"V. frustrated by communication- St Andrews..."

What I liked

I liked the fact that I wasn't left waiting too long,.

What could be improved

I am mainly concerned as regards the length of the waiting list you have in the St Andrews Plastics Centre as regards the female clients such as myself who have been on a waiting list for such a lengthy period of time, as regards breast reconstruction due to cancer..

I am baffled by the fact that I have been told today by your PALS department that there is in fact no waiting list officially for women like me who are left severely disfigured, and are waiting for breast plastics reconstruction surgery at your centre. I have so far been waiting 19 months, and I believe there needs to be a more practical approach in allowing women such as myself in dire need of this surgery to be supported in going abroad to another EU country, or Switzerland under an agreement between the relevant Primary Care Trusts involved. Potential foreign surgeons could be is approved by the particular surgeon they are under at your plastics and burns centre at Broomfield Hospital Chelmsford, as opposed to the impossible situation you have at the present time, whereby you have 130 women waiting for your expertise.

There needs to be a positive attempt to resolve the impossible situation you have at the moment. There badly needs to be serious discussion in relation to these issues. Women ought to be written to in order to offer them the opportunity to go abroad if they wish to with your full back-up and the already approved NHS funding which they have in place.

There are human rights involved, and people aren't meant to be waiting such an endless time surely for surgery? I understand that people who present themselves with current cancer in their bodies must come first, but surely there needs to be the consideration for other remaining patients awaiting your expertise should have some rights too.

Anything else?

I hope you shall take my concerns seriously, and endeavour to attempt to do something for the women involved as regards the horrible frustration they are left feeling because of this lack of an organised systematic approach to this overwhelming problem of too many patients needing your breast reconstruction plastics services within St. Andrew's plastics and burns centre..

I realise unless it is your own personal experience or one of the female loved ones in your own family you do not understand how this problem affects women'e emotions and quality of life, almost to the point where you feel you are being toyed with, and not being given a realistic chance with the awful disfigurement you have been left to live with.

Please heed my concerns, and think about the huge problems within this department at the present time, and try to investigate it.