"Putting patients at risk."

Whilst I am well aware of the current crisis the NHS is dealing with, Derriford seem to be using this as an excuse.

I have had a terrible experience every single time I have been referred to this hospital for surgeries, appointments or scans, all in different departments. The way I have been treated by staff is disgraceful. Once attending the Family Planning clinic, I was told by a nurse that I was “killing my baby” (please note, I was only attending the clinic to change my birth control). On the numerous occasions I have been admitted for surgery and post surgery recovery, I have been left without bedding or blankets, my nurses bell left unanswered for up to 20 minutes and given drugs I should not have been given due to my medical history.

To top that off, I have been waiting since May to have an MRI scan on my brain only to have my planned scan cancelled the AFTERNOON BEFORE I was supposed to attend (the fourth scan cancelled). Shortages of bed availability, was the excuse I was given, made worse “by the weekend backlog”. Am I to assume that my next planned scan will also have the same outcome? That I will be unable to attend because of the number of weekend patients? What if this was somebody who had an undiagnosed tumour, or cancerous lump? It would be left undiagnosed until the last minute, until it is too late. Derriford is putting patients at risk by not allowing the right investigations to take place.