A PATIENT who has had three operations postponed at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital has launched an attack on the state of the NHS in the county.
From his hospital bed, he told The Citizen he had been in hospital seven times since May 2012.
His frustration comes as 13 patients had their planned operations at GRH postponed on Monday due to pressure on services.
Increasing demand on the hospital's emergency department was said to contribute to the problem, alongside teething problems with the new 111 telephone service.
The patient, who almost lost his leg in a car accident, was struck down by a rare bacterial infection, and readmitted to hospital on Saturday, but was faced with a torrid night of delays.
The patient, who wishes to remain anonymous as he is continuing to receive treatment, said a "misdiagnosis" led to an "unnecessary" three-week stay at GRH.
"Doctors no longer have the time to effectively investigate the causes and symptoms of my condition," he said.
"I've been hospitalised for over three weeks while waiting for an operation which could have led to just three days in. An operation which completed a task that should have been completed eight weeks previously during the first of many investigative procedures."
The patient's complaint has been addressed by the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which says higher than usual pressures last weekend contributed to the problem.
Chief executive Dr Frank Harsent said: "We are sorry that the patient concerned has experienced such a distressing time with ongoing issues and investigations."
He said a combination of factors caused pressure on the hospital, leading to the postponement of a small number of elective operations.
"We only do this if absolutely necessary and realise that this is inconvenient and frustrating for our patients. Although we do use agency staff at peak periods of activity, they are not always available at short notice."
The new 111 number aims to make it easier to access NHS services. But with emergency demand continuing at a high level, the trust has blamed it as a factor in hold-ups.
THE EMAIL: In an email to The Citizen, the patient blasts the system, not nurses, for his poor care: "Something is drastically wrong with the system. I have had operations postponed on three occasions after waiting nil by mouth for 12 hours.5pm on Saturday I was at home with my wife and children in excruciating pain. I then called the new 111 out of hours line. After waiting for 55 minutes I eventually get through to be told I needed to be seen within two hours and was booked an appointment for 7.45pm at GRH.arriving we waited nearly an hour before being seen by a GP, from overseas with poor communication skills and very little English. I was placed into the hospital for further investigation and pain relief.were walked through the emergency department that connects out of hours to the reception area and told to book ourselves in as if we had just walked in.utter bewilderment and still in excruciating pain we proceeded to book in and find a seat in a packed A&E. I wasn't seen by a doctor until 2.30am. I arrived at a day surgery unit at 4am with just one night staff on with over 12 patients, both male and female. I have had to wait over an hour for pain relief at no fault of the nurse. I am a firm believer that healthcare staff provide the foundation of care at the frontline, but are left understaffed, over worked and underpaid. Neither member of staff got their breaks on a 14-hour shift and both had complaints of headache more than likely from dehydration, hunger and stress. I am frustrated for the nurses, paramedics, healthcare assistants and doctors.are the backbone of something that was once so great and will soon be a mere memory of a nation, a memory pushed to a dark corner in an ever failing system that no longer puts the ability to care at the forefront of service."Have you used the new 111 service? Tell us how you found using it by emailing citizen.news@glosmedia.co.uk or calling 01425 698 817.
