bariatric secretary for St Richards

[serenitylove]

hiya hun
she was ok in the email very short but not rude. i dont mean to be nasty about her im just desperate now ,and it was very distressing last week . xx

i think she is alot more friendly when people are post op i think she gets so many calls from people waiting for surgery dates she is like she is, but i hope you hear soon post when you get your date and il try and get up and visit you on the ward xx

 

[mandyl]

aww that would be fantastic thankyou.xx

 

[teapot1966]

HI Angelwings,
I'm with Shaw Somers. Who are you with? I noted that you got the same not commited response as myself ... the 'i'll phone you when I have a date for you' response ... its not easy to cope with that one really, because what you want to know is, how long is that phone call going to be ? And surely, she must know how many people are ahead of you on the list? Don't you think that - or maybe its just me being logical (or illogical maybe).

 

[Spikeyjaycee]

Hi guys - have to agree with everyone else about Christine - heck she could see off all the Afghanistan soldiers at 50 yards (do you think we should warn the PM?)
I actually went to my doctor yesterday and have asked him to contact the hospital to find out exactly where I am on the waiting list cos I sure as heck can't get it out of Christine! It was through his intervention last time that I eventually got the consultant appt back in April so i'm hoping he can work another miracle. He's off on a 3 month sabbatical next week so I'm on my own thereafter so I hope he can find out. Will let you know anything positive!

 

[angelwings25]

Hiya Teapot (what is your name? Mine is Laura!) You are being logical don't panic! I am with Mr Somers as well. Thing is i understand what you are saying it is a bit crap to be given a non-commital answer but in my head i guess i am just pleased that I am definitely on the waiting list and when its my turn she'll call. BUt at the same time it would be nice if she bothered to say well there are x number of people infront of you or the waiting time is on average x amount of time. Just some indication would be rather gratefully received i think! So yes logical and understood and in agreement

 

[angelwings25]

Hi guys - have to agree with everyone else about Christine - heck she could see off all the Afghanistan soldiers at 50 yards (do you think we should warn the PM?)
I actually went to my doctor yesterday and have asked him to contact the hospital to find out exactly where I am on the waiting list cos I sure as heck can't get it out of Christine! It was through his intervention last time that I eventually got the consultant appt back in April so i'm hoping he can work another miracle. He's off on a 3 month sabbatical next week so I'm on my own thereafter so I hope he can find out. Will let you know anything positive!

Hi Julie - thats hilarious, she might actually be better suited to army from the sounds of it! I just think sometimes does she realise how useless she is??? She is the direct secretary to Mr Somers and Mr Slater, surely there is some review she has done but then its her level of work and i guess we see her like that because we are in a position where our future almost lies in her hands so its just unfair really. She is abusing our health!!! LOL ok so going a bit far but i felt a bit rant like just then

 

[teapot1966]

Hiya Teapot (what is your name? Mine is Laura!) You are being logical don't panic! I am with Mr Somers as well. Thing is i understand what you are saying it is a bit crap to be given a non-commital answer but in my head i guess i am just pleased that I am definitely on the waiting list and when its my turn she'll call. BUt at the same time it would be nice if she bothered to say well there are x number of people infront of you or the waiting time is on average x amount of time. Just some indication would be rather gratefully received i think! So yes logical and understood and in agreement

Hi Laura (Angel Wings), I'm called Julie (aka Teapot) not to get confused with the other Julie on here that is.
I also spoke with Christine again today. I had a thought last night. If my op doesnt get done before the end of December I'm not going to be able to be done until June 2010, for a very good reason - I suffer badly with hayfever (actually tree pollen allergy) between December and the end of May so much so that is causes breathing difficulties for me ... before I could tell her this info she started with the 'tell us the information when you are called for your appointment' at which I said, I'm terribly sorry, that won't be convenient because if my appointment or call does not happen until December then the whole point of me calling is a waste! The she listened and was almost curteous. I faxed the info to her as requested and asked for it to be passed to a consultant for referral, at which she went silent (yes a silence from Christine, maybe she is unwell ?) anyhow, she said she would pass the info on and there is a possibility that because of the heavy load at Chichester that I would have to go under another surgeons knife as so to speak .... mmmmm I'm sure I've said it before on here .. but they have spread themselves too thinly (private work, nhs work, tv work etc) and now are left in a total and utter mess.
Still lets see what results it brings. I did state in my fax that I wasnt looking to 'push infront in the queues' but they do need that information, I didnt think that it would be important, because like everyone on here, didn't think I'd still be waiting so didnt think it would be an issue.

 

[Spikeyjaycee]

Do you think we should get a petition up complaining about Christine's attitude? Do you think the surgeons know what she's like? Someone mentioned about emailing the surgeon direct but, if like most places the secretary has access to the surgeons emails (if they are on holiday for example) wouldn't that cause embarassment and even more aminosity?

 

[mandyl]

Do you think we should get a petition up complaining about Christine's attitude? Do you think the surgeons know what she's like? Someone mentioned about emailing the surgeon direct but, if like most places the secretary has access to the surgeons emails (if they are on holiday for example) wouldn't that cause embarassment and even more aminosity?

exactly spikey
thats why i havent done it yet. she prob does see it.i understand shes extremely busy but politness costs nothing.
if its any help pals are keeping an eye open. xxx

 

[babyflower]

I spoke to Christine this morning and she was lovely. Seems we all have good days and bad days, but she was so helpful today - back to how I remember.

Hope this is the way of things to come for all of us...

I also wonder if she has access to Mini's or has heard about the complaints - I started to feel bad for complaining, and feel sorry if I have caused her any upset - after all, I get grumpy when I don't hear what i want to hear - she just deals with the phone, it might not be her fault that things didn't quite go to plan for me.

I don't envy her or anyone on the 'front line' re waiting times, particularly when they are under so much pressure from the demand...

BTW, not trying to belittle anyone's experience, just trying to put things right for myself.

 

[mandyl]

she just might now know shes upset people. when i spoke to her yesterday pm i said shed upset me to her and at the end we both ended up laughing. xx

 

[jasonslaphead]

I just got off the phone with a lady there and they seemed cheerfull enough, didnt ask who it was I was only confirming my apointment.

 

[mandyl]

hi jason
she usually says christine speaking but i will say shes been nice today aparently, well i wonder why? its a secret lol.xx

 

[teapot1966]

Maybe they've all had a payrise or it was her birthday. Actually, she wasn't too bad when I spoke to her this last time, although she did try to start with the 'I'll telephone you etc etc line' to which I retorted, with a firm, polite line that by that point it really would be too late which was the point of me telephoning. I then asked if I could e mail her but was asked to fax it through instead? Mmmm now I'm not sure if they have my response (although the fax did say it had gone) ... oh well, maybe a phone call tomorrow to check they received it (just to make sure) she actually sounded a little down when I spoke to her ... oh I don't know.
I don't think we are being mean, I do think that we have all had bad experiences and don't deserve to be spoken to sharply.