For her first check up we joined her at the London Hospital and waited 6 hours before she was seen (despite having an appointment). That's on top of 2 hours driving for us to get to the hospital.
At the second check up she had X-Rays then we waited with her for 4 hours before being told the consultant had been called away and would be back 1 hour later to resume the clinic. We took M-in-Law home without seeing the consultant.
We made a complaint to the NHS ... nobody should have to wait that long for attention, especially a 94 year old in a wheelchair! We asked that the Consultant simply look at the last set of X-Rays and telephone her to sign her off.
He wasn't willing to do that so today we accompanied her to the hospital yet again with his promise that she would receive priority treatment. She got seen just 10 minutes later than the appointment time - a miracle. She was seen by a Registrar while the Consultant sat in the far corner of the clinic avoiding our eyes (LOL) but at least she was seen and signed off .. What has happened to our NHS for heavens sake?
So we got back home around 1pm and I was able to take advantage of some natural light to do a bit more work on the dog portrait.
I stopped off at the framers and picked up the mount for the family Group Portrait which can now be delivered at the weekend in plenty of time for Mother's Day.
Last night's Private View at the Gallery went well I think ... but I did feel out of place. I'm just so conservative compared to my fellow Whitstable artists. I really need to get pink hair, or some 'arty' outfits in my wardrobe - Alice-in-Wonderland style dresses seemed to feature heavily last night together with gingham or mismatched lace separates, patterned tights, work boots (or at the very least some colourful wellies). Bit like my art really - that looked out of place with this particular exhibition which is mostly contemporary. We stayed for about an hour then sneaked out. Hopefully the viewing public will include a few more grannies and conservative folk who prefer pets/animals LOL
Well its been another hectic day. Tomorrow I'm looking forward to staying home and cracking on with the dog. May even make a start on the horse as well - so long as I'm using pastel for both I enjoy having more than one picture on the go
So glad your MIL has gotten signed off even if you did have to go back again. That consultant ought to sit in the corner & look sheepish as well as apologize to you! I almost refuse to go to the doctor because of the wait times. What's really bad is the fact that they go ahead and charge you a fee if you're late but I suggested the same policy for the doctors and was huffily told that doctors had emergencies come up and couldn't always be on time. Yeah, yeah, every time? Wait times in doctor's offices are running 2 hours or more which is ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteYour dog is really looking fabulous and I'm sure your client will be thrilled.
Yep, I'll bet there are some conservative art buyers in Whitstable and surrounding area. If not, get you some paint spattered overalls and work boots so you'll feel more comfortable! lol
When I had an exhibition once, one of the co-exhibitors suggested we wear something "arty" to show we were serious artists! I said "huh? Is it the clothes that make me a serious artist?" Sheesh!
pink hair might look nice :D ;)
ReplyDeleteHi Jan
ReplyDeleteYep, I can't help feeling that the Consultant only insisted that he needed to see MIL before he could sign her off so he could tick all the boxes necessary to earn his NHS fee. Although today was only a 5 hour round trip for us, the time spent with the Registrar was about 10 minutes and I still feel they could have saved us all time and money by dealing with the X Ray results over the phone.
The ladies at yesterday's Private View looked fabulous but I just can't be bothered to put all those outfits together .... we'd had a long day at our Voluntary jobs at Pilgrims Hospice eBay shop and literally turned up in our Fleecy tops and trousers ... such boring folk we are!
Hi Jennifer
ReplyDeleteWell my Grand-daughter would approve. She's very much a 'pink' person :-)
Nah, I always wanted fuscia hair.
ReplyDeleteI thought the NHS was supposed to have improved. We have hellish wait times in some of our hospitals and I met some English people on vacation. I said "you must be used to this" and she assured me that things were much better in the UK these days.
That dog is looking marvellous.
JO ON FOOD, MY TRAVELS AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE
Hi Jo
ReplyDeleteI think the NHS standards are variable dependent on where in the UK you live. Also, standards vary according to the type of treatment you require. I believe cancer and stroke wards have improved and the care MIL got when she had her mini stroke last month was excellent.
The fracture clinic at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich is absolutely appalling still. We've been told the authorities are aware of the problems and are working to resolve them. Hopefully we'll never have to find out!