Clueless NHS admin

THE NHS has world-class medical services, but I’m afraid it has thirdworld administration. This is my experience after recently having routine day surgery.

A first pre-assessment was invalid because it was more than 12 weeks before the procedure. I had a second pre- assessment, but then the operation was postponed.

I was given another date, but on the day of the operation, the surgeon had not received the pre-op results. However, he decided to carry on without them.

On my discharge, the nurse told me

painkillers had not been ordered. I agreed to supply my own.

I was given a discharge letter telling me I would need a follow-up outpatients appointment within two weeks and should ring the number on the form if I had not heard after five days.

After a few days, I rang to say that I had not received a date, and was told they had no record of me.

I was told to ring the ward where the operation had been carried out. I did so and was told to ring the number on the letter.

Eventually, I was given a date for the follow-up appointment, but when I turned up, the surgeon told me it was far too soon after the operation.

He advised me I would have to go to reception to make a further appointment for the following week.

Reception told me there were no appointments the following week, so I agreed to go to another hospital.

I was told to pick up some antibiotics, but when I arrived, the hospital pharmacist knew nothing about it. So I waited more than three hours until they sorted it out.

Name and address supplied.