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"Impossible to get appointment dates confirmed"

About: University Hospital Wishaw / Urology

(as the patient),

For over a year I have been under treatment for Cancer.  Only once, at the very beginning did I receive the appointment date for the first of each 3 sessions of BCG since then no dates without making endless phone calls.

According to the schedule I was given at the beginning of the treatment, I was due for a BCG session in November, I was eventually, after numerous phone calls, able to take someone's cancellation meaning the third treatment was over Christmas but I didn't want it delayed any further.  I then had to chase and chase for the Scan and Cystoscopy which were also late. 

Having had them I was then due a follow-up BCG this month.  I have again made endless calls and it appears that no-one really knows what's going on!  Eventually I was informed that instead of March my final session of BCG for the year would be in Mat but since that has moved to June! This week I received an automated call asking me to confirm that I would be attending an appointment (didn't say what for) at Monklands Hospital late March. I thought at last and confirmed I would attend.  However, my wife said that as so many mistakes had been made I should speak to someone (not the robot) as my BCG treatment had never been at Monklands and it just didn't sound right. 

Unable to call back on that number so phoned the Urology Dept at Wishaw who said it wasn't them but looked like Ortho at Monklands.  I did see that Dept last year for a hand cyst and was told it would be followed up. However, I then received a curt letter from them to say they weren't sure why I wanted the appointment as thought it was now better, so I cancelled (that was back in January I believe).  So, it appears that typically no-one has a note of the cancellation and has given another appointment. I have phoned a direct number to ensure this one is now cancelled but who knows if the amendment will be made. I've lost count of the voicemail messages I've left this week alone and each Friday just think - well, that's another week gone and have got nowhere. 

This is incredibly frustrating and I am beginning to feel totally sick and tired which is the very last way I need to feel while doing my very best to fight this disease. 

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Responses

Response from Lynn McTavish, Surgical Service Manager, University Hospital Monklands, NHS Lanarkshire 3 months ago
Lynn McTavish
Surgical Service Manager, University Hospital Monklands,
NHS Lanarkshire
Submitted on 27/03/2025 at 09:52
Published on Care Opinion at 09:52


picture of Lynn McTavish

Dear Arthur43

I am really sorry to hear about the difficulty you have been experiencing in arranging your urology treatments.

If you can email me directly on lynn.mctavish2@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk with your details I would be happy to look into this for you and see what can be done to improve this for you.

I am aware that this must be a really anxious time for you and am sorry that the issue arranging appointments is contributing to this.

With best wishes

Lynn McTavish

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