A rock and a hard place? Ministry of Defence | Defence News | MOD confirms loss of recruitment data

[Dave Howe]

Mary Hawking wrote:
> Sometimes you just can't win! If the surgi-centre had *not* followed
> up on the post-operative blood tests, they would have been held to be
> negligent as well!
> 
> However, it was inevitable that this situation would arise sooner or
>  later and the Surgi-centre should have had clear policies on how to
>  manage it in place and known to both patients and staff.

Indeed. in this case they were told NOT to contact the patient at home. 
They could have as easily made sure they had some alternate contact 
route (they probably did - I usually leave a "dont' contact at home" 
because I am *not* at home during working hours, I am at work. therefore 
I leave a work contact number). Odds are good she did so also and the 
same surgi-center staff member who didn't bother to obey the request 
didn't bother to *read* the request and therefore didn't know what 
number to contact.

   They could also have left a simpler message "Can you tell <patient> 
that the results of her blood test are in; she can contact us on 
<tel-number> and ask for <clinician name>" - no mention of it being 
post-op or indeed, that any procedure other than taking blood had 
occurred at all. A simple blood test is fine - particularly if it is 
from a GUM or whatever the US equivalent is, where she could just claim 
a partner had suggested they both get a test for peace of mind....