Firstly I just want to say to all of you who took the time to reply to me yesterday, it was very much appreciated. Just knowing others share your frustration and understand how these things can knock you makes everything a little bit easier. So I phoned the appointments line the girl listened to my concerns and put me straight through to the consultant's secretary. She apologised unreservedly saying the consultant had to take emergency leave for personal reasons. She said it only happened once before in the 10 years she was there and they had tried everything rather than cancel appointments but as it is very specialist there really was nothing else they could do. She urged me to stay in close contact with my respiratory nurse and assured me that if a cancellation came up I would be the first to be offered it as I'm a new case. As one of you said health professionals are human too and they or their nearest and dearest get ill too, we can forget this sometimes. I feel better now knowing its for a legitimate reason and I've picked myself up and dusted myself down and will get on with things as best I can until my appointment. The support I received from you all was invaluable....thankyou.
Bronagh
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Bronagh2015
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Just shows that you really need to know. Of course doctors are human too and have their difficulties, but we have all had that feeling when you think 'how dare they go away, I need them'. I am glad you have been reassured and I do hope your cosultant's problems are sorted out too.
Hi Bronagh, we all understand that, consultants can have emergencies or be ill, like the rest of us but what I don't understand is why those unfortunate enough to have appointments cancelled end up at the back of the queue again! My suggestion would be, if all appointments on a Wednesday were cancelled, then move the patients to the following Wednesday and keep moving Wednesday's patients back a week until you reach the point where no appointments have been made. People wouldn't mind moving back 1 week. Yes, I know the hospital would have to send out new letters to those affected but it would be so much fairer.
I expect there will be lots of reasons not to accept my suggestion but cancelled appointments really do need a re-think.
Sometimes we have to chase things ourselves as doctors & consultants get bogge down with work. If something is taking too long like my CTScan i send a note to surgery when ordering scripts. Hope you are not waiting long God Bless XC
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