"An excellent hospital but spoilt by disorganised..."

Anything else?

I have been a patient at UCLH since 2009. I have been very impressed by the cleanliness and expertise and the brilliant surgeons employed there. I have been an inpatient twice and a day patient for a few times. I have always had excellent treatment and and care. I am very disappointed and distressed over an operation I had thirteen months ago that has been a disaster. Leaving me unable to empty my bladder and having constant infection and pain and using catheters. I accept not all operations have a successful outcome but I feel as if I have been "fobbed off" by admin staff, keep cancelling my appointments and a scan (to diagnose the problem) to enable the surgeon to put things right. I am on the waiting list for the operation but this is not possible until the scan takes place. It was ordered by the consultant (who has been excellent) early May and the secretary told me I had one booked for Septemeber 6th, yet when I checked with the immaging Department, it had not been booked and I am told others are in the same situation. I have been made to feel as if I am a nuisance!. The distress is made worse by the eleven courses of anti biotics I have had to take and now have to take them each day. I have felt run down and many other problems have occured, most probably side effects from the anti biotics. I have tried to get appointments from being cancelled and to speak to a secretary or department. There is nearly always an answer phone message saying the secretary is on annual leave and will be back on a certain date. This does not materialise and the message is there for weeks even when the date has gone and there is no one to talk to. I have been on the phone for hours trying to sort out my dilema but to no avail, even PALS have not had any success. It is great to have the expertise at UCLH and the wonderful consultants and nurses but what happens when it all goes wrong? There is no space or time to sort out the unsuccessfull operations, people can be left in misery living with the consequences and put on the end of the rectification list! I am an ex. NHS worker and fully understand many of the issues. I do not think the shuffling of appointmentts and cancellation and long waits for certain scans/treatments is good for anyone. I cannot begin to tell you the distress and frustration I have felt by it all and I have an understanding of the NHS and it's problems. I feel very sorry for some of the patients that have no idea what is going on. I hope you can make UCLH excellent in all areas including appointments etc.