It's the way they tell 'em!!

Dear Fellows-in-surgery,

I opened an official looking letter this morning thinking ' Great; another unnexpected bill', and was faced with an NHS headed A4 sheet which started:

Dear Mrs ****

We have been advised that your name should be removed from the list of women eligible for cervical screening. This is because your medical records indicate that you do not have, or no longer have, a cervix ......

WOW - what an excellent 'bedside manner' and sensitivity the NHS has!

It's only taken 3 years of my sending back their letters calling me to cervical smears telling them I have had surgery for ov.ca., for them to issue this blunt missive!

Hey ho...

Isadora.

[Hidden]

Hi Isadora

I'm speechless..........

Chris x x

[Meryl]

Hi Isadora

I'm just as speechless as Chris.

Meryl. XXXXXX

[BuntyB]

I'm not surprised Isadora - I have worked in the NHS for 20 years and it never ceases to amaze me at some of the clangers they drop! They obviously train at the Acme School of Charm & Diplomacy! They certainly have a way with words!!

Barbara

[Hetty]

Well I'm surprised they took so long! My letter like that arrived 1 month after my hysterectomy - if only everything else was so efficient!

Hetty

[wendydee]

Shame on them Isadora!

Mine arrived soon after and was as blunt ........ in another sphere, we were told " She has weeks rather than months ...... there's no use operating she is too old, and she'd probably need a bag anyway" in relation to my mother in law. All in full view of the whole ward and earshot of everyone. That was her terminal cancer diagnosis. Such charm NOT

However, the doc who is treating my Mum at the moment is smashing, very patient and caring. He's young, I think the system has not got to him yet!

Wendy xx

[Jacks150]

Companies and people just don't think do they before sending these letters out. It makes you feel as though you are just a statistic, a name on a piece of paper not an individual.

I am a childminder and when I was first diagnosed I had to let ofsted know I wasn't working. I love my job and was very upset about stopping work. ofsted contacted me just after my surgery about visiting me to do an inspection but I explained my situation and said I would contact them when I was back at work.

2 days later I got a standard letter from them saying that if I no longer wished to work as a childminder could I complete the attached form and went on about removing people from their records when they are no longer working.

I was really upset as I did want to work but just couldn't at the moment. I rang them up and they did apologise but I had already been upset.

The other thing that winds me up a bit is when I go for my ct scan they always ask me if I could be pregnant. I know they haven't always got the time to look at your file but it does wind me up each time.

It's a shame peopl and companies do not take the time to consider the feelings of the recipients.

Jackie

[ladygooner-uk]

Hi all

yep I got one of those about a year after my op, was really pleased actually, I hated them anyway, and I couldnt work out if I needed to go for them anyway!

I dont understand some people, I had a phone call from my boss the other day ( head of psychology) and he said he was going to come and see me in hosp when I was recently in for a liver re section- thank god someone dissuaded him, as I was off my head on morphine, and lord knows what I would have said to him- still baffles me why people want to be around when you dont want them to be!

sue

[BusyLizzie in reply to ladygooner-uk]

I know Sue. I feel the same. I like people to see me at the top of my game, not when I am at the bottom.

Love Lizzie

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