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Care Opinion

Surgery waiting time

Posted By Dainty

"Surgery waiting time"

About: Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Glasgow / General surgery (Wards 9a, 9b, 9c & 9d)

(as the patient),

I am awaiting surgery at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Glasgow. I have been waiting since December 2015, it is now April 2016 and still waiting! I understand how busy surgeon is and secretary has been as helpful as can be but still no further forward.

I was offered that I could have surgery elsewhere with different surgeon but I do not want to do that! ! Was at a different hospital last year but want to be closer to home this time. Waiting is nightmare as I feel extremely unwell and depressed about it. The waiting does not help! 

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Responses

Response from Lorna Fairlie, Patient Experience, Public Involvement Project Manager, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde 8 years ago
Lorna Fairlie
Patient Experience, Public Involvement Project Manager,
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

I work in a small team in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde which seeks to involve patients and carers in the work of the NHS. The biggest part of my role is in managing feedback projects across the Board area, one of which is Patient Opinion. It is my job to give our patients and carers the opportunity to give us feedback, and to make sure that this is passed to the right people to help us improve the services we provide.

Submitted on 12/04/2016 at 12:23
Published on Care Opinion at 15:40

Dear Dainty,

I completely sympathise with the frustration you must be feeling, as well as how you feel this is impacting on your overall health and wellbeing. I know that it can be a really difficult time waiting for surgery and ideally we would want all patients seen as quickly as possible. There are times that this doesn't happen as quickly as we would like, for a number of reasons, and this is why we then make the offer of a date for surgery at another hospital so that patients do not have to wait longer than necessary. I completely understand your reasons for choosing not to go ahead with this option, however this does potentially mean a slightly longer wait.

You have done the right thing by keeping in contact with your surgeon's secretary, and I'm glad they have been as helpful as possible to you so far, and for more personal information on your appointment this will be your best route. However, I would like to reassure you that waiting times are continually monitored, and I will also flag this up to the management team for surgery. Also, if in a couple of weeks you feel there has been no movement forward, please contact me directly with a few more personal details and I can see if I can found out as much information as possible for you. My email address is lorna.gray@ggc.scot.nhs.uk. I hope this is resolved for you as soon as possible.

With best wishes,

Lorna

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Update posted by Dainty (the patient)

Hello Lorna

Thank you for your reply and offer of help.It is greatly appreciated.I have actually just had a call to say my surgery shall be next week now, which of course is good but that was me waiting since December.I also understand that I could have went elsewhere but I just did not want to take that option again this time as would have been a different surgeon! and I found the hospital I was in last year was very depressing.It really needed refurbishment and I had to take wipes into the toilet with me for the pan!!

Hoping this time around it shall be a more brighter room I am in and cleaner!!

Thank you again for your reply.

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