HSE - :( fukkk

sunbeam · 09-01-2021 7:45pm

Brilliant news-I'm so glad you got this sorted.

Graces7 · 11-01-2021 8:03am

sunbeam wrote: »

Brilliant news-I'm so glad you got this sorted.

Thank you but I can take no credit. Some outside agency involved. The speed was bewildering . And no I am not asking. Angels come in many guises. I have simply stood away now. It was a giving without seeking anything in return. My thanks are shown in my picking up my life again.

Without that I would still be where I was at Christmas.

And I am only now realising how much the constant, unrelieved pain was dragging me down, and slowly starting to feel more like myself . Slowly coming alive.

A great start to the New Year..

Graces7 · 31-01-2021 6:05pm

And then like "Jaws"... left hand started it all up again. A long, legalese Recorded delivery letter going back to early December stuff.

With all the old stuff that the right hand had dealt with. Thankfully I had the ratification in writing .

So I went higher up again in HSE to outrank them and also "advised" them that if they ever dared invade my privacy again there would be legal consequences. As there will. There really will.

All that came then was an affirmation that all the patients from my former GP were now in the care of my new GP..

Which I had told THEM and that that had been settled months ago as all the people involved knew fine well . The letter being signed by one of the " aggressors" (that was the gap in my own awareness!)

It should not be like this. I know the laws; all except one that I was unaware of.

I also reproached them for putting a 77 year old chronically ill and disabled person through this; months with no meds etc. .

The only agency of any support in cases like this is Citizens Info. They are excellent.

Meanwhile I am all but bedbound with a serious relapse and other CFS/ME complications. And rarely posting. Just a long lasting reaction.

But I can access pain meds, and the surgery person I deal with is unfailingly courteous.
And my shiny new medical card..

Which is why folk fight shy of complaining. But I have no regrets on that score. The alternative was unthinkable .

Stay safe out there everyone. Please, stay safe. Spring is not too far away. Life will renew.

Rubberchikken · 31-01-2021 6:10pm

They are stuffed with useless overpaid jobsworths hell bent on lasting in their 'job for life's until they collect their pension.

They don't care how inefficient they are. They have no reason to up their game. No reason to improve their work performance. Their inefficiency is accepted, complained about definitely, but nothing will ever be done about it.

Graces7 · 31-01-2021 6:50pm

Rubberchikken wrote: »

They are stuffed with useless overpaid jobsworths hell bent on lasting in their 'job for life's until they collect their pension.

They don't care how inefficient they are. They have no reason to up their game. No reason to improve their work performance. Their inefficiency is accepted, complained about definitely, but nothing will ever be done about it.

And this is why there are so many court cases of legal actions against them which cost us literally millions.

There were elements in all this in this case that were deeper than this too as this kind of inefficiency is so easy to manipulate. And relies on US being ignorant of the laws and rules and/or being scared to make waves. I saw that at every stage of this. It relied on my being ignorant! And ill. And I was; both.

And I have a lot of experience of acting as advocate for folk who have fallen foul of authority etc in court.

sunbeam · 31-01-2021 7:13pm

You are not alone in this Graces7. They are an utter disgrace.

I put in a long and detailed complaint to the HSE several months ago about several staff members and was fobbed off with a couple of sentences stating that they decided they had done no wrong. I was told that that one doctor was entitled to their opinion whether I agreed with it or not. Their opinion wasn't even a clinical one-just a series of nasty statements about me. None of the points I raised were addressed in any shape or form. They decided to reclassify all of it as clinical complaint so it would be dealt with outside of the Your Service Your Say process and I cannot escalate it any further-even though most of it was in relation to communications issues. A large section was never mentioned with at all.

In my letter to them I mentioned an earlier complaint from several years ago that had not been adequately addressed and asked that my current one be sent to a different complaints officer. They bizarrely decided I wanted to reopen the old complaint, which I had never asked for. They then proceeded to inform me that they had investigated the actions of the people I was now complaining about in relation to that earlier complaint and had received unspecified 'feedback' that they had acted appropriately towards me. Those people were not even in the service at the time and the earlier complaint was not about them! Honestly I feel like I'm caught somewhere between a bad Monty Python sketch and a Kafkaesque nightmare.

