IT DON'T GET ANY EASIER

I shall attempt to write this post without using the copious 4 letter words and foul mouthed language that I have been using an hour ago. The NHS has reared its inefficient, uncaring head again.

A brief recap; on Thursday 5th March a Doctor specifically came out to see Mick so that in the event of his death he would not have to have an autopsy. It would be a bit pointless as it had been considered that he would not live beyond July 2005.

Due to Mick passing away on Good Friday we had to wait until this morning to go to our surgery to obtain the death certificate.. As soon as the surgery opened at 8.30 am I went in and explained what I needed to the receptionist. She assured me that the Doctor would get it done today and would phone me as soon as the certificate was ready for collection.

We waited.........waited some more............then we waited a bit more.............did some work in the garden while we waited.......finished that....still waiting...............4 pm the phone went; despite running I didn't get to it quick enough before the caller rang off; I redialed the number as I could see on our caller display that it was the surgery..............the receptionist had no idea who had phoned so I explained that it could have been a call re the death certificate....she put me through to Doctor who said the doctor who came to see Mick was away for a long weekend and so the certificate would not be done until he got back. Wouldn't you have thought someone could have told us that earlier....NOT leave us sitting around all day when there are so many other things we could have been doing and family members we could have visited!!!!

It appears that the "law of the land" decrees that only the doctor who saw Mick previous to death can sign the certificate. Ok so this is the law and I can't fight that but wouldn't you think out of common decency and humanity SOMEONE could have just phoned and let us know!!!! instead of letting us stew!!!!

I spoke to the Hospice Nurse and asked her what happens if the doctor has an accident or falls sick....will Mick then have to have an autopsy!!! She admitted she didn't know and would phone me back. Surprisingly she did!......it seems the doctor in question is back at work tomorrow but at a different surgery which is a whole 5 minutes by car away from ours....therefore we will have to wait till Thursday for him to do anything. I protested my anger "*************" and said Lynn would pick him up and take him to our surgery so he can write it out if needed!!!...the nurse says she will speak to him tomorrow to try and get it sorted. I hope she does because I have arrangements that need to be made. We have already been told by the Funeral Directors that the earliest date possible is 25th April and that's only IF we can quickly get the death certificate before anyone else needs to take the date!

QUESTIONS TO THE NHS

1. 
   
   Why if a doctor has recorded his visit and decided that death is imminent cannot any qualified doctor write out the death certificate?*


2. 
   
   Why cannot a surgery have some respect for grieving relatives and make a simple phone call to explain any problems?


3. 
   
   Why in this age of technology and modern transport cannot a doctor in a surgery 5 minutes away from another get of his a**e and write a certificate?

End of rant you'll be pleased to know.....that's until I start on some of the family members!!!

MY DREAM

*just to clarify as I think I did not explain it well during my rant moment; Mick was, of course, seen by a doctor after he passed away; this doctor only verifies death....the doctor who saw Mick BEFORE he passed away has to actually write the certificate out.