About this Blog

This blog started as an online diary and place for me to rant about annoyances in my family.

However since July it has become a place for me to catalogue and express my views and opinions on the treatment I have recieved following the diagnosis of a potentially cancerous tumor in my bowel.

On 3rd August 2011 I was told that it was cancerous. In April 2012 I was given the all clear.

October 15th 2013 I was diagnosed with peritoneal disease and liver metastases. The cancer was back and this time it is inoperable.

It is a little bit out of date as the NHS doesn't tend to have a WiFi connection in hospital and I can only post when I get home and posts take a while to write.

It is NOT about individuals or the nursing profession. It is about some of the inadequacies in the system and the way the NHS is failing some people.

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Monday 10 September 2012

Warning, May contain irrational ranting (mostly about school uniform)

This week marks what should be one of the most exciting events in Isaac's short life. On Wednesday he starts infant school.
I should be preparing by ironing/sticking/sewing on name labels and fretting about lunch boxes.
Instead I am doing battle with yourschooluniform.com.

Following parents evening back in July we were informed that we had to order the school logo'd sweatshirts/cardigans from the above mentioned website. There were non available from the school (or if there were then they were limited sizes) and the school do not run a second hand uniform shop.

I finally ordered the sweatshirts at the start of August when funds permitted. The confirmation email confirmed the sweatshirts would be delivered within 21 - 28 days. Fine, I though that still gives me a week before Isaac starts school. They'll be here in time.

So we waited, 21 days came and went. I logged onto my online account to find out that they were still in production. No problem as long as they are dispatched within 28 days they'll be here. 28 days came and a card for a parcel through the door. Oh good I thought the jumpers are here.

Imagine my disappointment (& horror) when the parcel was not school jumpers but more NCT things, which I do not need nor want & am not entirely sure why I am being sent other than being the treasurer or toddler group coordinator.

So straight away I log on and see 'In Production'. Sorry, still in production, no surely some mistake the email says delivery within 28 days this is day 30 surely there is a computer glitch.

So I trawl their website looking for a phone number - 22 minutes on hold later - while being told by the annoying american autovoice 'Your call is important, the queuing time is one minute' I get through to a real person.

No, its not a mistake my sons jumpers for his only first day at school are still being embroidered due to a delay with their supplier. 

I start off quite rationally:

  •  Why have I not been emailed to tell me there is a delay?
  • Why is there nothing on your system to tell me that there is a delay with my order
  • More importantly what are you going to do to make sure that I have a jumper for my sons first day at school?
Well, she says, It's not our fault it's the suppliers. No not really. You can email/put a message on affected accounts/make sure your paying customers know that they might not get their orders on time.

I realise that I'm not going to get anywhere here, so ask for a manager to call me back. I have worked in enough call centres & customer facing roles to know that you can't get anywhere speaking to a call centre operative you have to go to the top.

So later on Ray calls me, he is the area manager for the account. He understands, the school know about the problem and are aware children might not be in correct uniform, he will contact the warehouse and find out the exact situation with the orders. Here is his mobile number, I can call him on Monday and he'll be able to let me know what the situation will be.

So I spend a pleasant weekend. It's our 10th wedding anniversary, so we have a family meal, and a long lie in on Sunday and I prepare myself for battle on Monday.

I give him the morning to find out what is going on. I also have a look in Sainsburys to see if I could buy a plain one. This will be a problem as the school has chosen Maroon which is not stocked by Sainsburys & my stubborn streak tells me I shouldn't have to buy a plain one when I ordered my 3 logo'd ones.

Come lunch time I give him a call & voicemail, so I leave a message. Still no contact so another call and another voicemail. 

I'm getting quite cross now, come 4.30 and still no call I call him again. This time he picks up. I am not determined to be awkward, but I haven't thought to get my order number to hand, I am trying to cook tea for the children and they are playing happily on the iPad where the email is easy to access.

He isn't so friendly this time. The 'system' says that the jumpers will be dispatched early in the week. Have they been sent today I ask? No he says. Well then they are not going to be here in time then are they. 

He then brings out the 'have you spoken to the school'

Well, technically I haven't, but I'm not going to let on. I have friends who have told me that the school have no uniform to sell. It has to be bought from yourschooluniform.com

The school told us in July that they didn't hold the uniform in stock. I have no reason to believe that this would have changed. 

Then 'Have I looked into getting a plain one' Actually Ray, I have and they don't stock them & why should I have to buy another jumper when I ordered 3 from you to be delivered in time for school to start.

Then my gem & final piece

I only get to experience my sons first day at school once and you are robbing me of the chance to remember it

Really all I want is one jumper for Wednesday, I don't need all three. 

So I tell him, I want you to arrange for a jumper (don't actually mind whether it is logo'd or plain) to be couriered to me tomorrow so that Isaac has a jumper to wear to school on Wednesday.

I told him I use social media and blog and that I would be writing about this.

So loyal readers I shall let you know what happens tomorrow when I call him

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