I'm not going to go into details about the actual complaint, but suffice to say it felt like dealing with a bunch of teenage bullies.

My GP has also retired, but thankfully the other one in the practice is more supportive than I had expected. I very sorry you are so unwell, but am glad you have been assigned a different GP and got your medical card and your meds. That is the most important thing.

Graces7 · 01-02-2021 7:05am

sunbeam wrote: »

You are not alone in this Graces7. They are an utter disgrace.

I put in a long and detailed complaint to the HSE several months ago about several staff members and was fobbed off with a couple of sentences stating that they decided they had done no wrong. I was told that that one doctor was entitled to their opinion whether I agreed with it or not. Their opinion wasn't even a clinical one-just a series of nasty statements about me. None of the points I raised were addressed in any shape or form. They decided to reclassify all of it as clinical complaint so it would be dealt with outside of the Your Service Your Say process and I cannot escalate it any further-even though most of it was in relation to communications issues. A large section was never mentioned with at all.

In my letter to them I mentioned an earlier complaint from several years ago that had not been adequately addressed and asked that my current one be sent to a different complaints officer. They bizarrely decided I wanted to reopen the old complaint, which I had never asked for. They then proceeded to inform me that they had investigated the actions of the people I was now complaining about in relation to that earlier complaint and had received unspecified 'feedback' that they had acted appropriately towards me. Those people were not even in the service at the time and the earlier complaint was not about them! Honestly I feel like I'm caught somewhere between a bad Monty Python sketch and a Kafkaesque nightmare.

I'm not going to go into details about the actual complaint, but suffice to say it felt like dealing with a bunch of teenage bullies.

My GP has also retired, but thankfully the other one in the practice is more supportive than I had expected. I very sorry you are so unwell, but am glad you have been assigned a different GP and got your medical card and your meds. That is the most important thing.

(((HUGS))) They tried all those techniques with me. Same old, same old. But I know the rules better than they do and caught them out on a few serious lies.

And the dr at the centre of it lied to the Medical Council and HSE. Provable lies. I have no idea who sent me the letter notifying me that when my then GP retired, end of December, all his patients were assigned to my new GP! It may have been a clerical error sending it! But it gave me the leverage I needed.

Had it not been for that? I would still have been deep in the mire, Signed too ( not personally) by the person who was giving me such angst too... one of those GOTCHA moments! Their inefficiency ...

So they all knew all along. I still have no idea what they were really after and need not to know. There is something going on behind it all. The drs behaviour was outrageous and bizarre. We are so desperately short of GPs hereabouts that maybe this plays a part?

In the UK I had issues with a GP; but the Health Board were excellent there ( NHS) and always made sure I had access to medical care and meds. The head ones even came to visit me at home.

All I have ever asked from my GP, given that CFS/ME does not compute with them, is pain meds and emergency cover. I had an excellent GP the years I was in Kerry on those terms

Here in the end I "sacked" THEM not vice versa. Called a halt. As in never darken my letterbox again.

So we walk on. And we have the better of them in the ways that matter. I can cope with the CFS/ME as I have done for years. Not sure if it is known here but in the UK I was misdiagnosed and wrongly treated for over 30 years as being mentally ill before they finally got it right. I lost my career and everything I had. So now I question and decide my life etc myself. What years I have now are precious and of great price and they are not going to cost me any more.

THANK YOU!

Strumms · 01-02-2021 12:33pm

Before I had my medical ‘misadventure’, I was, always hearing about this ‘world class health system’, ‘the best in the world’... ‘world leaders in...’ ahem....the Nazies would have fûcking bitten your hand off for such a propaganda machine... the absolute toxic malevolence in reality of people operating with ‘consultant’ or ‘manager’ in their job description as relates to healthcare in this country.. abysmal...

Graces7 · 03-02-2021 3:46pm

Strumms wrote: »

Before I had my medical ‘misadventure’, I was, always hearing about this ‘world class health system’, ‘the best in the world’... ‘world leaders in...’ ahem....the Nazies would have fûcking bitten your hand off for such a propaganda machine... the absolute toxic malevolence in reality of people operating with ‘consultant’ or ‘manager’ in their job description as relates to healthcare in this country.. abysmal...

