Getting nowhere

Week 19, 16 – 21 February 2012

This week was a week of running around, phoning hospitals and doctors to confirm if I could have the brace off, who would take it off and what sort of care I needed after its removal.

I had had enough and would reveal my neurosurgeon’s name.  He is Arvind Dubey. When I was hospitalised, he rarely talked to me and never really gave any information or opinion.  However, he is my consulting neurosurgeon.

I got a letter informng me to attend a consultation on 13 February with Dr Dubey at the Launceston General Hospital (LGH) (many Hobart doctors travel around the state to see patients).  I went into the LGH on 10 February hoping to change the appointment to half an hour later. There they told me that the appointment was cancelled. And nobody informed me. Again the Hobart/Launceston mentality came into play. Launceston said Hobart cancelled it and they should have informed me. Anyway I called the Hobart neurosurgery liaison nurse again the same day. She said Dr Dubey would write a letter to my GP telling her everything. I asked her when Dr Dubey would write the letter.  She said that very day. It was now 21 February and of course my GP has received nothing.  (Note: His letter never comes.)

I talked to my occupational therapist about the problems I was facing. She was kind to follow up with the Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH) with a number of questions in writing.

This is RHH’s answer: Dr Dubey’s “response is to get Orthotics team at LGH to advise regarding weaning the collar.  In respect to the other questions, he will not give any guidance without seeing the patient.  He is happy to see the patient at his next LGH clinic in May.  If the patient would like review sooner, she will need to come to RHH and the next available appointment will not be until the end of March”.

Dr Dubey saw me on 30 January and gave me no information or guidance. What should I expect from him when I see him again? For the next appointment, there was no mention of a need for another CT scan or x-ray. On what could his diagnosis be based? The same set of images I had for the 30 January appointment? If so, why did he not offer his advice in the first place when I saw him in Hobart then?

I googled and found four private neurosurgeons in Tasmania. I called all these practices (except Mr Dubey’s). One of them is a Melbourne doctor who flies in to see his patients. The earliest time I could see him was early April. One is highly recommended by a friend but he was not seeing any new patient until June. The last one could see me on 7 March in Burnie and I immediately secured that appointment.

The lesson learnt is that in future stay away from the public health system as far as possible.