"Gynaecology waiting time and service"

After waiting for over 150 weeks for a gynaecologic procedure I eventually got an invite to pre-assessment. However, before I could respond to the invite letter that I had received at the weekend, I had a call from the waiting time co-ordinator on the Monday afternoon.

She launched into talking to me without checking it was okay for me talk (it wasn't; I was at work and had to leave to be able to respond and to discuss something so personal). I explained that in the time of last speaking to a gynae consultant, or anyone from that department, I had since had breast cancer and had been put on hormonal therapy and I wasn't sure if this would have a bearing on me going for the procedure. The staff member then said -Okay, I will just take you off the list- When I tried to say, I wasn't sure if I needed to be on or off the list, they carried on and said that they would take me off the list and if I needed to go back on it then I should speak to my GP.

I felt that I wasn't listened to, and they had made a decision about my procedure without referring it to someone who should make that decision (a consultant). Because of this it came across to me as they were more keen to get me off the waiting list rather than delivering any person-centered care.

I've now got to hunt out letters from 1-3 years ago to find the name of a member of any of the 2 consultants that I had been seen by in that time (still not clear who's care I'm under as so long ago and have had very little contact with them since being put on the waiting list) and find out if I should still get the procedure, possibly having to go through my GP again to restart a process after waiting for nearly 3 years to be seen.

The person or team also failed to let pre-assessment know that I was no longer on their list and I then had to have yet another conversation during worktime to explain to them that I had been taken off the list by the waiting time co-ordinator and without any medical/clinical reassurances that that was the right thing.

Thankfully the pre-assessment nurse I spoke with was empathetic and took time to listen to what had happened.  My care for breast cancer has been excellent. Pity the person centred approach isn't adopted as well by in other areas. Disappointing wait and experience with gynae.