Hospital report - over 2 months late

Wibbles

Just received a letter from my local hospital with the results of an examination that I had in early August - typed 05/08/24

Postmarked 14/10/24

Where has the letter been for the last 9 weeks ?

Royal Mail are appalling

WhatThe

Can't get the staff?

teuchterlass

Blood tests done 13 Aug, verbally told fine, phone call last week re tests, doc wants to speak on phone re results on 22nd Oct !!

TartanTiger

So much done online, letters are becoming a rare thing. Royal Mail has gone to pot, our poor Postie has twice the area to cover and doesn't do our side of the road two days in a row.

paddy1

I had cancer results passed to me by phone call ? When i asked to see my GP to discuse the results i was told my GP does not get the results unless he requests it ?? What the F## IS THAT ABOUT

Daffodil94

Hi Wibbles, was your letter signed by the consultant or the secretary or unsigned? I don’t think this is a Royal Mail problem. I think it is an administrative problem between the consultant and secretary. They are so far behind in typing up letters (medical secretaries are specially trained to type up these letters and “skilled” in knowing how to spell all types of medical terms) because of staff shortages/inability to retain staff. I got a letter 2 months after the consultant dictated it. She typed it verbatim (including grammatical errors in his speech because of his Indian origins) so that it was almost impossible to understand. The consultant hadn’t checked it and hadn’t signed it. My doctor and I gave up and he’s just referred me to a new consultant for pain management.

Wibbles

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/925329#Comment_925329

unsigned

Daffodil94

it’s an absolute disgrace. There could be major errors in the report which affect your treatment, benefits and whole life. How do consultants get away with it and why aren’t things like this monitored by the NHS?

SMC1

It's not necessarily royal mail that caused the delay. Working within the NHS I am aware that letters can be delayed because the reporting clinician is on some form of leave or the requesting clinician is on leave or secretarial/admin staff is on leave be it sick leave, annual leave or any other type of leave. Backlogs are also known to delay letters going out.

Wibbles

Despite not being able to cope with phone calls - I had a phone consultation with a GP from my normal surgery on Thursday……

I normally (usually) manage to get a face to face…

Why do GP's not add the fact that I cannot speak on the phone to my patient notes to raise an alarm whenever a different GP tries to make a phone appointment with me ?

Dendoo

I know someone whose prostrate positive for cancer results were lay under a desk

For months ! Luckily he’s doing great .

Bluebell21

None of my letters from the hospital are signed.

SMC1

@ bluebell21, Ietters are sent unsigned to avoid delay in sending them out @

Wibbles

Mine are usually signed

often by a secretary though

Daffodil94

Glad to hear your friend with cancer is doing great. It makes me feel like saying “I hope he sued” but I know you have to pick your battles when you’re that ill. And I think that’s a major issue. Consultants and the NHS system know that we are vulnerable and unlikely to complain. When I was a legal secretary, every letter had to be signed by the solicitor. This is because they are giving legal advice and it has to be accurate. Otherwise they can get sued for giving wrong advice. To say a consultant doesn’t sign their own letters is comparable because they are responsible for the diagnosis. Perhaps this is another reason they are loth to give a diagnosis because they know they’re not going to sign the letter and don’t want to be sued for a mistake their secretary has made. It’s not good practice to send a letter out unsigned or signed by a secretary and highly unprofessional.

Daffodil94

Wibbles, it’s not only doctors, social workers don’t realise you’re in a wheelchair and there’s a face to face meeting arranged with your daughter that you can’t get to and have to go online so need a meeting code. Communication is key said “Willy Wonka”

egister

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/925300#Comment_925300

Machines that analyze biological fluids produce results in the form of files of various formats. There is no reason not to send this file to the patient and doctor by e-mail, for example.

Daffodil94

I always request copies of every blood test and report to be sent to me by my doctor (free of charge)I then keep them in a file according to hospital name and one for blood tests. This then helps me keep a record of all that has happened to me. I also have a small exercise book where I keep a copy of my latest prescriptions and a note made from the hospital visits file. I’m then ready for the barrage of questions you get from people on your next visit to hospital about when and where and what (as it goes back many years and my memory isn’t perfect). Hope that helps others. If you’re missing any reports/tests, you’re entitled to a copy of your full medical records (for which there may be a charge).