NHS appointment

[vince13]

Excuse me while I have a rant. .... I've seen the Consultant at Musgrove Park, Taunton once since I was admitted to, and released from, Hospital in November. He is monitoring my progress with an eye to my going from tablets (Type 2) to what he says is a wrongly diagnosed Type 1 on insulin. OK you know all that.....

By the time I saw him I had received 3 different appointments, one of which eventually turned out to be the one I actually was meant to attend, the others having been wrongly sent out to me.

When seeing the Consultant on 11th December he made another appointment for me on the 16th of this month -- he sat there and typed it into his computer, after asking my husband and myself what time etc would be best for us on that day.

Today I got a letter from Musgrove saying my appointment is on the 12th Feb (not "re-arranged" but stating that "an appointment has been made" on that date). I politely rang and said, "no there's been a mistake" and told the appointments clinic clerk what had happened - to be told that the Consultant "doesn't have the facility" to make his own appointments and that my name doesn't appear on the appointments list for the 16th Feb which proves that he can't make his own appointments.

I explained that I wasn't given to hallucinations and the appointment had been made for me by the Consultant - "no it can't have been"...........
"Yes it WAS!".

"Anyway", she says, "the 16th Feb appointments are only for new patients" so I would have to attend on the 12th instead..............

I know in the scheme of things it's not world-shattering but no wonder the NHS is up the creek !

Rant over, thank you for listening. I'll go and lie down in a darkened room now!

 

[Northerner]

Don't let the b**gers get you down! (Or your BG up!)🙂

 

[Corrine]

Sometimes I do wonder about the NHS. I was diagnosed in September last year and asked to have a blood test and go back for the results in Dec. I made an appointment with the SN who I have always seen, as I hadn't been told who to make appts with even tho there is a diabetic clinic at the surgery. As it turns out it was Ok cos my results were fine, but apparently I should have seen the diabetic nurse and then the consultant.....good job I went armed with a list of questions - number one being who my care team is!

 

[vince13]

OK - I know I come across as a Grumpy Old Woman but I didn't like the implication that Diabetes made you stupid - I did know whether an appointment had been made for me on the 16th Feb and to be told it couldn't have been made me implies I was the one who had my wires crossed.

Also, again sounding off like a GOW, if I had made the mess-up of my work load when I was a secretary (NOT that many years ago!) I would have been told to buck my ideas up or else.

On the other hand I wouldn't like to be in the NHS fending off people on the other end of the telephone ...!

 

[bev]

I can sympathise with your 'appointment' charade!

I took my son to the gp regarding a skin problem.
He referred him to a dermatologist.
The letter came through, inside was a 'password' for me to choose which hospital, which consultant, and what date.
However on the website there were only appointment times during school hours.
I didnt want him to have anymore time off school, so i rang them up, they told me the only appointments left were those shown on the website and that they dont do apointments after school.
So against my better judgement i booked one for 2.30 on a certain date.
Then i recieved a letter confirming the date and time i had 'chosen'.
Next day i got another letter cancelling the appointment - no explanation given.
Next day i got another letter confirming the 'new' appointment i had made - which i hadnt!
I rang again- to be told that the consultant i had chosen doesnt 'do' children on the day i wanted - so the system had issued me with another appointment with a new consultant - and guess what it was an AFTER SCHOOL appointment!

Apparently this is the new way of making appointments to stop timewasters etc.. the mind boggles.....

 

[vince13]

Oh dear Bev !! you and your son have enough to put up with from what I've seen of your recent posts on this site. Still it's nice (in an odd sort of way) to know that my appointment fiasco is not personal !

Good luck with your diabetes control on your son's behalf, all good wishes,

 

[Caroline Wilson]

And I thought I had problems making an appointment to see my GP. I'm thinking of putting in a complaint, my husband phones for me and gets one right away if I phone I can't have one for a week...

 

[Northerner]

And I thought I had problems making an appointment to see my GP. I'm thinking of putting in a complaint, my husband phones for me and gets one right away if I phone I can't have one for a week...

My GP surgery annoys me. Basically, if you want an appointment within 48 hours you have to ring first thing when they open. This means being ready at 8 am to ring, and then immediate re-dial until you get through. If you're not first it seems that it's always engaged or the appointments have gone! The most annoying thing though, is that they are always a few minutes late opening so you get the recorded message which then costs you 3 pence a time - sounds a small amount, but adds up when you have to redial and hear it 15 times before you get through!😡

 

[vince13]

Remember, Northerner, "don't let the ******* get you down " !! (as some wise person told me.....) - nice to know I'm not alone with appointment rage.
XX

 

[mikep1979]

i had an appointment to see my dn and when i got there it was to see the consultant (who id seen 2 weeks before so i didnt need to see him again) only to be told that my dn was booked out for the day and had no time to see me. i called her while sat outside and told her what had happened and she told me to meet her in reception area and she would sort something out. finaly got sorted but was really p***ed off with it. at least i got 2 new novopen 4's out of it lol

 

[sofaraway]

When you see your consultant ask him if he can make appointments on the screen. it might be that he can't he can just view and see whats avaliable and then ask the secretaries to book them.

I haven't had too many bad appointment problems. I went to clinic in May 2007 and was told they would send an appointment for a years time once they knew when the clinic would be operating. It got to May 2008 and hadn't heard anything so rang up the sercretaries, they offered me an appointment that week or a couple weeks later at virtually any time of my chosing. My Consultant saw me in December outside of a proper clinic time as she wanted to see me. Can't complain about my team.