Patient's one-week wait for scan result turns into month

I myself have first-hand experience of this and the frustration put upon people, by being told by the specialist

I would have the result of the scan within seven days at the latest, only to have to go to my own GP's surgery 21 days later and get a doctor to look for the results. In my case I phoned the specialist group after 10 days, only to find the specialist I dealt with was out of the island and they had no results available to give me the answer I required – but he would be back in the island in a couple of days and they would put a message in his tray reminding him to let me know.

As I said above, after 21 days I ended up at my own GP's surgery for answers. After another seven days (29 days in all after I had had the scan) I got a letter to see the specialist for the results.

The problem is some (perhaps all) of the specialists have rooms in other islands (probably England as well) and they go to and fro from one to another, spending a couple of days in each. This is OK for them because they are making loads of money, but it is not good for their patients, who are on tenterhooks waiting for results. Also it is not good when you read about how at times they do not communicate. In reality the people of Guernsey are all paying for a service and getting short-changed. We will all no doubt agree we are very lucky to be living in this day and age where we have these people to help us, but at the end of the day our lives are in their hands and, perhaps through greed, they are sometimes falling short of their duties towards the people who are relying on them.

Stress is the cause of all sorts of illness and being kept waiting for results about the state of one's health (anyway) over and above a given time, as well as reading the write-up on the Press, does nothing to relieve people of it.

ROD HAMON.

Editor's footnote: MSG chief executive, Debbie Guillou, responds:

'Thank you for giving us the opportunity to respond to your reader's letter.

We would therefore encourage any patient to contact us directly to discuss any concerns they may have about the service provided by the MSG.

We have a robust complaints procedure, under which any grievance will be thoroughly investigated; if a complainant is not satisfied with this internal review, they then have the option to take the matter through the Health and Social Services Department's complaints procedure.

Details of the MSG's complaints procedure can be accessed via the website www.msg.gg or by telephoning 238565.

Finally, I would like to reassure your readers that there is no question of any MSG consultant being ambivalent or greedy; the prime motivator for every consultant is to provide the best possible care for every patient.'