"Administrative Nightmare"

I would just like to agree with a worryingly high percentage of other reviews on this site,

highlighting the incredibly poor administration at this hospital.The care before and after the procedure also left a lot to be desired.

I came for a day procedure as an N.H.S. Patient. On the day, I was checked in and changed in to dressing gown.

I was then told that the consultant was caught in traffic and could be delayed for a long time.

O.K. so they sat me down in a nice area for 10 minutes, then for some reason moved me into a tiny side treatment room by myself where I had to sit for over an hour. Why did they do this?

Later on after my procedure, another patient came out, wondering what was going on and asked me "did they do the same to you".

After the procedure I had a blank envelope thrust in to my hand containing the consultants

letter to my GP, which I was expected to deliver myself.

On going back to the seating area I was doubled up in pain due to the air that had been pumped inside of me. The nurse showed no compassion and just said it is better to walk around - a bit difficult when you are doubled up in pain. It took a long time to clear after

finally being able to stagger up and down the corridor. The nurse later commented "well

we did tell you what it would be like" as if I was making a complaint.

The consultant said the biopsy results would be 2 weeks. I didn't hear anything so tried to

find out what was going on.

These are the problems I encountered:

1. The phone 'general enquiry' option sometimes answered, but other times just ringing and ringing.

2. After finally getting put through, the secretaries phone not always answered and voicemail

messages not answered.

3.Excuses about people being off sick and a backlog of paperwork.

4.Excuses about moving offices causing a backlog.

After about 5 weeks somebody told me that the consultant had the report and I would be

contacted in due course.

8 weeks on I still had not heard anything, I rang yet again and secretary made an appointment

for me to see consultant for the results. I decided to take the day off as appointment was mid

morning. I had to wait nearly 1 hour, o.k. no problem, went in only to discover that the results were not in the file as expected by the consultant and told me that they would have to contact the lab. It was a complete waste of my time and obviously down to administrative incompetence again.

Although the hospital is being paid by the N.H.S to do this work, I am forming the opinion

that N.H.S patients are being treated as second class in certain areas of this hospitals operation.

However, I would like to say that I was happy with the procedure itself and those directly involved in it.