I would not go as far as that; far from it

HOWEVER I am again left with no meds and a query re my GP access/availability... Unbelievable and totally horrific.
]
Emerges that last month they did not realise where I lived etc . Long story and I am ill abed still with no pain meds...Again... Spending half the day calling folk and emailing back and forth.

It is a power thing at GP level. Territorial disputes. Already settled at HSE level weeks ago. Only no one informed the GP involved..who is not happy.

They are not... clever enough to act as you suggest. Baby Hitlers without the … malevolence or intelligence.

DId you ever have a TV show, called Tw3 here? "That was the week that was" ? Esther Rantzen and crew. It was brilliant. One feature was the " Jobsworth Award", and HSE reminds me of that.

I was thinking re the NHS where there was more accountability re patients. I would never have been left with no meds etc there. Or maybe it has changed since I left?

Yet another court award today. re a missed cervical cancer diagnosis.

sunbeam · 03-02-2021 4:22pm

Very sorry to hear about this Graces. No advice, just wishing you the best.

Graces7 · 03-02-2021 4:49pm

sunbeam wrote: »

Very sorry to hear about this Graces. No advice, just wishing you the best.

For this kindness, many thanks.

My " job" just now is to cope with unmedicated pain until they do theirs. I cannot understand this leaving a patient like this while they sort things out? Crazy.

They will need to talk to HSE.I have told them this as all they saw was my address and panicked. And offshore island is not Outer Mongolia! We have no residential GP so what is the difference who ? We get post most days! lol.. What is worse is that they just ignored it last week when they got my request

Graces7 · 03-02-2021 8:35pm

There are no words for the awareness that pain relief is knowing withheld for no reason.

For what am I being punished? What wrong have I done? I had months of all this

Weary beyond measure and endurance. Just all far too much and no one cares. No one will speak for me. Just like before. All run away and go silent.

It is too much for an old person who has done no wrong.

That it has taken me nearly a week of unreplied to emails etc even to see what is happening?

I lie here in pain. A long night ahead. I asked re my new prescription nearly a week ago and since then silence, evasion . More evasion more silence

Too much . Weary unto the end of all things

It is too much to bear.

Graces7 · 09-02-2021 11:48pm

Prescription finally arrived today. The M.E has relapsed so a long road ahead again. I had to "promise" legal action in great detail to get this far. In fact I think they already got a letter to prove that.

But bed is grand in this weather! It really is grand. Perfection in fact! No place better! Stay safe and warm out there

sunbeam · 10-02-2021 12:11am

I'm very glad to hear you got your meds Graces. Take care.

Graces7 · 10-02-2021 6:49am

sunbeam wrote: »

I'm very glad to hear you got your meds Graces. Take care.

When I finally got them to even reply to me ( after not letting me speak to the dr on the phone) the prescription had been at the pharmacy for nearly a week. They said the dr had tried to contact me by phone; how about leaving a message or emailing! HONESTLY!

There is no excuse at all. Just incompetence. Having to involve a solicitor to get a prescription?

And this has been going on for literally months now. And there is damage done that will take a long time if ever to heal.

Graces7 · 14-02-2021 5:03am

I have just seen a voicemail dated 12th; phone was off during power cut.

My GP; retuning my call...

I called her two weeks ago...

Graces7 · 13-03-2021 7:16am

Interesting progress.. My last prescription came through within 24 hours. Wonderful!

Yesterday I had an email from the local HSE man; the one who way back was directly responsible for leaving me without meds unless I registered with the GP who there was a serious outstanding complaint against - still is actually but all else..

About covid vaccine arrangements out here.. NB islands have some priority; the Aran isles had theirs weeks ago.

Monday; the GP who is not allowed to treat me.

He was very polite and careful. Needed to know if I wanted it etc. No alternative but this GP he assured me. Without any of the old nastiness.

As it happens as my immune system is non functional vaccines are contra indicated and I rely on ( very happy) isolation. So no vaccine.

But the whole tenor of the email was respectful and cautious. which is reassuring.

All is well thus; won through and sorted. Sweet relief and yes it was worth the hassles. I think it was them leaving me with no meds over Christmas that was the final straw with the Acute Strategy HSE folk. Thank you HSE!

Graces7 · 05-04-2021 8:18am

And once again I have no GP.

The one they allocated has apparently decided NO. As she has not met me. Took her three months ? I spent a half hour on the phone to her, assuring HER.

