"Bad management system in imaging dept"

I was very unwell and so my Dr sent off request for ct abdo, specifically my pancreas as I had had an ultrasound scan which revealed pancreatic pseudocyst. Took me 2 phone calls to get the request even vetted it had sat on desk a whole week. According to reception they were short staffed so it had not been seen by radiologist. Eventually got appt. Sent general sheet sheet of paper with all the different kinds of ct's and the prep for them. Nowhere did it say I was to have a ct with contrast and that i should contact the dept if I had specific health problems but mention it at the time of my scan. So hubby booked day off, (I dont drive and in so much pain can't take a bus journey on small country roads lasting an hour )Paid a small fortune in parking fees and went to ct dept. Girl came with 2 pint jug of water and said I was to drink it before I went into scan.

When I went in it became apparent that it was going to be contast with dye into blood stream. Fortunately I know that being a diabetic and on metformin that this contrast dye mixed with that particular medication destroys your kidneys. Also I am asthmatic, again contraindicated. and last but not least. last time I had to have contrast injection for heart scan I was dosed up to the eyeballs with steroid to prevent another anaphylactic shock reaction that I had in the past.

So was not done. Wasted a complete day, all because they dont have a simple system in place whereby the vetting does not result in the simple but effective and specificly correct info with a request to contact them asap re allergies, meds etc. If every kind of image they do, had a simple code written on it by the vetting radiologist, then the girls sending out the appts could send a sheet with the info applicable to that vetting code to the patient, this shambles and the possiblity of life threatening situations would not arise.

I was NOT the only patient that day that had similar problems. What a waste of resourses all round. so now I have to wait lord knows however much longer while 'they' refer me for some other test, and not neccesarily at Hinchingbrooke. Nope I dont think so, I've had far too many mistakes of a similar nature and far far worse happen to me, inc unneccesary major major surgery by this hospital.

I'm off to my doc to say refer me to somewhere else. Ididdn't trust them much before no I don't trust them at all.