What I liked
I needed a routine operation on my foot. The initial referral came through rather quickly (although I was surprised I was not given an option of my nearest hospital). I attended the pre-o and arranged child care and work around the given date for the operation. This appointment was cancelled and re-arranged with 1 weeks notice. I re-arranged work and child care all over again. This happened again twice.
The third time I got the kids up at 5am drove 25 miles to get to the ward for 7am to be told it had been cancelled again. I was forced to re-arrange work and childcare all over again. I contacted patient liaison and they said they would sort it for me. I didn't here from them until I received a date of the 5th September. I contacted patient liaison again to ask if this as the appointment they had made on my behalf. They said no but if I was happy they would put a note on to say the appointment must not be moved. I arrived on the 5th at 7am as requested and told that it would be lunch time when I would get seen. I had last eaten at 10pm the previous night and last drank at 5.45am that day it was 3.45pm when I finally went to the theatre. The anaethatists were both excellent and really put me at ease. I arrived back on the ward at 5pm and it was 8pm when I was discharged being told that they could not make me an outpatients appointment as it was too late and one would come by post. They were very short staffed that day on the wards. My appointment for out-patience came for 4 days after my sick note expires. When I called to say I needed the all clear to go back to work on the 19th I was told the clinic for the 15th was full but they would see what they could do. I would rate the time scale, appointment cancellations and booking and staffing levels very unacceptable. Also how am I to get to my out patience appointment when my husband works full time, I have 2 young children and cannot drive?
What could be improved
The NHS could have made my hospital the one less than a mile from my home instead of 25 miles away
The booking team could communicate with the wards and consultants secretary better
Staffing levels needed increasing
more transparency about length of time I would have to wait which would have allowed me to at least have a drink of water instead of dehydrating for 9 hours.
"Poor communication and booking serivce"
About: Trafford General Hospital Trafford General Hospital Manchester M41 5SL
Posted via nhs.uk
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