"Yet again - no MRI scan available"

I attended an outpatient clinic recently prior to spinal surgery.

The MRI scan (and this is by no means the first failure in this respect - see other reviews) had not been made available to the consultant, despite the fact that it had been done weeks earlier.

This is a serious failing, and obviously something which is happening on a regular basis without any attempt being made to sort the issue out.

How on earth a consultant is supposed to make a proper diagnostic decision without the MRI scan escapes me - the latest Care Quality Commission report shows that this hospital 'Requires improvement' under the key indicator 'Safe?' and this is yet another failure which I intend to draw to the attention of the Care Quality Commission.

It cannot possibly be safe for consultants to be making decisions and carrying out procedures without access to such a key record as a MRI scan, and it's difficult to see why this situation has not already been addressed.

It suggests a sloppiness which makes me very wary about any further visits to this hospital.

Given the opportunity, I shall find somewhere that takes more care about patient safety.