AITA

Hi John

No I don't think you are being unreasonable - go for it!

My view on this, is you are the one who has ultimate responsibility for your health, so need to control things. Easy to say, as I can recall how I felt. I'm not sure on the guidelines but your timeliness looks like it's been going on for far too long.

Let us know how you get on.

Regards

Stuart

Very frustrating, with an inadequate explanation for cancellations - 'Reasons beyond our control'.  Hopefully the PCL will resolve this for you.  Surely your GP could, at least, give you your PSA score and/or access your hospital notes on your behalf,  if you haven't got the NHS app?  Keeping people waiting like this is cruel.  Thankfully our experience here in N. Wales,  vis a vis planned contact and information in particular, has been exemplary, even with our Health Board being in Special Measures. 

We wish you well in getting the information you need. Having to wait from April until October is unacceptable, with those results being well out of date by then anyway, I would have thought. 

Thank you both, I only have access to My health on line and there is only a limited amount of information on that, how do I go about getting the NHS app in West Wales

As far as I am aware this is not available in Wales in full.  Its great when it works.  Some friends of mine in Oxfordshire do everything on the app and can look up all test results and even history of tests etc..

Hi John

I have been following your story with interest.

* The NHS App is only available in England. It's great BUT  you do need to ask your GP surgery for full access to your records. Be careful because it appears there are two types of Full. Full to satisfy you and full for all your records - the latter was given to me in the end.

* My next course of action would be to obtain the e-mail address of your consultant and send him an e-mail with the time line of events ensuring you use the words "causing anxiety waiting". They then can't deny the contact from you in any subsequent investigation.

* Contact the hospital PALS service (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) again, give them the timeline and tell them of your anxiety and you need an appointment.

I hope this helps and you get somewhere with it - I do have another string to my bow if the above doesn't work.

Kind Regards

Brian.

Nice one Brian!

Have to add, I contacted my PALS team and the response from the Oncology dept was astonishingly quick. It does work!

Regards

Stuart

Unfortunately, we poor folk who live in Wales, are not allowed to see our records via the NHS app.  Only the English are able at the moment. Obviously the Welsh Assembly Government 'Nanny State' don't consider we are grown up enough to be able to deal with our own information!!  (Look out, come September when the 20 m.p.h. restrictions come in!! Everyone will be so frustrated at such slow progress, let alone the extra pollution caused.   Who knows, in 2024, we might all be driving everywhere in reverse gear!)  Not wanting to be too political on this forum, but surely the money wasted on altering all our speed restriction signs, could have gone towards sorting out Social Care and freeing up our blocked hospital beds.  I digress- sorry giving you unhelpful information, I didn't realise you were Welsh too.

Yes you are absolutely right.  It's getting ridiculous with stretches of the M4 in Wales restricted to 50mph to counteract heavy pollution - great no problem there.  Now 20mph through all built up areas is just ridiculous.  This money could have been better spent elsewhere on Health.

Go ahead and get that complaint lodged! We experienced the same lackadaisical approach and I complained bitterly on my husbands behalf. As others have said here frequently, if you don’t push ( politely) you don’t get! We all have a contract with the government. We pay our taxes and they provide healthcare when we need it. The government are reneging on their contract in this case - not you! 

it really makes my blood boil when I hear of people not getting the care they need! Good luck!

I have now spoken to the PCL on 4 Oct and they phoned me back 12 Oct with the reasons why my appointments were cancelled, (staff, doctor shortages etc.) my new appointment on the 3 Oct will now stand no matter what, even if they phone me a few days earlier my appointment will not be cancelled this time around, which is good to hear. I can now go through my list of concerns with whoever I speak too at last.