I managed to persuade a last prescription from her then sent a tirade to HSE. eg " YOU HAVE A DUTY OF CARE TO ME; WHERE IS IT? "

I summarised events of the last while and it read …. Like the chaos is has been,

NB No one told me what was going on; I had to make around 20 phone calls to find out

And I barred them from replying until after Easter .

Meanwhile I am aiming to get off all prescription meds and fly free of HSE. The stress they cause is a killer.

Looking at herbal remedies I can grow.

Sent it to my TD also.
Oh they referred to it as " your complaint" so I corrected them. " I made no complaint; I sent a report on a situation here. "

Graces7 · 14-04-2021 4:49pm

Nothing from HSE or my current allocated GP and, prescription being due soon I called the surgery. Different receptionist; she said the dr would review my request this evening and if it was Ok it would be to the pharmacy tomorrow.

All I can do is wait and see; but had this GP decided to drop me they surely would have ?contacted? me Maybe not!

The island shoppers go over tomorrow so I will ask that they call at the pharmacy. HOPING it will be there. Having a Bad Pain patch.

Ave Sodalis · 14-04-2021 5:29pm

Just as a comparison: I went to a private neurologist consultant on Thursday, who then referred me to two other specialists. I have gotten an appointment for one of them for the end of April, and the other for the start of May. It's very much a "click of the fingers and it's done". Now I don't expect a public health service to ever be that fast, but there are a lot of improvements to be made. I'm waiting on a public appointment for a rheumatologist, and for a dietitian (I'm already in the dietitian system and it's still taking forever), and the neurology side of things will likely be finished up and a distant memory before I even heard a glimmer from the public side.

apache · 14-04-2021 8:35pm

Ave Sodalis wrote: »

Just as a comparison: I went to a private neurologist consultant on Thursday, who then referred me to two other specialists. I have gotten an appointment for one of them for the end of April, and the other for the start of May. It's very much a "click of the fingers and it's done". Now I don't expect a public health service to ever be that fast, but there are a lot of improvements to be made. I'm waiting on a public appointment for a rheumatologist, and for a dietitian (I'm already in the dietitian system and it's still taking forever), and the neurology side of things will likely be finished up and a distant memory before I even heard a glimmer from the public side.

I had a brain MRI private about 2 weeks ago. They said the results would be in in three days. Problem is it was a public appointment intially I went to get referred for the MRI. I had been waiting 18 months for it.
The follow up appointment to see the Neurologist is for June NEXT year. Should I ring the secretary and ask her what I do? Kinda want to find out my scan results. I'd be willing to go private.

Ave Sodalis · 14-04-2021 8:57pm

apache wrote: »

I had a brain MRI private about 2 weeks ago. They said the results would be in in three days. Problem is it was a public appointment intially I went to get referred for the MRI. I had been waiting 18 months for it.
The follow up appointment to see the Neurologist is for June NEXT year. Should I ring the secretary and ask her what I do? Kinda want to find out my scan results. I'd be willing to go private.

I was under the same scheme and got my public scan moved to a private clinic. I had the scan on the 3rd, and the results on the 25th so I would wait another week or so.

apache · 14-04-2021 10:12pm

Ave Sodalis wrote: »

I was under the same scheme and got my public scan moved to a private clinic. I had the scan on the 3rd, and the results on the 25th so I would wait another week or so.

Thanks. I will ring the Secretary and suss out a private appointment.

Ave Sodalis · 15-04-2021 8:52am

apache wrote:

Thanks. I will ring the Secretary and suss out a private appointment.

You may have to go through your GP, just as a heads up!

apache · 15-04-2021 12:04pm

Ave Sodalis wrote: »

You may have to go through your GP, just as a heads up!

Thinking I probably will now. It can be any Neurologist and I will take the copy I got of my MRI. It dosen't have to be the initial treating Neurologist.

Graces7 · 15-04-2021 3:43pm

So sorry about it all Ave Sodalis and apache. .. What a ************Good luck with it all!

Well, my meds are over the water. ie she did the prescription as I asked; it is at the pharmacy and our covid person who is also the postman and one of the ferrymen, will bring it tomorrow ( i think they folk who went over today just forgot)

So I think the pattern is set; some communication would have helped but reading the posts above I am blessed. Oh it has taken five years to get this far here by the way.

