The casecof the missing hospital appointment

You contact the secretary of the consultant you have been placed under ( regardless of whether you will see a registrar or other doctor) .....consultant secretaries are usually very helpful

Been there, seen it and got many T shirts, MissA. The best bet is always the consultant's secretary, as Espee suggests.

I was once in Rome, when I had three missed calls, which I ignored, thinking they were scams. I knew they weren't hospital messages, as they use a generic 0800 number.
However, I thought the number seemed familiar, so decided to Google it. It was the National Heart hospital phoning to confirm that I was attending for my operation in two days time! ?I knew nothing about it at all. There had been no letter.

Whenever I have a hospital appointment, even if the letter goes astray, I receive a call asking me to confirm that I will be attending, followed by a text a few days beforehand to remind me. A good system.

Persistence is the key, Miss A, don't be foobed off. I hope you get it sorted soon.

PALS have contacted her for me.
She hasn't phoned me back, as yet.

I'd have loved to have seen your face Marydoll when you realised it was the hospital.

Goodness yes, go direct to the consultants secretary, they are usually very helpful.or get your G.P to chase it up if he's reliable & helpful.But me? I'd go straight to secretary. Especially if you feel you are more urgent now than before.Good luck.

I can't get through to her.
It's an answwphone message.
That's why PALS have done it on my behalf.

Usually the hospital calls come up as a 'private number' so are easy to miss, which i think is daft, as you cant then call back- (but maybe in Rome,they would bring up the number Marydoll?)

MissAdventure

I presume it is the secretary of the department who is pretending I have missed an appoinment.
PALS have asked her to phone me, and I have waited a week so far.

No, the booking clerk was probably from central booking. The secretary for the specific department you are attending will probably be more help.

I doubt you will find out who is at fault for the lack of contact, they will not waste more time trying to find out.

Sorry - to be specific, it’s the consultants’ secretary specific to the clinic you’re attending that you need. If you haven’t had your initial appointment yet, do you know to which consultant yo have been assigned ?

NHS calls in Scotland come up with the same 0800 number, regardless of hospital or GP surgery. It's 08006783393, for Greater Glasgow. Just in case anyone is interested!

I discovered the National Heart Hospital, have their own number.

Mostly, if you have a number already you can leave a message, or if not i go through hospital switchboard & ask to be put through to the secretary of that consultant or that dept (i.e. cardiology or cardio thoracic, if applicable) Usually get through to someone who can help.

I am seen by 10/11 different hospital specialists/departments, as have numerous health issues.

I call up the Clinic Co-ordinators/Consultant's Secretaries to check up on where I am on appointment lists.

Been doing that especially since July last year, when the only house anywhere near us in our rural location has been unoccupied, (and our Posties have often put our mail in there over the years).

I would urge anyone to check up by telephone if expecting an appointment letter which doesn't arrive, as these letters can conceivably go astray.

Yes I know his name, and it is his secretary that PALS have been ringing on my behalf.
I can only get an ansaphone message when i try, and i have tried every week or so since the 6th January.

Speak to the department where you should have been going. If you know the name of your consultant, you could even try and speak to their secretary ( some hospital's online site has the details but not all).
Unfortunately, a lot of hospitals do a "one strike and you are out" policy, not taking into account that in many places, the postal system fell apart due to shortage of staff over the last few months. I don't think that there are any that send out a reminder in any shape or form - sending texts and emails is frowned upon in the NHS due to GDPR and the fact that your contact details may not be up to date.
A word with your GP may also help but I am afraid that the current system will mean that you will have been sent to the back of the queue, however unfair it is.

Because nobody ever got back to me when I left a message, I decided to phone the hospital switchboard, which was when I was told "Yes, I can see you're on a list, and you'll get your turn!"
That same day, apparently, I should have been at the hospital attending an appointment.

I CAN'T GET THROUGH TO THE DEPARTMENT I NEED!!!
I have explained many times.
I can't speak to the secretary, I can only leave a message, and nothing moves forward.
I was discharged from hospital in august last year and have been waiting since then.

Your MP?

I don't think that there are any that send out a reminder in any shape or form - sending texts and emails is frowned upon in the NHS due to GDPR.

As for text messages and phone calls, the GDPR procedures are rigorous. There are a number of security questions in place, before you can access the message. The texts do not contain any personal info, which could identify you.
It is common practice here and as someone, who has frequent hospital appointments and is au fait with GDPR regulations, I am more than happy with what is in place. It helps to prevent missed appointments.

I'll just cut out the middle man and ask my gp for a death certificate rather than a sick one next time, I think.

I almost always get letters for appointments.
I have even had to buy a folder for them all.
I get texts and calls, if they are short notice.

I would not rely on the consultant's secretary. When I had a hysterectomy a few years ago, one secretary left and the other went sick so there were no secretaries for the whole department. That was pre-covid so I am sure it is worse now.

I have found PALS helpful.

I hope it is sorted soon, it sounds really frustrating

MissAdventure

I'll just cut out the middle man and ask my gp for a death certificate rather than a sick one next time, I think.

I tried that MissA, however, I couldn't get past the receptionist, despite having a red flag on my record.

I spoke to a nice secretary once.
She answered her phone and we had a nice chat, and she told me she was leaving her job for good on Friday.
Then she asked me what operation I was waiting for, and we realised I had been referred to the wrong department.
Her boss, the surgeon, cancelled my appointment there but referred me on to the man I am waiting to see... I was so young and full of hope in those days.