You gotta love the NHS!!!

[maz]

Stupid fucking hospital

A quick rundown for those that don't really know me. We've had two failed cycles of private IVF, and are waiting for our one and only NHS slot to arrive. So, being proactive, well, actually wondering when I'll get to have my next holidays off work, I phoned today to find out how long they expected it to be before I get my offer for treatment. I only phoned a month ago, but I thought what the heck, it's not like they'll be keeping a record of phone calls or anything. Boy am I glad I phoned them today.

After trying to get them for like 3 hours, I finally get a human being at the other end of the phone. After going through the normal rigmarole - name, date of birth, address - yada, yada, yada - I get an answer I wasn't quite expecting - YOUR TREATMENT HAS BEEN SUSPENDED!!!!!!

Erm - WHAT????? WHY????? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?????

To cut a long story short - they have a note on my file to say that I am pregnant!!!! Yippee - I'm pregnant!! So, how come I don't know about it? How come cow face doesn't know about it? I never thought I'd be the last person to know I was pregnant!!!!

After a lot of questions - are you sure you're not pregnant? Erm - yes. I'm pretty sure I'd know if I was!! Are you sure you gave me the correct address? Erm - yes - I've lived there for over 6 years!! Okay then - if you're sure you're not pregnant, we'll reinstate you onto the list!!! WTF??? Does this mean I'm at the bottom of the list and waiting another year for treatment? Apparently not - apparently I will be put back onto the list in my original position. HA - Yeah right. We'll see about that.

I'm going to have to send an email of query/complaint once I've calmed down. I want to know which fucking imbecile put false information on MY file, and suspended MY treatment. How such a mistake could be made. How they can reassure me that I have been placed back into the system in the correct place. And how they can put my mind at ease that they actually know what they're doing....

Wankers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I called our lovely competent private clinic today to see if they had told the NHS about my biochemical pregnancy, and if it were possible that some stupid administrator didn't understand what a biochemical pregnancy meant and thought I was still pregnant and about ready to pop - but they only sent a summary to us at our home address, and not to the stupid NHS.

So, any suggestions about what else to include in my email will be gratefully received.... I don't want to go on a rant at them, I just want to voice my concerns, discomfort, and anxieties about their competence so far. I'm sure that numerous heads thinking of ideas are better than one ...

Thanks guys

 

[Steph63]

Oh chick, I'm so cross for you, but doesn't surprise me at all with the RFC. I would email the RFC directly but I would also CC your email to the complaints dept (think it may be called the Clinical Directorate), even if you say you don't want a formal complaint at this stage, but in case you are unfortunate enough to have any further delays then all the details are on record if you do need to go down the road of a formal complaint in the future. Hopefully not though.

It is so frsutrating that the only hospital we have is completely & utterly shite.

 

[CurlySue]

They're just ridiculous, aren't they?

I'll be honest, since I started all this Fertility Treatment rubbish I have lost entire faith in the NHS. You have different people telling you different things, getting your nerves all frayed on edge, giving you half-arsed treatment and expecting you to jump when they say jump, stay quiet when they don't want questions, blahdie blah.

They're shocking, are the NHS.

 

[Vici]

So sorry to hear that hun, they seem to be an incompetent bunch! Hope you get put back on the list in the right place!

I can't bash the NHS tho as in my area they are absolutley fabulous. They couldn't have done any more for me and I know that Suffolk has a great rep. And IVF "tries" have been raised to at least 3 per couple!

 

[Mrs R]

Oh Maz, you poor thing.

If I was you, I would write a letter and keep a copy rather than email as we all know emails are easily deleted / ignored to save someone from getting in trouble.

The bigger a stink you kick up, the more likely you are to be heard. I wouldn't let this lie (not that you will) but I would demand to know the exact date my treatment will start, when I will get a letter, who will I see, what incompetent twat suspended my treatment etc etc. (Can u tell I'm not pleased with RFC either at the min!??)


And no matter who you are talking to, ask them for their full name and job title - it scares the shit out of people that they might make a mistake and be found out, and they are more likely to actually get off their asses and do something when there's a possibility of reprecussions.

I'm not sure, but when you make a complaint to somewhere like a hospital or Trust, you should prob get a letter to say your complaint has been received and you will get a reply with 14 days or something like that.

Good luck hun, kick them in the balls from me! xx

 

[maz]

I phoned them again today, and got speaking to a senior administrator. Apparently, my treatment has be reinstated and I'm in the same place on the list as I should have been, which means I'll get my offer of treatment sometime between July and September - why can't they be more specific than that??? Why can't they say there are ? number in front of you, and if everyone still requires treatment, then you will be contacted in September - that way I'm not shitting myself at every brown envelope that comes through the letterbox ...

Still considering sending an email - just so I have it logged that I queried things.

 

[Mrs G]

That is so bad! It's all very well saying you're back in your place in the queue, what if you hadn't phoned???!!!

I'd wait til you are calm to write to them. You need to be rational about the situation even though you have sooooo much of a right to be bloody furious with them.

FX for July, rather than Sept.

xx

 

[roobie74]

Do you know what pisses me off? Most of these people you speak to who work for the NHS just treat you as a number, the next query in their "In tray". They don't understand that you are actually a person, a human being. They don't understand that this is your life, your emotions they are dealing with. You not being on that list was a major issue and affects your life dramatically. To them it is just a clerical error????????? They can go home at night and walk away from their "in tray" meanwhile we are left having to deal with the fallout of their incompetency.

I would definitely send a letter. Keep a copy and send it again in a few weeks if you don't hear anything.

Good Luck xxxx

 

[chefamy1122]

I don't know anything about how the NHS works, so can't really give you any advice, but did want to say how sorry I am that they made such a mistake and you are having to deal with it!

 

[CareBear]

That is so crap and I can't believe they asked are you sure you're not pregnant?! Uhhh Duh think I'd know seeing as I'm the waiting list for IVF!! I'd so be making a complaint, as others said the NHS is awful you're just a number who goes down the convayer belt not a person with feelings thoughts and questions.

 

[MrsJD]

OMG that is fucken ridiculous! I would ask to see a copy of your file under the data protection act to see what exactly has been written. I mean what if you hadn't phoned, you'd still be bloody waiting on a call! MUPPETS!!!

X

 

[Mrs R]

Oh, that's a good idea. You'd prob have to pay for a copy of your file though, and they'd tipex a load of stuff out lol

 

[peartree]

Omg... I'm livid for you! Good job that you were proactive and called them up to check! Hope you don't have to wait too long and they REALLY do put you back on the same place in the list! Grr!

 

[Carlyanne15]

Just read your post honey, cant believe that! What a fuck UP, you must be livid. xxx