I am Totally Confused! has someone else experienced this?

[patienceisavirtue]

I have only heard positive things about Homerton here and so I am a little confused about my experience today - maybe it is a one off?

I had my Nurse and Surgeon appts in early June and have been waiting for the MDT decision.

after 3 weeks with no word I called and was told the DR was yet to sign the referral letter and once that was done it would go to MDT. a week later I received the letter basically listing all my co mobs and a short summary of my meeting with him and it ends with a recommendation that i be discussed at the MDT with a view to booking surgery . I heard nothing last week and this Monday decided to follow up so i called and was told I would be discussed at this weeks MDT and if I was to call today I would have decision.

I call today. spoke to a really nice lady however I am now more confused. She told me that it was decided that I be discharged back to the Royal London Hospital - I was never with Royal London Hospital. She then said as my BMI is too low I have to wait 12 -24 months before I can be referred for surgery - My BMI is above 40! At that point I then wondered if maybe she had not got me mixed up with another patient she then put me through to her manger who came on the lining told me that as I don't have any Co-mobs nor been on any tier 4 program they will discharge me - I am Hypertensive ,I have PCOS -I am pre diabetic and have been having intense treatments for weight loss and hypertension form specialist consultants for the past five years ! what i found more perplexing was the letter I received from the surgeon clearly indicated all my medical issues and ended with his recommendation of surgery.

I was obviously at this point completely confused and again asked weather there was no mix up. No there was no mixup they had my personal details right but all medical information was wrong. huge gaps and omissions. She then told me that I will now again be discussed at the MDT next week. This process is already so stressful I am now a great deal more stressed then I was before! Has anyone had similar to this before and what was the outcome?

 

[Joanne79]

I can't say I have any experience with this, but when she said your BMI was too low, did you query what their limit is? Are the medical issues that your surgeon listed classified as co-morbidities according to their criteria?

It does sound like there's a distinct possibility your notes may have been mixed up, but they may also have very, very strict criteria across those parties taking part in the MDT.

Hope that it gets sorted for you with a more positive outcome.

 

[patienceisavirtue]

Hi Joanne79

She did mention that as my BMI was below 40 and I had no co mobs (hypertension Diabetes etc) meaning I do not qualify. I have a BMI above 40 and I am Hypertensive have PCOS so that information was wrong. Homerton follow the NICE criteria which is 35 - 40 with Co mobs etc. What worries me is that all this information was clearly stated in the Surgeons letter but somehow seemed to have fallen through the cracks

 

[Gladys Friday]

Oooh Patience

You must be feeling gutted. Did you tell them to read the letter they sent you. If they had your details there then that letter will have been there too. It certainly sounds as though they were looking at the wrong file. Fingers crossed that they stick with the decision they came to last time and was stated in your letter. When you phone again, have that letter with you so you can quote it.

Debbie

 

[Joanne79]

Hi Joanne79

She did mention that as my BMI was below 40 and I had no co mobs (hypertension Diabetes etc) meaning I do not qualify. I have a BMI above 40 and I am Hypertensive have PCOS so that information was wrong. Homerton follow the NICE criteria which is 35 - 40 with Co mobs etc. What worries me is that all this information was clearly stated in the Surgeons letter but somehow seemed to have fallen through the cracks

Unfortunately, admin errors do happen - I work in the NHS and can absolutely guarantee that! Sounds like an error on their part, and should hopefully be rectified at the next MDT. I know it's no consolation to you, just stand your ground, and make sure you have the letter to hand next time you speak to them. May also be worth contacting the sugeon's secretary to ensure that this has been brought to their attention. Can't hurt for them to try to rectify it for you too.

 

[patienceisavirtue]

Oooh Patience

You must be feeling gutted. Did you tell them to read the letter they sent you. If they had your details there then that letter will have been there too. It certainly sounds as though they were looking at the wrong file. Fingers crossed that they stick with the decision they came to last time and was stated in your letter. When you phone again, have that letter with you so you can quote it.

Debbie

Thanks Gladys.
I too just assumed that they too would know what the contents of the letter were . It does appear that they realised there was something a miss because as soon as I quoted the contents (I had the surgeons letter with me) and sign posted them to it she did say it would now go to the MDT.

 

[Gladys Friday]

Fingers crossed Patience

 

[patienceisavirtue]

Unfortunately, admin errors do happen - I work in the NHS and can absolutely guarantee that! Sounds like an error on their part, and should hopefully be rectified at the next MDT. I know it's no consolation to you, just stand your ground, and make sure you have the letter to hand next time you speak to them. May also be worth contacting the sugeon's secretary to ensure that this has been brought to their attention. Can't hurt for them to try to rectify it for you too.

Very True Joanne errors do happen even to the best of us. I will try your suggestion and speak to the surgeons secratary .

