"Wasted resources"

My wife had a full hysterectomy just over 2 years ago. From a visit to her doctors with another problem, she was sent to Fawkham Manor hospital for a scan. The original problem was diagnosed as not serious but a shadow or lump was seen to cause some concern. About a month had past from the original appointment to the second doctor’s appointment, and during this appointment the doctor advised that she would probably need a cat scan to diagnose what the lump is. At the start of August she received a letter from her doctor with instructions on how to book an appointment through the Government’s Choose and Book Scheme. This being done, an appointment was made at the Darent Valley Hospital, the earliest being for 6 WEEKS LATER! Two and a half months of worry later, half a day taken off to give moral support to my wife, an hour of waiting past our appointment time, oh, and a 2 pound parking fee, she finally saw a specialist. She was in there 5 minutes! No examination or diagnosis was made, in fact my wife had to inform HIM of the history of her case! His brilliant diagnosis was that she should have a cat scan! Going to the relevent department she was informed that it would be about 6 weeks for this scan! To my thinking, today has been a complete waste of time and resources, to the point of obcenity, for all concerned. In the world of computers, e-mails, mobile phones, texts, etc etc, surely an appointment could have been made following the doctor’s advise in the beginning of August, to have the cat scan AND THEN see the specialist (who has basically wasted his time and ours ) to diagnose any problem. When the NHS has problems with staffing, over worked and lack of money, it is a shame a better system has not evolved. By the time my wife has had this scan, gone back to the hospital for the diagnosis, 4 or 5 months will have past, because of the time lapsed, instead of catching the problem ( if any ) early hospitalisation or long term treatment may be needed costing extra unknown hundreds or thousands of pounds. It seems to me that Management and some Government departments require getting their heads together and to perhaps listen to the patient and general public for THEIR advise. It could not do any harm.