self adminsitration of the nhs "journey"

as you will have seen I have my new cast
http://cripplerant.blogspot.com/2008/03/ive-turned-invisible.html

This is a bit more light weight, a much better fit (muscle wastage) and better for writing on... This may not be an advantage...

So the cast was done on Friday, transport got me there and back fine, splendid, much better than Wednesday...

I'd missed the first pre-op in Southampton cos I didn't check my post til the day before, but there was no transport booked anyway so I couldn't have gone. Re-booked it for yesterday. Discovered that as it was cross border the referring hospital couldn't provide transport and neither could the destination, handy.

I found out I could book transport via my doctors surgery and that it's 15 quid if it's over 20 miles, bargain when you're on #70/week

I booked transport on something like Wednesday of the preceding week, sorted. Due to a slight negative bias which causes me to distrust massive beuraucracies, I phoned to check the transport on the Monday morning... To hear that they could find no record of transport being booked... Spooky. So I couldn't go.

I called Southampton to book another pre- op they gave me the LAST available slot, with a different consultant, on the 17th. If I missed this my op would be delayed.

I called up the surgery to properly? book the transport. I explained it was the LAST available slot, they said they couldn't do it and suggested (inferred!) I ask the hospital if they could create a special, one off clinic at 10:30 on 17/3/08. They couldn't, uncanny...

What now? What could I do to make sure this important operation I'm not really looking forward to go ahead on time?

Hang on, I have some questions...

What is a pre op?

Why does it have to be in Southamton?

Why can't I get transport?

Why am I having to do all this admin? I thought the NHS had too many adminstrators? What are they doing?

What if I was too ill or confused to do this?

Answers.

A pre-op clinic is where your fitness for surgery is assessed, any tests and x-rays are done, the procedure is explained and MRSA swabs are taken. It is normally done at the recieving hospital to their specifications for disease control etc.. I can't get transport because the system is chaotic, archaic, overburdened etc. Who knows? Not sure...

Anyway, I continued to adminstrate my quest and called my consultants PA. I ask if as I'm seeing him on the 17th (another reason I couldn't make Southampton) why can't he explain the op and do any x-rays and tests. We know I definitley want to have my leg rebuilt so I can eventually walk again.

After apparently lots of hassle this has been arranged, she managed to swing it due to my condition. Excellent, I don't have to spend up to 8 hours going to S'Hampton and back for some standard procedures...

I wonder if this can be streamlined. I reckon I spent about an hour on something that should of happened automatically