They Need To Simplify Things!

[MikeyBikey]

Yesterday I used the Patient App to put in a prescription request as I have to wait till 14 days before (earlier not allowed). I then had to do four Capchas (bicycles, traffic lights, motorcycles and buses. I then put in my username and password followed by three letters from memorable word. I thought right I can finally get on but no they wanted to send me a six digit code to put in so it was off to the other room. Finally I could get in and put in the request. I will check tomorrow if it has gone through but hope there is no irritating Capchas and no security code!

Then today whilst I was a podiatry I got a text that a minimum payment was due on my card by 23:45 or I would get a penalty charge. As I thought the full amount had been paid I needed to check this. Got a few months now I have been unable to login via the webpage or app so had to ring up. Twenty minutes were spent with a system that didn't seem to understand English. I finally spoke to a person ,l, clarified the situation and agreed I would go back to paper billing for the time being.

A friend now has gone back to going in the bank with a payment slip as it is faster for him whilst his wife is shopping, and less stressful.

These organisations need to rethink. Also they need to bring call centres back home. Whilst the young lady I spoke to was very polite, friendly and helpful it was a real struggle to understand her at times! Also it was pleasant to talk to someone with a bit of common sense after two calls this morning (one made and one received);that were really hard work!

 

[s'nic]

I totally agree, that patient app sounds like state of the Ark technology ... most companies phased out Captcha's and very few seem to use them now.

I totally want call centres in UK. In many ways it is irrelevant how well a person can speak english. If their accent and pronunciation cause problems then they are not suitable for a phone based job.

I have a particular issue with two specific accents, one being irish ... for example, if a irish person speaks to me with an extremely broad accent, all I can do is nod and smile politely (and hope the nodding was in the right place). However if a scottish person with an extremely broad accent spoke to me I would understand them just fine. I know .. crazy, but true 🙄 )

So I know the problem is on MY side, but with some call centre staff I'm continuously saying phrases like pardon .. can you repeat that .. sorry, what was that etc etc. I actually get really embarrassed, some of them must think I'm being purposefully awkward.

 

[MikeyBikey]

I went to check today if the prescription request had been processed - it had not! It appears the security code to your phone is replacing the three letters from your memorable word but I read about this on the NHS website description - absolutely bl,**dy amateur! I had the Captcha nonsense again though.

An accent that causes me problems is a softly spoken Scottish one. As I have got older I increasing struggles with more than is talking at a time which makes noisy call centres awkward. In the nineties I worked in Level 3 support (Level 1 talking to the clients and solving similar issues). I rarely got involved in direct customer contact but if I did it sat in in a call there was no overlap of sound as the people were separated by sound absorbent screens. As micro management increased in the noughties screens seemed to disappear as paranoid managers wanted to watch everybody. Since I was forced into retirement I miss the technical challenges but not the micromanagement aspect.

 

[s'nic]

I had to reorder my prescription yesterday - logged on to find it said I had no repeatable prescriptions. I phoned my surgery, and no answer on phone, so had to try a different surgery department who authorised it, and told me to try again (I got kicked so had to log in website again).

All this stuff should be transparent to the customer (patient), with any required actions flagged on their screen for them to action behind the scenes. Think how much money could be saved (man hours on telephone queries) if prescription re-ordering just worked!

Scottish accent, especially the softer one has to be my personal favourite accent
I also have issues if multiple people are talking.

 

[rebrascora]

I logged on to the SystemOnline that my GP uses yesterday to see my results in advance of my appointment with the nurse today, so that I could make a list of any questions. Several of my results said "Abnormal" to be expected and yet the values were all within the stated normal range. The thyroid result even had some mention of the result not being within normal parameters for Thyroid cancer.... or something to that effect. I wasn't personally concerned about that comment as I really don't think I have thyroid cancer but it was a really odd comment to put on a standard thyroid test result.
According to the nurse today, because my cholesterol is above the NICE guideline of 4 (4.8 on this occasion) all the other tests which are done with the lipid panel are flagged up as abnormal even when they aren't. I didn't get a coherent answer about the thyroid cancer comment on the results page, but you can imagine some people becoming extremely anxious about seeing their results all marked as abnormal and one mentioning cancer.
You also had to click on each individual test to get a whole page of bumf for that particular test and then couldn't pack page to look at the next blood test result, so I had to go back into the system each time, to view lipids, thyroid, HbA1c, liver function, kidney function etc. All far more complex than it needs to be. 🙄 Then you had to go back into the system and change the date if you wanted to compare with previous results. What a kerfuffle!
Got my lowest HbA1c of 42 but having far too many hypos with the Amitriptyline I am taking, particularly nocturnal hypos, so not particularly happy with or celebrating that result. 45-50 is about right for me. Must try harder!

 

[MikeyBikey]

My Serum TSH was flagged as abnormal at 0.35. Should Mikey be worried @rebrascora ? GP seems unbothered but then two GP practices ago GP was unbothered when I expressed concern that I was getting older than anybody in the maker side of the family who had all died from a heart attack. A few years later I had a motorway (triple bypass) so I was right. He was unconcerned as my highest cholesterol level was 4.2. Shows it is not that simple! 🙄

 

[John Gray]

I logged on to the SystemOnline that my GP uses yesterday to see my results ...

Barbara: do you use the so-called NHS App, either on a smartphone or via the NHS website?

I find this quite useful for blood and urine test results, because the "GP Health Record" of the App also shows the "expected limits" or "expected range" that they set for the various items. Example first two lines of a test:

• Test result - Full blood count Report, Normal, No Further Action. Review not applicable
• Coded entry - Mean cell volume (42A..) 97.2 fL [80 - 100]

The downside is that the results of blood/urine tests requested by consultants (rather than GPs) do NOT show up on the NHS app (even though the blood draw was performed at the surgery), and the use of a third party "Patients Know Best" is suggested for these.

 

[rebrascora]

@John Gray These results do show the range for each test plus a whole load of other bumf.... except for the lipids which just refer to guidelines, which were not NICE but something similar. That was why it didn't make sense that they were labelled "Abnormal as expected" when my results were in range.
I think I did register with the NHS website to log some Covid test results last year but I haven't used it since and probably (almost certainly) can't remember my password.... which is one of the things that really winds me up about modern day life. I use the "System Online" at my GP practice all the time to order medication and have done for years so I know that one and that is a relatively straight forward function but this is the first time I have accessed results from it and lets just say it is cumbersome!

 

[DaveB]

Although I sometimes use the NHS App either on my mobile or desktop PC I prefer to login directly to the surgery's Systmonline on my desktop. Big screen and mouse (old technology is sometimes the best!). I order my prescriptions, check my medical history, view test results etc. This year hospital letters etc have been added to view. I'm lucky in having a super local surgery and prescriptions are approved within a day and ready from the local pharmacy within a few days. I realise some surgery's use alternative computer systems and can't comment on those.