"Disorganised bordering on dangerous and..."

What I liked

The Nurse that I spoke to before the procedure was helpful and reassuring.

What could be improved

Communication in just about all areas.

Staff training in the above, general good practice and behaviour. You need more than one toilet in the unit that deals with the bowels and people having enemas. (quite astounding)

The whole experience is degrading humiliating and just makes you feel worse not better.

If staff read your notes and listened to the patient then it's likely huge savings could be made by quicker diagnosis, recovery a plethora of test's that would not be needed.

Anything else?

I collapsed in early December and was taken to hospital in South London and discharged later in the day.

I Visited my GP the next day as I still felt unwell and blood test were done and nothing was found.

By Christmas I was a mess. Unable to function and starting to lose weight rapidly I had another visit to the GP who was rude and told me that I would have to live with it as it was IBS. I insisted on a referral. I recieved a letter but no appointment. I waited two weeks and then phoned to find out what was going on. "We have no record of you???" Back to the GP and another request, another letter with no appointment and another two week wait! Phoned again. Same response. After some discussions I found out that the appoinment system was broken and had been for a month and there is no backup?? I visited A&E with severe symptoms and was told that there was nothing they could find and go back to my GP. The Doctor handed me a copy of the notes they had taken and to my shock had totally ignored what I had said and had written down symptoms that I do not have?

Another two vistits to my GP and I finally get an appointment for a colonoscopy? No consultation. Due to the severity of my symptoms I phoned the GI unit for advice as I had concerns about the prep medication. Despite three phone calls no member of staff was able to understand the questions let alone supply an answer. I had to go to my GP and ask and I believe they contacted the the hospital. I was told not to take the prep. I hade the investigations done and then a week later I received an appointment for my consultation...... 29th of July.

This has been brought forward to the 29th of March with a US scan the day before but having lost 2.5 stone in 10 weeks and being unable to work for three months I'm possibly going to end up as an emergency admission and I don't want that.

I'd hoped that this hospital had improved since my last visit 5 years ago (appaling). Sadly it has got worse and I'm at a loss what to do