"Staff Incompetence"

I visited A&E one Saturday in November 2019 at around 2pm. I had excruciating pain in the left side of my abdomen near the kidney location. I was seen by the medical staff within an hour and diagnosed with possible kidney stones and was advised that I will have to be admitted to ward 20 for a CT scan overnight. I waited another 3 hours for a porter to take me to ward 20.

In ward 20 I was promised a CT scan soon (10pm) then that changed to either 2am or 8am Sunday morning . I waited all day Sunday for the CT scan and was advised around 4pm that the CT scan would not take place that day and definitely be done by the Tuesday. Meanwhile I was advised to go home to free the bed in the ward. I was prescribed some strong painkillers  to take while I was waiting at home. Obviously, no treatment could done until the CT scan had established the cause of the pain.

I phoned Ward 20 to chase up the CT scan on Monday. I was advised that I would get a call back that evening or next morning.

I did not get a call back, so I rang again on Tuesday Morning at around 9.30am. I was advised that WARD 20 did not arrange CT scans and was given a mobile phone number to ring for an update. After several calls to this number, I eventually got an answer that since I was only referred Monday 5pm I would not get a scan until the following Saturday.

I was shocked and lost for words. I could be potentially be suffering from a life threatening illness and somebody in Ward 20 forgot to refer me for a SCAN. I phoned WARD 20 to complain and was advised that I would be called back after they had established which member of staff was responsible for the error. Meanwhile I had to just sit back and enjoy the physical pain and mental stress of what a CT scan will reveal providing I survive long enough for it to take place.