I was booked in for a discectomy at Addenbrooke's in October. Having had my pre-operation appointments on a Monday, I got a phone call from Neurosurgery Admissions on Wednesday at 15: 30 stating that due to a "critical incident", my operation on the following day was cancelled and would be rescheduled for mid November.
This was frustrating as I can't currently walk more than 20 metres due to the impact of the slipped disc on my sciatic nerve and I'm in constant pain. I'm also off work as I can't work effectively as my office is in London and I can't sit down for long periods of time. The moving of the operation was however acceptable as the date was in the near term and I understood it to be that there was a "critical incident".
Yesterday at 12: 30, however, I received a phone call from Neurosurgery Admissions saying that my operation had to be cancelled. What concerned me more was that the person on the phone indicated that she had been cancelling all elective operations for the past 3 weeks due to bed shortages. I feel misled as this implies the situation was the same in October; the "critical incident" wasn't an urgent operation as the phrase implied, but a cancellation of all operations.
I am now in a situation where I don't have a new date - as admissions won't give me one - and I can't walk and therefore work.
Other than these incidents, the care I have received from your staff has been outstanding.
"Discectomy cancelled twice"
About: Addenbrooke's Hospital / General surgery Addenbrooke's Hospital General surgery CB2 2QQ
Posted by RobinB (as ),
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