. The GP, after inspection, said I had an ear infection, so issues were initially complicated by this correct diagnosis. After a number of courses of antibiotics and a hiatus caused by my holidays, my GP referred me to ENT at the hospital, they thought it needed a specialist clean and something else might be going on, as I had gum swelling, etc.
By the following week I was in severe pain and rang ENT only to be told I had been triaged and not deemed to be urgent; it transpired I had been given an appointment in mid-November. However, when I said I was in severe pain, I was given an appointment for that Thursday, 18/09/25.
I attended ENT and was told it was a gum issue; I felt cancer was alluded to but not specifically mentioned. I was told I was being referred to orthodontics, and they might give me some antibiotics, but I was not prescribed any by ENT. I was also sent down for an immediate X-ray for my orthodontics appointment which would apparently be during the following week.
I got to X-ray to be told they had not got a referral from ENT, so I could not have an X-ray. I explained that they said I had been referred by ENT; they phoned and could not get a reply. A member of staff eventually, on my asking, made me an appointment for Friday, the next day, at 1020 hrs. I turned up at X-ray at the appointed time only to be told no appointment had been made. I had to say I was going nowhere for them to agree to see me, and he for the member of staff would make the appointment yesterday to spot me waiting before things started to get done.
The following Monday, after another weekend of pain and eating pureed food, as I could not open my mouth, I rang Orthodontics to be told I had not got an immediate appointment, as the referral was not reflecting what I had told them during our phone call. They immediately booked me in on the following morning, 23/09/25.