Only five phone calls this month!

Strumms · 16-04-2021 2:56am

apache wrote: »

I had a brain MRI private about 2 weeks ago. They said the results would be in in three days. Problem is it was a public appointment intially I went to get referred for the MRI. I had been waiting 18 months for it.
The follow up appointment to see the Neurologist is for June NEXT year. Should I ring the secretary and ask her what I do? Kinda want to find out my scan results. I'd be willing to go private.

Most scans, certainly the MRI I’ve had were ordered to coincide with a then upcoming consultation appointment in the Mater...

No point in them having an investigative image of your body whist you are undergoing a medical issue and then not be willing to share the results with you... for 14 months !

Ring the secretary, explain your situation and see what she says... Also your GP ‘should’ get a copy of the report but the department you are dealing with are inefficient beyond belief when it comes to... communication especially ... I checked in with my GP regarding the results of a similar MRI last year that wasn’t coinciding with an appointment and 7 months after the scan he’d received nada from the Mater and I hadn’t received a phone call as promised or further appointment... unsat... I was dealing with the same department, feel free to pm me if you need I probably can’t be too critical on thread...

apache · 16-04-2021 2:57pm

Strumms wrote: »

Most scans, certainly the MRI I’ve had were ordered to coincide with a then upcoming consultation appointment in the Mater...

No point in them having an investigative image of your body whist you are undergoing a medical issue and then not be willing to share the results with you... for 14 months !

Ring the secretary, explain your situation and see what she says... Also your GP ‘should’ get a copy of the report but the department you are dealing with are inefficient beyond belief when it comes to... communication especially ... I checked in with my GP regarding the results of a similar MRI last year that wasn’t coinciding with an appointment and 7 months after the scan he’d received nada from the Mater and I hadn’t received a phone call as promised or further appointment... unsat... I was dealing with the same department, feel free to pm me if you need I probably can’t be too critical on thread...

Thanks for the info Strumms. I'm caught between the public and private sections.

I'll definitely get on to it next week. Keep on putting it off but best to check these things out once and for all. I'll ring the Consultant's Secretary first. She's bound to have come across people in my situation.

Graces7 · 25-04-2021 4:08pm

I had a scan as an emergency that time; saw the consultant next morning..

We were talking re my situation and I mentioned that HSE had STILL not dealt with the very serious complaint.

And the proverbial penny dropped ( not sure if that expression is still in use)

The complaint was so serious. The behaviour was totally unreasonable, unethical and dangerous - and there were abundant "witnesses" . As they say heads would roll?

So they will avoid pushing the situation. As they have done. Interesting and makes me feel.. safer somehow.

That was not my intention. I don't have that skill.

The key seems to be in taking it as high in HSE as you can get. There is adept called " Acute Strategy" that seems to have more.... clout. I have them on email

How are the others here getting on?

apache · 20-05-2021 6:47pm

I've had another appointment sent out to me for 2 weeks time for a brain EEG. It's been a few months now since my initial consult. My experience of the HSE although slow could be worse. I'm surprised I'm getting the EEG this soon.

I might as well stick with the public now. The results will be sent back to the neurologist who will surely ring me if theres anything to worry about. It dosen't matter that I don't have an appointment until June next year. Problem solved.

Strumms · 25-05-2021 1:39am

apache wrote: »

I've had another appointment sent out to me for 2 weeks time for a brain EEG. It's been a few months now since my initial consult. My experience of the HSE although slow could be worse. I'm surprised I'm getting the EEG this soon.

I might as well stick with the public now. The results will be sent back to the neurologist who will surely ring me if theres anything to worry about. It dosen't matter that I don't have an appointment until June next year. Problem solved.

I’m not saying that you won’t receive a call, but it’s not a guarantee..

I had an investigative nerve conduction test (EMG) and never heard anything...went to my GP, months later, he heard nada from the Mater, he emailed them and then covid hit, about 17 or so months since that scan and nothing... the problem has resolved itself through exercise, physio and a lot of non HSE, private help and physio...

Whether you have anything to worry about or otherwise there should be a follow up of some sort... to let you know if you have or haven’t something to worry about...it’s shîte but that’s the HSE...

HSE - :( fukkk

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