Is your rheumatology dept as RUBBISH as mine????

sugarbuttie

Hi Good Peeps

I want to rant but I also want to do something productive as a result...

Rang rheum helpline for 2 days...no answer, no facility to leave message. Rang rheum secretary in desperation...no answer...ansaphone...left msg...no call back....rang again......AT LAST...the poor overworked love answered.

She explained that there was no 'rheum hotline' as they now had only one nurse (previously had 2) & she was on holiday til 7 June. PCT would not provide another nurse to cover this period of absence due to funding.

I also had to wait 5 weeks between seeing consultant & then being able to see my GP to get my new DMARD prescription as my PCT have a 4 week typing backlog. So...see consultant.....letter takes 4 weeks to type.....letter posted by snail mail to GP....days to get appointment just to get DMARD prescription that the consultant said I needed. I asked why the consultant couldn't just give me the prescription there & then. I was told it was all due to funding (ie hospital didn't want it coming out of their budget).

When I expressed concern over the 4 week backlog in letter writing, it was put down to staff leaving & PCT unwilling to let them recruit new staff. The rheum secretary was urging me to complain to a higher level as her calls for help are falling on deaf ears.

In my humble opinion...my rheum dept is on its knees due to NHS funding cuts etc. The poor staff on the front line are drowning. I would like to do something about it but don't know where to start. The rheum secretary who I spoke to today said she would LOVE somone to complain & make a fuss as she feels powerless & equally frustrated. Where do I start? Letter to local MP? Complaint to PCT? A local campaign? Letter to local rag? I am all fired up!

Yours V V V V Peed Orf!

theresa4

all of the above
Our hospital was closer to closing half the wards and getting rid of nurse specialist one of the women I know started a petition and made alot of noise and all the rheumy nurses kept their jobs we have 6 now. So dont give up on htem complain complain complain everywhere you can copy in to your complaint. MP, hospiatl, etc.. scuse my writing had bad time and mixed my pain dullers with vodka.

skezier

Hi SB,

Sorry they're so bad for you and really hope it will improve a bit for you now you have rung in? It might work...... It does with mine.

I have a really nice rumo but he cant get any funding so I have been stuck on palliative care a good 5-6 years too soon with the pa... the oa fair enough it is bad but the pa could be helped with a bit of funding... The funding just isn't there.

Other depts as well are being hit by lack of funding and I don't know where it will end up.

Really hope thing get better fro you though. Cris x

nanasue

Hi there, it sounds just like my rheumy dept: (could be the same one). I agree with the others, if you feel able go ahead and fight, get in touch with all these people if you can, get a petition going, surely if enough people complain they'll have to do something. I can't fight at the moment as I have a personal/family problem to sort which is wearing me out and making me sick with worry. Hope it all goes well,

Sue x

woodbon

Hi. I've had to wait for a letter, but I ring the consultants secretary after a week or so and several times they will read the letter thats waiting to be signed out to me. In our area, we have doctors that spend time in several different hospitals and often they take ages just to sign the letter.
Love Sue

suzygirl

How about complaining to PALS? They may be able to do something. Each hospital has one attached and they are there to act as the patients advocate.

Just a thought.