 

[los in it]

Oh what a balls up! I would urge to get back to the homerton as the last thing you want is to go back to the start! It does sound like right name very wrong medical information
I wish you nothing but good luck with this

 

[patienceisavirtue]

Oh what a balls up! I would urge to get back to the homerton as the last thing you want is to go back to the start! It does sound like right name very wrong medical information I wish you nothing but good luck with this

Thanks Los. I was/am really worried that this mistake can rewind time a put me smack back at the beginning! Fighting weight is a daily battle so it's really disheartening when you think you are finally on your way to good health then be told ... Not quite... If the info used to make that decision were accurate I could accept it. It just seems like one of those days! But I'm optimistic so thanks for that good luck

 

[Gladys Friday]

I know its not the same thing but my Dad had dementia and was a bit urine incontinent. One time he was taken into hospital, and when I arrived, the doc asked me how much alcohol he drinks each day. I told him he doesn't drink any alcohol and he looked at me as though I was lying. I reiterated it again. He came back a while later and asked the same question and gave me the same look. He said that on his notes it says he had a strong smell of alcohol and I insisted that he does not drink at all. My husband and sister arrived and Dad was then discharged. I was so angry that when we were leaving I went to the nurses' station and told them to take that note off his records because if anything happened to him they will just say it is alcohol. The nurse on duty said, "oh I meant he had a strong smell of urine. I was bloody furious but was ushered out by my sister and husband. This is just to show that they do make major mistakes but you need to make sure they get it right!!!

Debbie

 

[patienceisavirtue]

I know its not the same thing but my Dad had dementia and was a bit urine incontinent. One time he was taken into hospital, and when I arrived, the doc asked me how much alcohol he drinks each day. I told him he doesn't drink any alcohol and he looked at me as though I was lying. I reiterated it again. He came back a while later and asked the same question and gave me the same look. He said that on his notes it says he had a strong smell of alcohol and I insisted that he does not drink at all. My husband and sister arrived and Dad was then discharged. I was so angry that when we were leaving I went to the nurses' station and told them to take that note off his records because if anything happened to him they will just say it is alcohol. The nurse on duty said, "oh I meant he had a strong smell of urine. I was bloody furious but was ushered out by my sister and husband. This is just to show that they do make major mistakes but you need to make sure they get it right!!!

Debbie

Oh my! that must have been so upsetting! and what you have said just shows exactly why i am so worried. Right from the onset the lady kept going through the decision giving me medical data that was completely unfamiliar to me and the more i said "no i think you got it wrong" the more she insisted that she had the right file yet I am the patient and I was saying the info was wrong! I have heard too many stories of medical information going wrong and the wrong diagnosis or treatment being administered. When all you want is good health you want to be around professionals who have a clear and precise grasp of the issues you present. I will insist that the right information reflect on my file and that whatever decision is made is based on accurate info.

 

[patienceisavirtue]

Yeeppiieee!! \0/ Just got a call from Pinkie! appears there was a mistake and they have very quickly resolved it and I get surgery!

I am so glad that problems that may arise are very quickly resolved. From being very low and unsure of what my next step would be to resolve my health issues to being back on the horse heading to good health! All's well that ends well.

 

[Joanne79]

Yeeppiieee!! \0/ Just got a call from Pinkie! appears there was a mistake and they have very quickly resolved it and I get surgery!

I am so glad that problems that may arise are very quickly resolved. From being very low and unsure of what my next step would be to resolve my health issues to being back on the horse heading to good health! All's well that ends well.

So pleased for you, and glad they sorted it so quickly xXx

 

[sundown]

I was obviously at this point completely confused and again asked weather there was no mix up. No there was no mixup they had my personal details right but all medical information was wrong. huge gaps and omissions. She then told me that I will now again be discussed at the MDT next week. This process is already so stressful I am now a great deal more stressed then I was before! Has anyone had similar to this before and what was the outcome?

I had that at Gloucester Royal, except in the opposite direction. Somehow they'd managed to attach medical issues I have never suffered from on to my notes! There's probably some poor begger out there who has a bunch of co-morbidities and now have my notes saying they have none.

You need to get back on the phone, be extremely firm and tell THEM "You have the wrong medical notes attached to my name. I suffer from X, Y and Z". That's what I had to do...and then followed it up with a not-so-subtle 'concern' about the state of their Data Protection. That tends to get the wind up people in these places

 

[patienceisavirtue]

Hi Sundown.
My word! how upsetting it must all be trying to explain to people that you don't suffer from a myriad of Co-Mobs! I did take Joannes advice yesterday and followed up by speaking to the Surgeons secretary about my concern that my medical data was wrong and that decisions were being made using inaccurate information. I did stress that that raises some grave concerns. She did take it seriously and told me she would have all parties concerned brought up to speed. and I am glad she did. I'm sure someone somewhere must have had my notes and wonders when they picked all those co- mobs from overnight!

 

[los in it]

What a turn around for you! You must be relieved pinkie is a lovely lady glad you spoke with her and the mistake was cleared up.
onwards and upwards from now on

 

[Twothirdsamidwife]

This really surprises me with Homerton, they have been sooooo efficient and on the ball. Sooooo glad it all got sorted out, I can imagine the panic of being told no surgery!!

I went to the support group at homerton on Thursday and Laura the dietician said that many of the other dieticians (Cleverly, Anita, Victoria) have all moved on and they are struggling to replace them quickly enough - maybe this has had an impact and caused the confusion with your file

Hope you get another call from Pinkie asap with a date for surgery xx