no more

[baratron]

And just in case I didn't have enough to deal with: fucking Kingston Hospital has lost the result of my fucking latex allergy test, and wants me to make an appointment for a new one.

Earliest appointment they can offer me even after I explained that I need the result before I can have the operation is... 3rd October. Which means I won't have the result for my pre-op on 6th October. Initially they offered me an appointment in November, and I'm still shaking all over from the thought of having to live with this gall bladder for another month.

I don't even need to see a doctor - they won't do allergy tests on me by skin-prick anymore, due to possible risk of death. All I need is to go in and have someone take some blood from me and send it off to the lab. Why the fuck do I have to wait a month to have that done?

I'm crying and hyperventilating and almost throwing up here from the stress.

Comments

[alexmc.livejournal.com]

Can you ask your consultant/surgeon to chase them up instead of you? The hospital obviously doesnt understand the urgency. The doctor will have a better idea of whether they are dragging their feet or whether they genuinely cant fit you in earlier.

Goodluck.

[baratron.livejournal.com]

It wasn't so much that they didn't understand as that the person I spoke to didn't have enough seniority to expedite cutting of red tape. Offering me an appointment for 3rd October at another hospital was the best she was allowed to do. Having reached a certain stage of frazzledness with the whole situation, I didn't have the energy to demand she put me through to her manager - I thought it'd be much better to get a doctor to kick arse on my behalf.

I have now spoken to the Practice Secretary at my doctor's surgery, who has spoken to the GP who's been dealing with me, and apparently this is all a mistake anyway because they wrote to the hospital asking for the result from the last test, not for me to have to have a new test. The letter very clearly said it was a Letter of Enquiry, not a Letter of Referral. I'm inclined to believe them, because my experiences so far have shown me that the surgery is pretty well-run, while the hospital is fucking incompetent. (Details here (http://www.livejournal.com/users/baratron/325091.html#cutid1)). If this does not sort things out, I will indeed talk to the surgical team, but I think it might confuse things even more to have two different sets of people chasing up the same information at the same time.

[alexmc.livejournal.com]

Oh.

It sounds like you are doing the right thing. Goodluck.