I despair of NHS hospital clinics admin

I wonder who they buy their computers from
🤔

I hope not!! They have fingers in so many pies, including failed NHS IT systems that cost at least £10 billion.

I am not surprised at the number of GNs who have been similarly affected by incompetence...either by individuals or by the computer system.

I get txt messages to confirm appointments from our GP surgery and from our dentist. And occasionally also from the hospital, but that is not consistent across all departments in both hospitals in the trust.

It all makes what is an anxious situation even worse.

My husband has several serious medical conditions. One consultant has referred him ugently to another consultant in a different department. He has now received the appointment....for July. And that is "urgent" !! I don't think he will be around in July. The GP is involved now and chasing for an earlier appt.

The NHS is failing in so many areas. I am not surprised that staff leave which of course makes it worse.

Re the text message system -
I recently cancelled an appointment using their own text procedure and followed it up with three answer phone messages to the clinic just to be sure they knew.

The consultant actually phoned me at the time I was previously expected to be in his clinic...
I told him what had happened we had a chat about the improvement in my condition and then the next week I got the copy letter to my doctor which said he had phoned me because I wasn't at the clinic!! 🤬

About twenty years ago I did some voluntary work at a local hospital; I spent three hours a week matching results with patient files, so that they would then get an appointment with the specialist concerned. I discovered to my horror after a few weeks that I was the only person doing this - patients were waiting for months because the files were building up and almost filling a room. I doubled my efforts, and fortunately after about three months someone was employed to do this job part time - twenty hours a week.

I used to get health visiters knocking on my door without an appointment or notice to check my blood pressure, etc. Last time one arrived I had a visiter and it was obviously inconvenient. She was pushy and insisted upon going ahead.

I have now complained to the practice manager and they have assured me they will send me a text the day before. If I dont want it I can go on Patient Access and cancel it.

Ive also been pushed into a couple of hospital appointments in the past which I had no intention of attending. However when you ring the number to check, rebook or cancel there is no answer. Then they send a text to confirm attend cancel or rebook a few days before. When you respond they tell you it is "too late" and you will have to ring the number where no one answers.

biglouis

I used to get health visiters knocking on my door without an appointment or notice to check my blood pressure, etc. Last time one arrived I had a visiter and it was obviously inconvenient. She was pushy and insisted upon going ahead.

I have now complained to the practice manager and they have assured me they will send me a text the day before. If I dont want it I can go on Patient Access and cancel it.

Ive also been pushed into a couple of hospital appointments in the past which I had no intention of attending. However when you ring the number to check, rebook or cancel there is no answer. Then they send a text to confirm attend cancel or rebook a few days before. When you respond they tell you it is "too late" and you will have to ring the number where no one answers.

How old are you?
Health Visitors usually work with children aged 0 - 5.

District Nurses will only do home visits to patients just discharged from hospital and those who are chronically ill and housebound. Any indication you can walk to the car and they will stop visits.