The visit itself was very positive - the scan is clean. But as I am a computer specialist, it just hurts me very deeply to see what the poor doctor had to go through.
This is a new oncologist for my husband, the one he had pre-op has retired (and good riddance). A really caring and compassionate doctor, who spent 90% of the appointment fighting the ridiculous and inadequate technology. As the surgical team is in another hospital, he can’t access the records there. And they can’t see the results of the tests and the scan he’s prescribed. So they wanted to do their own scan. Not only extra CT scans aren’t exactly healthy, but it would deprive someone waiting for their diagnosis from getting the scan! He had to fight the computer for 10 minutes to try and send the scan results to the other place, so they can allocate that slot to someone in desperate need.
Then he doesn’t have a printer in the room, and the hospital blood tests are not connected to the NHS app - he had to print them out and run to the reception to get the print out. Twice. He also says the B12 that GP prescribed isn’t the brand he’d generally recommend, but he can’t write to the GP electronically, he’ll try to send a paper letter.
How on earth is it happening?! Is that a good way to spend oncologist’s precious time? It’s a miracle that anyone gets treated at all. :(
Hi justawife welcome to the forum. Sadly it's a common experience throughout the whole of our NHS that computer systems don't talk to each other. That's shocking that so much time energy and effort has gone in just to make sure all the I, s are dotted and the t,s crossed to enable a cycle of care to take place. I'd be tempted to write to the complaints department of the hospital and let them know how challenging it is with outdated or unconnected systems. It's so important when people have poor situations like this that they raise them otherwise the powers that be will continue ignorant blis
s.
gail
