Sticking it, by proxy
A friend of mine was in need of a hip replacement, and was referred to the required orthopod for the job to be done. Now, given that my friend is also a lecturer, a mutually agreeable time - a reading week, was chosen. Both surgeon and patient found this to suit them both, and it was booked.

Fast forward a month later, and a call comes out of the blue. It's a junior administrator, informing him that 'since you didn't agree to the 6 week date', one which neither the surgeon nor the patient could make it to, 'then it is with regret that we are cancelling your operation.'
No discussion, no negotiation, just an almighty 'get fucked', and 'no, we won't rebook it, because you didn't like that date that suited us.'

Now, he's rather upset, and given that I've previously worked with the maniacal drill-wielding specialists that we call orthopaedic surgeons, he asks me for advice. Previous experience in this field has led me to believe that surgeons do not like the order of their theatre lists tampered with, and if done so, it's often done on the quiet by manglement, in the hope that by the time they find out, they've either moved on, or purchased a steel door which is impervious to drill bits and hammers. So I told him to tell their secretary that something is wrong in the state of their lists.

Roughly an hour after he informed them, he gets a call back from the secretary, who happily informed him, 'You have your original date back. I wouldn't ask too many questions about how we did it.'

Somewhere out there, there is an NHS administrator bolted to some scaffolding by a very angry orthopod.
(witty_ditty has made multiple miaows since, Sun 20 Jun 2010, 13:09, 4 replies)

^This^
Pearoast:
had the same happen to me. Non-healing fracture, which the admin told me would take 2 YEARS to come to the top of the list. Rang the orthopod, surgery scheduled for 6 days later.

While he was taking the history, he said something I'll never forget.

"People think doctors are descended from shamans and herbalists. This is true. I'm a not a doctor but a surgeon, and my professional skills descend from Ottoman torturers, curious butchers and the public hangman".

I wonder what happened to the admin guy?
(all my scars face forward possesses 2.5% of a hyperalloy combat chassis, Sun 20 Jun 2010, 19:26, closed)

Arthur O'Pod?
(Benzyl, Mon 21 Jun 2010, 1:14, closed)

What kind of lecturer would sacrifice reading week like that?

( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Mon 21 Jun 2010, 14:00, closed)

One near retirement.
And with a hip which really badly needed replacing. Although he did have a Dr House cane for a while, which was very amusing.
(witty_ditty has made multiple miaows since, Mon 21 Jun 2010, 21:04, closed)