"Coventry and Warwickshire PCT Lack of follow up after back surgery"

My husband has been having back problems for many years. He had a prolapsed disc about 7 years ago and had surgery ( a discectomy).

over the past years things have been gradually getting worse again. He saw his GP and after a couple of visits trying different painkillers etc was referred to a consultant. We pay for a health scheme (Benenden) which enabled us to see a private Consultant.

His disc had prolapsed again fortunately we did not have to wait long for the operation, but only after my husband went back twice to the consultant to explain how much pain he was in and he could not work at all.

We got to the hospital in the early evening as requested to be admitted for surgery. We told the nurses at the desk who he was etc and gave themthe paperwork. we then waited and waited and waited. it was 10;45 pm about 10 -12 other people had come in and then been taken through and we were still sitting there. I did politely check a couple of times when he would be called through and we were assured they were just cleaning each bay or something like that. When we were the last ones there a nurse walked past and stuck her head in and said are you waiting for something? anyway we did finally get my husband checked in.

He went down into surgery the next day expecting to have keyhole surgery. when he awoke they had not done the keyhole but actually made a larger incision and stapled it.

Like most people he did not want to be inthe hospital any longer than necessary The toilets were dirty and not cleaned after other patients had been in there.

He had the surgery on the Tuesday and got discharged on the Thursday. He was given a discharge note and told that he would be sent an appointment to see the consultant for follow up within 6 weeks. That was at the beginning of October 2007. We are still waiting now in June 2008. That's 8 MONTHS of waiting. He has had no follow up whatsoever. His wound got infected after the nurse took the staples out which they dealt with at our local gps. We have tried to contact the relevant secretary's. Finally last month he spoke to the gp receptionist who tried to help by contacting the secretary herself and again My husband rang and finally got to speak to the oupatients secretary, she apologised and said she couldn't understand but they had no clinic at the moment but she would defintely send him an appointment within 2 weeks. that was 5 weeks ago. So where do we go from here.