So if a surgeon messes up an operation, it all gets 'brushed under the carpet'? How then do they keep tabs on poor or good surgeons? Good grief!
It's not a case of being brushed under the carpet which infers a deliberate cover-up of something gone amiss. But very often these are things that have just gone awry and was no-one's fault, just we're all human and humans make mistakes from time to time. There is a big difference between something unforeseen happening such as a bone breaking or an uncommon blood vessel being cut (we're not all made the same!) and something that is criminal negligence such as operating on the wrong side, limb or digit which should not be allowed to happen if all staff are following the protocols. UK citizens have always been fairly pragmatic and slow to apportion blame so there isn't the list of legal cases such as in the US where people have always been pretty litigious.
Quite apart from which, who is going to judge that he has 'messed up an operation'? He's the senior person in the team. His assistants aren't going to say anything because a) they're not qualified and b) they rely on him for their training. The theatre nurses can't because they're not surgeons and anyone below that rank wouldn't know anyway.
I got myself into a spot once because of an incompetent locum registrar who had been sent up to theatre by the consultant do a very minor case but it was patently obvious to me that he was totally incompetent so I stopped the operation and tried to call the consultant, then the senior registrar, then my boss, then the hospital administrator -
everyone was at lunch and not answering! So we had this young girl on the table, under anaesthetic, waiting for someone to come and adjudicate. Eventually the senior registrar turned up but he was too woolly to be specific, then the consultant came and listened to me and the registrar and eventually sent the sen reg to go and finish the case.
I was then told by another consultant that I could be in serious trouble if that registrar decided to complain. He could take me to court and get damages for slander because I wasn't a surgeon and therefore not qualified to make such a call. But then the hospital admin came up and thanked me for being so courageous and told me that the consultant had gone straight down to his office and instructed him to get rid of the locum immediately! So at least was confident in my opinion.
Some weeks later I heard that a similar thing had happened at a neighbouring hospital and that he had actually been found to not have any medical qualifications whatsoever! But the second consultant was perfectly correct _ as I knew when I took the action. It wasn't my job to make that decision but the people whose job it was, shouldn't have sent him to do a case solo anyway. It was they who were at fault.
Wait until you get the confirmation letter from the appointments and see if you've come up lucky and been referred to the chap of your choice. If not, ring his secretary and tell her how you've drawn a short straw and really wanted to see Mr X and can she fix it for you? You'll be amazed what these secretaries can do!
United States
. I don't much want to make it a yearly thing!! I feel happier now that I have a date. I've had to chase everyone all along this procedure. 
Yey! All in one day, sounds good to me. Sadly, both of these dates are in September! 
Never mind. It's started. I may yet be 'done' by Christmas.
.
until they have it figured out.
