This week we had bad news regarding the Hip Replacement surgery my wife was supposed to have.
We found out that although she was supposedly ranked as PRIORITY, due to the bizarre machinations of the NHS, this had to go back to the GP’s practise to be approved and subsequently paid for via the practise budget.
All very bureaucratically-loaded procedures, for some bloody-silly reason, but it turned out that the Practise Manager had ignored / forgotten this approval so it sat in the IN-TRAY for 7-bloody-weeks!
Not bloody happy at all so we made their lives a feckin’ misery yesterday just to see if anything changed!
Today we got a date for the operation - at last - and my wife’s going to get her hip "done"on the 25th of June.
Why oh bloody-why does it take this agro to get the NHS to move it’s arse and treat people - those that pay for the NHS - as PATIENTS rather than morons? stevmk2
Sadly - you have to keep on at people these days to get things done - I’m absolutely fed up with it too, may as well talk to a chimp - they seem to have more sense …
That’s dreadful!
My youngest was informed last week that she’d been taken off the ENT specialist’s list because she hadn’t replied to a letter telling her to phone for an appointment, I e-mailed saying we had been waiting for contact but never received anything, now she’s got to go to end of list again. It makes you want to spit!
Sadly, that’s exactly what I’m finding out too Patsy.
I am sick to death of having to argue with people who have either not done their jobs properly, or worse still, not done anything at all ! I am amazed at how much of this goes on.
All this silliness with the NHS seems to be yet another way to convince us that the government’s ideas on improving the NHS are working and it’s all more “transparent” now.
It isn’t.
It’s management is just as incompetent as it always was; perhaps even more so, because more and more bureaucrats have been shifted sideways to work on the never-ending reporting and targets the government expects them to do instead of dealing with patients.
I had an email address to contact my local Audiology and it worked just fine but it’s been improved.
Now it takes a week to get an answer and they just tell you to call them on the 'phone.
I emailed because it was agreed with Audiology as I can’t use the 'phone very well now.
Does nobody have any common sense anymore?! stevmk2
Right matey, as the resident ‘expert’ (have had three hip replacement operations), there are a number of things your OH needs to do and arrange BEFORE she goes into hospital. Firstly she’ll need the services of the hospital occupational therapist to measure the chair she sits in and arrange to have it raised. Next she’ll need a frame around the toilet and a raised toilet seat. If yoou have a shower cabinet, a seat inside the shower would be helpful.
Then there are the various aids to assist her - go visit the mobility section of: www.helpinghand.co.uk and you’ll see what I mean about ‘mobility aids’.
If you or your OH have any other questions or concerns, come back to me.
In the meantime, may I wish your OH good luck (not that she’ll need it) with her operation.
She’s got her assessment appointment on the 29th of May Joe.
Raising the chair isn’t possible - she normally sits on a 2-seater sofa but we’ve got another chair for her to use though and it’s already in the living room ready to swap over.
There’s no way we can fit a frame around the toilet Joe - not enough space!
The cistern is hard-up against the bathroom wall one side and 4" from the washbasin on the other!
We will be getting a raised toilet seat for her to use though - maybe two as we have a downstairs loo.
We’ve looked at various aids and decided against the sock one for starters - how do you get socks off with that she said, and to be honest I can’t see how either!
We also already have a “grabber” to pick things up because I brought one home from work for her to see if it would be useful then bought our own one in ASDA!
I’m going to be taking time off for the 1st week at least because we’re assuming that as she goes in on a Wednesday she probably won’t be out until the following Monday as they don’t discharge from our hospital over a weekend, or so they’ve said. stevmk2
Steve matey there are two methods to get socks off - the first is, using the other foot, tread on the toe and gently bend the leg backwards so the sock is pulled off by the foot remaining on the floor. The other method is easier and more gentle - insert long handled shoe horn down back of leg between leg and sock and push - sock will (eventually) be pushed off.
Hi Steve … When I had both my hips replaced about five years ago (three months apart) everything I needed was supplied by the NHS - they gave my partner a “prescription” to take to the local mobility aid shop and he collected it all ready for my return home.
I had a raised toilet seat, a perching stool, grabber, and a sock thingy (useless) and, of course, crutches.
Luckily my daughter was able to borrow a higher chair for me but you can always raise the seat of an armchair or settee by using one of the other cushions (assuming they are not fixed cushions). I raised my (single) bed by putting another mattress on it.
Things are not as difficult as you think they are going to be but obviously your wife will have to take care when moving about and be sensible about what she does especially if you are not around.
Best wishes to you both and all I can say is how wonderful it is to be pain-free and mobile again - I even go dancing four times a week - jiving, cha cha’s, etc. No problem !
My wife had a 'phone call last week - could she come in on the 17th of June instead of the 22nd of June they asked!
They said wait until they confirm and, today we’ve had a confirming letter - the 17th of June but it says they won’t know if a bed’s available until she checks in @ 11:45am!
This now means I will have to lose a day’s pay or book this as a holiday, (and change all the dates I’ve already booked!), but she may not actually be able to go in if there’s no bed available.
I know it is difficult when there is uncertainty…on the one hand the hospital are trying to bring your good lady’s op forward… possibly due to cancellations…
On the other hand, as bed space is at a premium there could be an emergency admission that would then make that bed unavailable.
Pat would that mean if there was not a bed available for her on the 17th that she also does not have a bed for the 22nd. I don’t understand how this works.
Don’t want to cause any agro with the question, but I think this would cause a lot of worry.
stevmk2
stevmk2