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Waiting time to be seen

Posted By Angie150

"Waiting time to be seen"

About: Royal Alexandra Hospital / General Surgery (wards 19, 20, 24, 26 &29)

(as the patient),

In May 2024 I visited my GP with acute abdominal pain. After examination and my medical history, they decided that an urgent referral should be made to the surgical team at the RAH Paisley.

It is now 34 weeks since my referral was sent. I am in continual pain and during all this time I have been prescribed several courses of antibiotics to try to aid my symptoms.

Apparently the surgeons assess these referral letters when they are received and decide who is urgent and who are not, without seeing the person or knowing any update on their health.

How long do the surgeons think is acceptable for an urgent referral? I don't think 34 weeks is acceptable especially due to on going pain!

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Responses

Response from Pamela McQuarrie, Clinical Services Manager, General Surgery & Outpatients, Royal Alexandra Hospital, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde 3 months ago
Pamela McQuarrie
Clinical Services Manager, General Surgery & Outpatients, Royal Alexandra Hospital,
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Submitted on 17/01/2025 at 14:21
Published on Care Opinion at 14:21

picture of Pamela McQuarrie

Dear Angie150

I'm so sorry to hear about your continued abdominal pain and ongoing symptoms.

In order for us to be able to assist you with your enquiry, please could you contact the RAH's General Surgery Waiting List Manager and provide her with your name & CHI (community health index) number, we can then look into this for you.

If you do not have a note of your CHI, then if you could provide your date of birth & current address that would be really helpful.

Meanwhile if you are experiencing worsening symptoms it is advisable to go back and consult with your GP so they can re-assess you. Meanwhile if you experience severe or life threatening symptoms you should seek immediate medical attention and call emergency services or attend your nearest Emergency Department.

Please can you email your details to: Rhiannon.Wheeler@nhs.scot

kind regards

Pamela

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Update posted by Angie150 (the patient)

I will send the information you requested.

As for your suggestion of returning to my G.P. I have done this several times. It was from my g.p. that I have reveived several courses of antibiotics, as I stated. I have also attended the a and e department as advised. They told me they couldnt do anything for me, as I had been referred!

I am keen to understand WHO makes the decisions of urgent referrals? Also what criteria are they working from?

With thanks

Update posted by Angie150 (the patient)

I have used the contact provided at the end of January providing all the information you suggested. I received a phone call which repeated what was said in the original email. Also suggesting I had a further letter sent in from my gp! I informed them that this had already been done. I didn't get any answers that I needed.

I have emailed a second time repeating the information I require and am not being given.

I have some questions:

What protocols do the surgeons follow when choosing who is and is not urgent according to them? Who is head of surgery and signs off on their decisions? It is now nine months since my original referral was sent in as urgent!

Will I received a reply? Will I receive answers to my questions? Or is it a case of you are not supposed to ask? Should I ask to be referred to a different hospital? Is there any point in me asking anything?

Response from Nicole McInally, Patient Experience and Public Involvement Project Manager, PEPI, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde 2 months ago
Nicole McInally
Patient Experience and Public Involvement Project Manager, PEPI,
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Submitted on 21/02/2025 at 11:47
Published on Care Opinion at 11:47

picture of Nicole McInally

Dear Angie150

Thank you for getting back in touch. As you still have a number of outstanding questions after speaking to a member of staff, I suggest that it would be more appropriate to continue this conversation through our formal complaints process. You can contact them via nhsggc.complaints@nhs.scot.

Thank you

Nicole

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