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"Unclear explanation around access to scan"

About: Woodend Hospital / Radiology

(as a service user),

I went to my GP to check my lymph nodes, and they put me through a booking for an ultra sound scan at woodend hospital in NHs Grampian, last October. Now today I got a letter asking me to attend the appointment which will be in the end of Feb, which is good but the problem is I‘m away in that week so I cannot attend. So after 4 months waiting they send me the letter and ask me to attend, so I went to reschedule the appointment, after I called they said this is a special scan and they have no other appointments available so they would need to cancel and put me on a waiting list again and see when I can be booked for another appointment. They said it’s because it’s a special appointment because its in the groin area. I thought the ultra sound scan was a basic scan and that people who use an ultra sound scan should be able to do any ultra sound so I don’t understand the reasoning they gave me. It sounds to me like the ultra sound scanners has specialities, so it doesn’t make sense to my understanding. I know there is a lot of pressure on the nhs, I think this is a weird situation though where I have to wait 4 months, and go back on a waiting list. It seems strange for what I thought was quite a basic scan. We contribute to the service and I appreciate the nhs service but I think it’s very odd for that kind of basic examination to have to wait so long. I’m not sure if there’s not enough doctors trained for the scan. I just don’t know what’s wrong. Although the reception staff were very nice in trying to explain this to me I am still unsure why this is the situation.

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Responses

Response from Jennifer Fraser, Service Manager, Outpatients, NHS Grampian 2 years ago
Jennifer Fraser
Service Manager, Outpatients,
NHS Grampian
Submitted on 13/02/2023 at 10:04
Published on Care Opinion at 10:04


picture of Jennifer Fraser

Dear Memberpg53

Thank you for getting in touch. I am sorry we were not able to rebook your ultrasound scan. Some types of ultrasound scan required to be carried out a Sonographer who has had more training in that area. Groin scanning is one of these specialties. The lists covered by these two specially trained sonographers are fully booked for the next few weeks. The secretary is waiting for the next rota to be issued before knowing when she can get you rebooked. Please email me at Jennifer.fraser2@nhs.scot with your details so I can make sure the secretary calls you as soon as she has the next available date for your type of scan.

Kind regards

Jennifer Fraser

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Update posted by memberpg53 (a service user)

I didn't really want to make further comments, as I understand the pressure that NHS is facing all the time, but it is a most unsatisfactory rearrangement that has been provided to me for this appointment.

I was offered another appointment for this month with less than a week's notice, on a day that I'm going to be away again in another city! Unfortunately I would be unable to attend the appointment exactly on that day, therefore had to turn it down again! The receptionist told me that it was not known when the next appointment would be offered to me, as I turned down the appointment twice, the February one and now a March one, and that there was no alternative because this was a special type of scan.

Is it my fault for not being able to take the appointment? Am I supposed to sit and do nothing but wait for the appointment that might or might not happen for six months so that I could take the appointment in less than a week when it suddenly appears?

Why is it not possible to schedule the appointment further in advance if it is said that this is a special type of scan that only a few specialists can operate? I would imagine that it would be even more possible and logical to schedule appointments well in advance because the hospital already knows that there will be months of waiting time and knows where and when exactly resources will be.

After months of waiting, then giving me less than one week notice in advance for the appointment without alternative options, is unacceptable. It happened to me in February and now again in March. It also looks to me that the appointments are only available at the end of each month, which is beyond my comprehension. I am considering taking this to my MSP.

Response from Jennifer Fraser, Service Manager, Outpatients, NHS Grampian 2 years ago
Jennifer Fraser
Service Manager, Outpatients,
NHS Grampian
Submitted on 20/03/2023 at 10:07
Published on Care Opinion at 10:07


picture of Jennifer Fraser

Dear memberpg53

I am sorry that we have not been able to get your scan booked. If you can email me your details (jennifer.fraser2@nhs.scot) then as soon as the next set of staff rotas have been issued, we can make contact and offer you an appointment at a mutually suitable time.

Kind regards

Jennifer

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