Today hubby was booked for a TULA for a recurring lesion at 2.30pm. Spent a sleepless night, was getting ready to go. Then an hour before the hospital rang to cancel!! Such short notice. We were not long from getting in the car.
He found this very stressful. They said would phone with a new date in the afternoon. No call came. Not sure what to do next. Any advice? Anyone had a short notice cancellation? Sorry just venting really. We are both upset about it
Morning, sorry to hear your husband’s procedure was cancelled at such short notice. It is so stressful and disappointing.A similar thing happened when I reported for a TURBT a few years ago at 7.30 am and was kept waiting on the ward until 5.00 pm and then the procedure was cancelled. I rang the waiting list the following morning and explained the situation and informed them I am available for any patient cancellations. Moreover, I asked them to expedite my appointment as a matter of urgency. I got an date four days later. I suggest you ring the hospital waiting list department immediately and also contact your CNS Cancer nurse. Good luck
I sympathise but sadly it’s not unusual. In my case I was booked for robot assisted radical cystectomy including prostate and lymph nodes removal.
Arrived at hospital 7am and by 7.30 was in a bed going through pre op with nurse/ anaesthetist/surgeon. By 9:30 I was gowned and transported to theatre for more checks DOB/ any allergies etc. then told to take seat and wait to be called. An hour went by then I was approached by an administrator who told me there was a small delay while sorting out bed availability. Another hour with my anxiety mounting before my surgeon and anaesthetist informed me that due an emergency there was no bed for me in post op continuing care.Consequently my operation was cancelled. I’m fairly calm in normal circumstances but I exploded loudly telling everyone what I thought of their organisation, so much so I was taken to a side room to calm down before being escorted back to the ward by a very apologetic aneasthetist. Back at the ward I phoned my wife who is rather hard of hearing to explain what had happened & arrange transport home. During the call a staff nurse arrived at my side, asked me to stop shouting down the phone and said a taxi will be outside in 15 minutes to take you home at NHS expense.
Two weeks later I was back again, everything went very smoothly and my care was absolutely exemplary.
Yes it's often shortage of beds in the ICU that delays things and if they get an emergency who needs to be dealt with first one can be pushed back. My cystectomy went ahead as expected but I had a couple of delays for a hip replacement several years ago though as I was confined to a bed in a ward all I missed was breakfast. And some morphine!
Sadly things do get cancelled sometimes at short notice it's no different to anything else, people can't come in due to sickness/holidays and clerical errors and emergencies etc.
It doesn't help I know when you have got yourself mentally prepared for it, but hopefully they will her you another appointment soon.
Fingers crossed.
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Much love and hope to everyone past future and present.
I also hate autocorrect and hope people can make sense out of my posts when it changes half the words I type.
