"Haemorroidectomy and biopsy problems at The Lister hospital"

My mother an active 78 year old who went to her GP with bad piles and he found a lump which concerned him. She saw a consultant at the Lister just over a week later. So far so good. He said he could sort out the piles and do a biopsy for the lump, and it would all be done very quickly, she would get a letter with a date. A month passed.

My mother was very anxious and I was phoning her regularly. She tried to contact the hospital but was told to wait. When she let me take over, I phoned and eventually found out that the word 'biopsy' was not on their information and therefore she was not deemed an urgent case and could expect to wait 3 months.

I managed to contact the consultant's secretary who corrected the mistake and 10 days later she had her operation.She was very helpful.

My mother had the operation, was kept in overnight (although I was told it would be 2-3 days) and released being told she would get the results in 6 weeks. She queried the biopsy result, and the registrar said he didn't know what was done so couldn't comment.

I followed this up with the consultant. By now my mother was very upset and unsure about what to do. Her first worries that she had cancer (in the first week of January) were still unresolved and now it was late March.

She found out soon after that they hadn't done a biopsy as they thought it unnecessary.

Throughout I had difficulty getting through to anyone at the Lister- for example an answer-phone message saying they didn't open until 9.30am when I was phoning at 11.30am.I consider there to be a serious number of points that need addressing.