"Investigation of gastric problems"

My mother in law has been having severe indigestion and loss of appetite for the past few months. She attended a gastro-enterologist who agreed she needed investigation, endoscopy was arranged and was carried out smoothly at Wishaw General Hospital. She was given the initial results which showed she had significant irritation and a tear and a recommendation to ask her GP for a new medication; there was also some comment about an obstruction to the gastric outflow and it was recommended she has an abdominal CT scan. This was appointed last week at Monklands. My mother in law who is 85 attended for her scan on Friday evening and, having had a cannula put in her arm, and already on the scanning table, she was told the scan could not go ahead as the paper work was not correct. The radiographer apologised, but would not explain what details were missing, and advised my mother in law to contact the consultant's secretary at Wishaw General next week to ask for a new appointment. My mother in law says "these things happen", which of course they do, although they shouldn't, but there are several things that would have made this experience better.

1) the form should of course have been completed correctly. However if there was some missing information, this should have been picked up prior to the scanning table. I'm not sure of the process of this form but surely, that was too late. it inconvenienced my mother in law, who had to fast, experience a canula being inserted and all the worry and stress of an appointment like this for nothing.

2) the radiographer did not introduce themselves, and was not wearing a name badge, and even though I introduced myself, they did not.

3) I find it hard to believe the radiographer could not give an acceptable explanation about this missing information; if they would not tell me, because of confidentiality, they should have explained to my mother in law. The radiographer did not adequately explain. It was patronising.

4) the advice; to put the ball into my mother in law's court to phone the secretary, is really poor - my mother in law is quite deaf and finds the phone difficult, and why should she have to fix the problem? In the meantime, my mother in law continues to have symptoms which require investigation to either allay her fears, or determine a diagnosis.

And what a waste of time and money.