Medical reminder service very annoying!

I decided yesterday that I had to put off the one appt, and managed to postpone it (tomorrow), but it took me about an hour...three phone calls (always 10th in the queue), an email which bounced, no idea why. So I tried via the main hospital number and got the secretary of the doctors at the clinic quite quickly.

My mobile isn't a smartphone, Mildred so I suspect not...will look for the instructions!

On the other hand, the appt that I went to, on Tuesday,was one of the quickest and easiest I've ever been to.
I got there rather early having allowed too long for traffic and the usually awful parking - and found a place right away only 50 yards from the front entrance! And, they took me in early for the scan and I was out within the hour, only £1.40!

AllieOxon could you block the number on your mobile?

Yes, that was like my calls.
I still haven't discovered how to stop them using my mobile!

My OH had automated calls on house phone but we were out and a weird automated message was left saying to proceed with call press any number. No indication of who from. Later in evening he was in and it turned out to be hospital appt reminder. What was more worrying however was an automated call reminding us about flu vacs. That wasn't a problem, the concern was that it wasn't from the surgery but from the vaccine company. The surgery had passed on out tel no without our permission. This is clearly a breach of confidentiality, we haven't given permission to pass on our info to drug companies. Once drug companies have such personal info where will it end?

We go privately because there is no alternative. We have a very good practice, who make reasonable charges and the premises are always immaculate and have been refurbished and upgraded several times since we started using it 20 years ago

The hygienist is private and costs £50 a pop. Cleaning and descaling etc., used to be done by the dentist as part of a check up and cost around £12. This doesn't happen any more.

It's all about the money, money, money!

Yes, Ana. I think they have people making appointments and then not turning up. Our surgery has been taken over by 'My Dentist.' Not all the staff were kept on and it's difficult to get appointments now.

If you don't turn up for regular check ups they throw you off the NHS list.

Unlike some people I have no issue with text or email reminders or even semi-automated calls from the Appointments service for DH's hospital visits. It beats trekking down to London at a cost of between £70-100 plus a whole day to get there just to find that apparently a letter had been sent cancelling DH's gastro appointment, as happened a year back. I was SO angry, maybe a letter had been generated, maybe it had been sent but all I know is that we never received it.

I always have any appts and other dates on my calendar, so as never to miss.

I like getting text reminders. Sometimes an appointment is booked quite a way ahead and you can forget.

Another call, on my landline, and I managed to answer it, confirmation of appt on 25 Nov. Now, that's not so bad. but yesterday and on my mobile, all I get is hangups.

I shall try on Monday...

So I tried calling the Patient Appt Service to ask them, and they are closed until Monday.
Or I could email them....but doubt if I would get an answer until Monday!

I wasn't so stupid...
I have just had yet another call on my mobile. So I rang that number, and it told me 'You were called by....we will endeavor to contact you again soon.....!!!!

Trouble is on my mobile it says if I want to continue, I should press any key, but if I go to the keyboard, I get cut off.

I do not want all this. NOW WHAT?

I get an email reminder from my dentist about five days before the appointment.

I got a dental text reminder on Wednesday well I got two the first one reminded me of my appointment on Friday and the second one reminded me of my dental appointment on Thursday ...by the way it was Thursday

Love the text reminders as I invariably used to forget my appointment times and saves me ringing them. My hairdresser has text reminders too.

You had to pay a deposit before they'd let you have an appointment with the hygienist?

I had an appointment with a dental hygienist this morning. It meant and early start and the traffic/parking was dire. When I got there I was told they were very sorry but the hygienist was off sick and they'd tried to phone me but they must have the wrong number in their system.

I asked them how they could account for the telephone reminder I had yesterday which was made by a receptionist and not a robot if they didn't have my number?

The next appointment they can offer me is in MARCH!!

Did they offer to refund the 20% deposit I paid two weeks ago?

Of course not

I think there are protocols about not leaving messages in case they are picked up by someone else

I missed that one too.

I'm being stupid, aren't I? I do have a phone number.
I was thinking it was like the text, which was one of those no-reply ones. I will try that tomorrow. How silly.

My dentist, or rather receptionist, always rings up the day before to remind patients of their appointment, but they leave a message if no one answers.

But I think one reminder is enough. perhaps they were making ageist assumptions about older people and assuming we need lots of reminders!

I get 'reminders' but they are in the form of a text which I don't mind. I wonder why they are 'calling' rather than texting seems odd.