Surgical treatment urgently required, but no beds???

[fedupandold]

My wife has been waiting for surgery since January 2013. She is in and out of hospital like a yoyo. There have been 4 cancelled admissions into Kings hospital, London since Jan, all at the last minute with the excuse that there are no beds.

 

Now she has been offered a date in another hospital that is more likely to have beds. The trouble is that it is 300+ miles away in Liverpool!!

 

Is this normal?

 

If it is do they not realise the cost implication to the patient and the family?

She went for a CT scan and bloods a few weeks ago. It took a 12 hour round trip, a night in a hotel all for 1 hour in hospital. She is to go again for a pre-assessment for the surgery, another 12 hours and hotel for a 30minn appointment!

 

Each trip costs us approx. £200 in fuel, hotel and meals.

We can't claim the fuel cost from the hospital because I go with her and they say she doesn't need a carer and because we make a break away out of it. If she went up by train on her own she would get the expense back.

[caro]

Could you perhaps go with her and pay your own fare?

 

I have certainly heard of people being offered operations in other areas. I've found a link on choosing hospitals, although that is to do with the initial referral by the GP, but it also states:-

 

How far should I travel?

 

How far you have to travel to the hospital may be important if you have to spend a long time in hospital or you need to return often to the same hospital.

This doesn't mean that you should choose a local hospital if its results are poor. But you may not want to go to a hospital hundreds of miles away if it will stop you seeing your friends and family for a long time, or if you have to travel there frequently.

On the other hand, you may want to travel further if you can be treated more quickly. For example, an amateur sportsman who needs a ligament repaired in his knee may be prepared to travel to the other end of the country if it means he can receive the best treatment quickly.

 

http://www.nhs.uk/choiceintheNHS/Yourchoices/hospitalchoice/Pages/Pickingtherighthospital.aspx

[assisted blonde]

How important is it that she gets sugery? and to be fair you can do Liverpool london in a day is more than doable about 3 1/2 hrs and its just about 200 miles so unless you have a very big car it wont cost anywhere near 200 at the end of the day it comes down to how important is this op for your wife and how urgent is it.