"Cancer care"

my 92 year old father in law was taken ill and admitted to hospital a couple of weeks ago. on discharge we were told he had a tumour in the small bowel. Two weeks later he had an appointment at outpatients A. what a fiasco. We arrived 10 minutes early and checked in, told to take a seat and waited.... And waited... And waited.... For an hour, when we asked what was happening we were told oh sorry we have forgotten you a you will go in next. When we got in we only saw a locum who asked how dad was. well luckily my husband went with him as dad has dementia and was told by the locum, what tumour? this was the doctor who had seen him on discharge two weeks earlier and explained and drew diagrams about where the tumour was. The doctor explained the mix up was in the notes, some being written, the others on the computer. when the doctor did locate them on the computer they said gosh the tumour has grown. dad had a scan two years ago and nothing was said then about a tumour. it turns out the tumour has not grown, the doctor misread the scan and the 'growth' was in fact a mass of constipation.

So my 92 year old father in law, with dementia, in continual pain came home.

I was so cross on in day I phoned the hospital. Very helpful secretary asked what was the problem and phoned me back in the afternoon to say he would have an appointment next week for the much needed scan and then an appointment with the consultant to discuss further palliative care.

To our delight the appointment arrived this morning, two days after the phone call. the appointment is for September. It is June. How is that for care by the local health care trust? Will post the continuing saga as it unfolds, if dad is not dead by then.