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Just something that sounds inconsequential - but!

trophywench

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Went for a blood test yesterday - par for the course prior to diabetes clinic appointments so I've had hundreds of em over the years. Hereabouts, patients need to book them online. Quite often our nearest place to get one is fully booked for weeks and the parking's by no means guaranteed, but I've had great success booking them with a pharmacy across the other side of Coventry since they became so rare to find locally, so went there again.

Slightly different system t that pharmacy - you always had to queue and check-in at the counter but could be queuing for ages to do that thing, sometimes, so they've introduced an electronic check-in screen just for the phlebotomy, nice big notice in red captals asking ou to do this, then to go and sit down in the waiting area to be called. Sat, waited, called in, job done.

The thing that was different for me, the important thing - was that the phlebotomist remembered I mush prefer to be called 'Jenny' rather than just getting 'Jennifer' called out. Only got called that by my mother (or my mate Jenny's mom) when I was in trouble !!

So I was delighted and OK can't say 'I enjoyed it' cos there's lots of things I'd rather do - but simply made a necessary evil that bit friendlier, is all !
 
I remember the first time the letter from my consultant, after our appointment, was addressed to me rather than the GP and cc’d to GP.. I contacted my consultant and said how much I liked this change. As he said it was my appointment not the GPs and made sense. Little things make a lot of difference.
 
Your phlebotomist might have actually made the effort last time to fill in the 'alias' or 'known as' field on your records. It's such a useful bit of information for a lot of people but so many times it's not captured correctly.

It's taken the NHS a long time to realise the patient is key when it comes to communications but they're getting there!!
 
That’s great to hear @trophywench

Sometimes those really small details can make a huge positive difference to someone’s day. Well done that vampire! <3
 
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