Leeds

Sarah and I nipped across to Leeds to return an ill advised previous purchase.

So I have a small rant to get off my chest. My poor mother is now back in hospital with blood clots in her leg.

The past ten days have been a catalogue of frustrations caused by one department being seemingly unable to communicate with another department in the same hospital.

Some of the things that have happened defy belief - none of them caused in any way by the staff, who have all been amazing, but all caused by such simple admin or technology deficiencies that it feels like any manager with half an ounce of common sense could solve ( assuming of course a government that isn’t trying to sell the service off by the back door……)

My mother could have lost a limb, or worse yesterday for the lack of one doctor’s ability to access information as to why another doctor had stopped a vital blood thinning medication. As it turned out an emergency operation was done at midnight as it couldn’t wait until this morning. She is doing ok today, and we are just hoping this doesn’t result in another five month stay in hospital.

But here’s the thing that really takes the biscuit. It is impossible for one consultant in the hospital to see patient notes from another consultant in the same hospital, out of office hours. However, today I have received a call from the memory clinic - my mother has been referred by her GP, and she needs an initial assessment to determine where she will sit on the waiting list for a full memory test. Within a couple of hours of her being admitted to hospital the memory clinic have told me they’re aware she’s had an operation and this means her initial assessment must be delayed for six weeks after she is discharged. There’s no point in being angry or upset about this, but how exasperating that information that seemingly cannot be shared between consultants can reach third parties at lightning speed. Grrr!