The fall -out from my mother’s cancelled -at- the- very- last -minute operation has been a bit huge.

All of a sudden we have appointments with the GP, the Macmillan service, the Pain team.

In the midst of this is my mum refusing all help, insisting she only needs morphine sometimes and paracetamol often. At least she’s given up the idea of lemsip for pain.

She just wants to play bridge, go to her playreading class and finish her Russian literature course. Sweet little old lady she is NOT! the carers for my Dad have been expelled daily and my negotiating skills have been put to the test. I have to arbitrate between the CEO of the company, the manager and the patient’s carer. My Dad has no say…but, as he puts it…he knows which side his butter is spread.

I diagnosed mum with a bladder infection. Got the rottweiler-esque receptionist to take the proffered urine and sure enough they decided I was right and antibiotics dispatched. Is it too late for me to train as a doctor?

Meanwhile asthma has been terrible for me. No idea why. could be the exhaustion and stress and sheer hassles of the last few weeks. Last appointment at clinical trial is tomorrow. Cross fingers that helps in some way. I had a call from Dipstick’s admin man or whoever he is. couldn’t hear him. did not understand him. Told him the MRI imaging had missed off the vital bit. He mumbled. I burbled. No idea what happens next. Meanwhile Bladder has just not stopped burbling. Jerome ever on the case has come up with an idea based in previous Russian state of Georgia. I am going to mug up on my brief sojourn with the Russian language as part of my Uni course: I am about to give them a ring. I will let you know!

goodbye
до свидания
do svidaniya

oh one more thing: here is an extract of a letter, to my mother’s hospital CEO…not that anything will change..it was just good to rant:

I understand an ‘investigation’ has been launched. I understand Oxford hospital have been approached. hate to say it I had requested that and or London, but what do I know? Vascular appointment is still 2024 for the aneurysm and the next urological follow up appointment has already been postponed.

When an operation goes well the ‘team’ are thanked and congratulated. When an operation is cancelled or goes wrong, the surgeon is deemed at fault. In this situation again we cannot blame anyone. The ‘system’ whereby the surgeon makes a decision with the informed consent of the patient, the administrative machine goes into action. PreAdmission for a two-week-to-treatment priority cancer pathway. But no one at all actually looked at her until the anaesthetist pitched up minutes before theatre. …..too risky . Too complicated. No operation can take place. Right decision. Wrong timing.

A whole theatre list wasted for the day. ( she was the only patient) staff, beds, and goodness knows what else would have been wasted. No doubt the waiting list behind her had equally sick patients awaiting  

… about fault reporting and blame apportioning. I have read and oft repeated ‘Black Box thinking’ by Matthew Syed. The aviation industry once was very dangerous, with many flights ending in disaster. However, through learning and the extreme focus on safety, flying is now the safest form of travel.

This is not to say that in healthcare personnel are less caring – their career choice alone indicates strong diligence and desire to do right. So why is there such a difference in the safety performances of healthcare and aviation? No fault no blame culture…learn from what goes wrong. 

There is not a two-weeks-to-treatment pathway at all. 

Bye for now