"TREATMENT REFUSAL THREAT BECAUSE OF DISABILITY"

Today I have been threatened by garbled phone message fromChurchill Hospital

Head and Neck Unit with my urgently needed operation being cancelled and being referred back to my GP because staff refuse to listen and acknowledge that I have serious complex physical health problems requiring hospital admission the day before surgery.

I feel this amounts to discrimination.

I have a rare neuromuscular condition and damaged immune system plus other complicated and diagnosed conditions which cause my muscles, including my breathing, to stop working if I get too tired, stressed, infected or have medication side-effects. At present, I need ambulance transport from my home, upto six hours plus travel from the hospital. After a hospital visit I am very tired for at least two days and any sedation or anasthetic puts me at risk for some weeks.

The hospital has failed to respond to my neurologist's letter sent on August 2nd 2018, asking when my operation was planned , so that he could make an assessment whether I needed a transfusion of immunogobulin beforehand. A specialist physician has agreed that I need special preparation before surgery.

Simply put the hospital has failed in its duty to identify that I have additional needs and need to be admitted the day before surgery to see a consultant from the anasthetics department and informed discussion about my complex drugs etc plus tests carried out. The only assessment was done nearly 6 months ago. Many things have changed and many drugs are contraindicated. I have not seen the consultant surgeon and neither my GP nor myself have been kept informed about the many scans I have had.

Simply put I need admission a day before surgery, to see the operating anaesthetist, agree correct treatment, change drugs, get observations done and given the best chance for safe surgery by being given a night's rest before an early start, hibbiscrub shower and going straight down to surgery.

At present I have no idea what time of day I might be operated on, have serious concerns about remaining well enough if I get too tired and have no idea how I can get to Oxford as NHS ambulance service will not take me to a hotel and I am not fit enough to travel independently. I am entitled to NHS transport.

Getting from an Oxford hotel to hospital early in the morning will not solve my problems and I know I will be too tired for surgery.

I have just had major surgery at another regional hospital where I had to be admiited day before and go into high dependency unit afterwards.

Why is Oxford different?

Oxford has some very clever doctors but things have become much worse in last 4 or 5 years. Why cannot consultants see patients? Especially when the diagnosis has taken some 3 years and remains somewhat uncertain as I have to have full exploratory surgery. I was advised to go to Oxford Head and Neck Unit because of its high skill levels, as previously.

I have had some excellent service from Oxford hospitals, inthe