"Interaction with booking service"

I phoned radiology booking service to see if I could rearrange the time of partner's CT virtual colonograpy appointment. We live 70 miles. I wanted to change it because we were aware of potential bowel accidents due to the gastrografin medication to be taken the evening prior to scan.

I explained this to booking advisor on the phone. I was told that they had never heard about this issue before. They assured me it was OK. This was reiterated throughout the conversation. I was pretty sure I had read about the risks in the Patient Information booklet.

I decided to keep the existing appointment as it sounded like there was nothing to gain, expect perhaps a delay, in changing the time/date. However, I then reread the patient booklet, where in red letters it states you must have access to a toilet after taking meds. Dealing with day of the scan, it says you may still feel you need the toilet regularly.

With a seventy-mile car journey before and after scan appointment, we were anxious and nervous. It was never suggested that hospital accommodation might be available to us. This would have alleviated the possible problem.

By chance, we learned about patients apartments, and have now booked this via the consultants secretary. 

Please be aware that this a stressful experience at best.  With the additional worry of accidents whilst travelling it was becoming a nightmare.

I appreciate everyone is working under pressure these days, but this and associated attitudes should be looked into. Giving the booking service a few copies of the patient booklet with instructions to read it would be a good first step. Advising long distant patients with issues about hospital accommodation and who to contact would also be helpful.