"The consultant carrying out my tests,..."

What I liked

The consultant carrying out my tests, diagnosis and surgery was very kind, caring and respectful. He allowed me to ask questions without judgement or haste.

What could be improved

My follow up care has been diabolical.

I have follow up appointments every three months which are suppose to "catch" any recurrant cancer early. To date I have seen 17 different doctors, with whom I am suppose to trust my life with. Only one doctor has called me by my name and not one has read my notes before seeing me.

I am seen by rotation registars (not consultants) . I have had no blood tests and no abdonmainal examinations in over a year.

At each appointment, I have to have very invasive tests by a doctor I have just met, who makes no effort to talk to me and then leave without asking me any questions.

I have requested several times to see the same doctor at each appointment but apparently that is not possible.

I recently went to Southend Hospital to have a different non-life threatening aliment checked out. I was treated brilliantly. I saw the same doctor at every visit. I was asked questions and made to feel like I was in safe hands.

It is a shame that the Oncology Department cannot get offer the same.

Anything else?

I am in several local cancer support groups and the opinion of Southend's Radiotherapy Follow Up Clinic is very poor.

Most the patients I talk to feel upset and belittled when they attend their appointments.

They never know who they will be seeing and noone ever reads notes or follows ups tests.

They are very short staffed - which is the reason we are given for the poor care whenever we ask.

We need this department to be on top of our care, to know our history and to catch out cancers early.

We do not need to know their probelms.