"Outpatient system appalling!"

Anything else?

I have been a patient at NHNN since 2005 and the last 3 years I have been really frustrated by the amount of times my outpatient appointments get re-scheduled! I am under the care of the Uro-Neurology team and back in January 2012 I was seen in clinic at nhnn. I was told by my specialist that she wanted to see me win in 3 months time, and was given a follow-up appointment for April to be seen again in clinic. However just 1 week before my appointment was due, I get a letter stating th have changed my appointment to July 2012. Then again just 2 days before my appointment was due in July I get a letter in the post stating my appointment had been changed again and was re-scheduled for October 2012, my appointment got re-scheduled over 7 times in total, and I wasn't actually seen again in clinic at nhnn until October 2013, yes it took over 1 year and 9 months later to finally get seen again in clinic by the Uro-neurology team. And guess what, since being seen again in clinic I was told I would be seen again within 8 weeks so an appointment was scheduled in December 2013, however I received yet another letter in the post informing me that my appointment has been changed to 22nd January now. And I can guarantee that ths appointment again in January will be changed as this is how the stupid outpatient system works at nhnn. I've recently been referred to a Neurologist at NHNN as an outpatient (GP sent referral letter via fax on 2nd October). I've since contacted the secretary who informs me that the waiting list is very long and that I should expect to wait at least 8 months before I get an outpatient appointment! Whatever happened to the so called 18 week waiting list target for nhs patients to be seen and treated??? I am so very unwell, spent more time in my lock hospital ths year than I have at home, and getting seen by my neurologist is essential to getting me the treatment I need to control my Dysautonomia & Mitochondrial Disease. I really hope I'm not saving to wait too long to be seen by my neurologist. As an inpatient the treatment and care is first class, but its the outpatient services that lets the whole of nhnn trust down. Please make changes today so we can feel less let down and more confident with the outpatient services you provide us. Thank you.