A RANT!

HEALTH CARE– Non-Caring , Patient Abuse!
I was scheduled for day surgery (right elbow arthroscopy and lateral epycondyle release) at 2.00pm on June 4th 2010, only to have the surgery cancelled 9.00am the morning of with the reason being that the hospital had not booked an anesthesiologist. It was re-scheduled for 1.00pm June 22nd 2010, only to be cancelled again - this time just minutes before the surgery. Yes – I was admitted, kept waiting for 2 hours and then, on a gurney in a hospital gown, was informed that the (short) surgery was being cancelled yet again. On this occasion, according to the nurse, because the surgeon had faced complications in an earlier surgery and did not want me waiting around only to be told he would not be able to operate on me that day!
There must be something wrong when surgeries can be cancelled – TWICE - and neither time is for a valid emergency, clinical or trauma reason (those one can understand). The first time for a hospital booking error (their error) and the second time because the surgeon (or the nursing staff) may run overtime! This is no way to treat anyone. Patients, frightened of “going under the knife” mentally prepare for the ordeal and bend over backwards, making arrangements to accommodate the schedule of what seems to be a socio elite, non-caring, meat factory mentality genus of human species. The mental anguish of both patient and families involved is enough on it’s own, added to which is the financial cost and disruption of your own schedule.
Most doctors of all types will charge you if you do not give 24 hours notice to cancel before an appointment. However, when surgery is involved it seems that the patient is not even worthy of an apology and has no rights whatsoever.
When Doctors can charge you if you miss their appointment why in return can you not charge the doctors when they miss YOUR appointment? Is your time not as valuable as theirs?
Surgery can be cancelled the morning of and even 15 minutes before surgery. The patient who has had to alter schedules, arrange transportation, book off work and cancel appointments which in some cases (as a musician) means turning down performances that can be up to and above $1200 a performance. These venues book someone else who is available and the patient (musician), after cancellation, now has NO WORK – IS OUT OF POCKET – and possibly NO INCOME for the next several weeks. Due to making arrangements for surgery – that then does not take place.
Worse yet – is the case when the surgery is re-scheduled and the performer makes the same arrangements to discover, in hospital gown, minutes before surgery that it is being cancelled yet again!
NO person would mind if the surgery is cancelled because of an emergency, accident or trauma victims being rushed ahead of them.

What has given me cause for concern is that surgery has been cancelled twice to date due to:
1. The hospital did not book an Anesthesiologist.
2. The surgeon thinks he may not get to you (on the re-schedule) due to a longer surgery in the morning for your relatively short operation (and this is at 1.00pm in the afternoon).

To top this, the hospital then inform you that YOU have to call the surgeons office to re-schedule. Who cancelled in the first place?? When you call (at 2.00pm) it is to have an answering machine greet you. So, one leaves a message, telling them that your surgery has been cancelled for the second time and you would like to re-schedule. You also ask that someone will do you the courtesy and return your call. Does anyone do you the courtesy of calling you? This is really a rhetorical question because the staff most likely have been trained in the same manner of customer service as the rest of the Day Surgery Health Teams (your problem not ours).
It is not right that an individual or their families be put through the mental anguish of preparing three times or more for what to them is a frightening ordeal. Think of the cancellation of meetings and work – on again, off again! No board or employer will tolerate that.
There should be some form of accountability for the Surgeon, the Hospital and even the Provincial Govt., to ensure that this kind of treatment does not happen. Who is going to cover the loss of wages? There should be some form of compensation for victims of such seemingly non-caring, abusive and irresponsible cancellations.

Am I frustrated?----------------Right
Am I in pain?---------------------Extremely
Am I upset?-----------------------Sensitive
Am I ready for #3?-------------Perhaps
Will I forget?---------------------Eventually
What do I not want?----------Cancellation
What do I want?----------------Treatment

What do I ask? Treat me as a person, not take away food order #28, and show a little respect!

And that – is “As I See it!”