Paperwork delays treatment at Broomfield

From the archive, first published Wednesday 11th Apr 2007.

A MAN with a kidney disease is suffering because of backlogged paperwork at Broomfield hospital.

Colin Evans, 61, a window service engineer, from Deal Close, Braintree, was diagnosed with FSGS (focal segmental glomerulosclerosis) in November last year.

After seeing his GP, Mr Evans got an appointment at the hospital and spent a week there, having a kidney biopsy, which detected the disease.

The diagnosis means protein leaks through Mr Evans' body, which swells his ankles and leaves him feeling worn out.

He was told it would take about a fortnight to be seen by a consultant after leaving hospital, but Christmas came and went and he heard nothing.

Mr Evans said: "My doctor wrote letters and at first, they seemed to put me on a waiting list again, until eventually they realised I'd already been in hospital."

On February 20, Mr Evans saw a consultant, who recommended the dosage for one of his tablets be raised eight-fold, over a three to four week period.

The consultant said Mr Evans' GP needed to receive the paperwork in the post before the medication could be increased, so the doctor could keep checks on his blood pressure.

His GP has received no paperwork nearly two months later, while Mr Evans' condition stays the same.

"I'm not going to drop down dead, but they need to up my dosage," he said.

"I get very lethargic and don't feel too clever.

"I have nothing but praise for doctors and nurses, but the authorities seem to be costcutting in the wrong area."

A spokeswoman for the Mid-Essex Hospital Trust said an investigation was being launched, and they hoped to resolve the situation quickly.

"There have been some teething problems following the recent review of medical secretaries," she said.

"So a range of measures and additional resources have been put in place to address these, to ensure all calls and messages are picked up and dealt with promptly.

"We are also introducing new technology such as digital dictation to improve efficiency."