This is Care Opinion [siteRegion]. Did you want Care Opinion [usersRegionBasedOnIP]?
Care Opinion

My mom's cancelled surgery

Posted By queeny

"My mom's cancelled surgery"

About: Good Hope Hospital / Trauma & orthopaedics

(as a relative),

Mom had her hip replacement surgery cancelled for the second time this morning. A brief phone call 3 hours before she was due to be admitted. No reason given just that she would hear something asap.

Mom is 88 and on morphine patches to help with the acute pain as the head of her femur has disintegrated due to osteo arthritis.. A vibrant active lady reduced to being housebound who can hardly walk even with a frame whilst waiting for this much needed surgery.

Have heard that if surgery is cancelled 3 times you can demand to be treated privately but not sure if this is right.

More about:
Do you have a similar story to tell? Tell your story & make a difference ››

Responses

Response from Richard Parker, Managing Director, Good Hope Hospital, Heart Of England NHS Foundation Trust 9 years ago
Richard Parker
Managing Director, Good Hope Hospital,
Heart Of England NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 02/01/2015 at 18:42
Published on Care Opinion on 05/01/2015 at 11:54

picture of Richard Parker

Thank you for your posting.

Please accept my sincere apologies for the cancellation of your mum's surgery today. Unfortunately we have seen higher than anticipated levels of emergency / A&E activity over the Christmas period and as a consequence many of our planned-surgery beds are occupied by patients who have had an emergency hospital admission.

We are working hard to try to recover our surgical beds and restart normal working; whilst absolutely not the position we would expect our hospital to be in I am sorry this was not explained to you or your mum earlier today.

If you make contact with me / my office directly I will do all I can to secure an early alternative date for your mums operation.

Best wishes

Richard

richard.parker@heartofengland.nhs.uk

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by queeny (a relative)

Mom has received a letter today offering another provisional date for her surgery later this month. We all have everything crossed that this time the operation goes ahead. We all understand that emergencies happen but it must be the absolute last resort to cancel surgery. Moms mobility is so severly compromised after waiting so long that it is going to take her much longer to recover her muscle strength and her confidence.

Opinions
Next Response j
Previous Response k