[Technology] Inappropriate changes to GP appointments

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I am sympathetic when I get an email or txt to tell me that my appointment has been cancelled and that I need to rebook. With this clown government, and the lingering covid presence, insufficient funding results in' needs must'. I get that.

But what about changing an appointment to an earlier time?

A couple of weeks ago I rocked up to the surgery for a 6.30 appointment and they had no record of it. They then found I had missed the appointment because it was at 4.30. I left, crushed. I then riffled through texts and found that the day before I had been sent a txt to say the appointment had been changed (to 2 h earlier). I am not someone who looks at my txts much.

I phoned and complained. I asked them to email me with changes in future.

Yesterday I had a phone consult. I was sent a txt to say it would be between 6.00 and 8.00 pm. Great. I was out all day. I was driving home at 6 but had the phone set to receive a call. No call.

This morning I found an email sent yesterday while I was out saying that I would be called before 6.30 yesterday. No note of a change. Simply a different time to the time in the txt.

I am sure this would annoy the crap out of someone who isn't wired to be freaked out by this sort of nonsense.

Why change an appointment to a few hours earlier? Whose need is being met here? Doctor finds they have an earlier window? Oh, I know, lets bring this appointment forward then I can bugger off earlier. Seriously?

They will say they contacted me. But what is contact without acknowledgement. If I pin a note addressed to my GP to a tree in the woods, have I made contact? By sending space probes into deep space, has NASA made contact with extraterrestrials? No. These are all attempts to make contact. Is it worth attempting to make contact with a patient to bring forward an appointment without checking they have received the 'contact'?

And they do NOT say - keep your phone with you at all times because you may be able to take advantage of a last minute cancellation. No. They just change your booking to an earlier time and nail the announcement to the cyberspace tree.

I will be having words with them next week when I rock up for an 'emergency' appointment - the only way to see the GP in a timely fashion these days.

Are others experiencing this too or is it something new?

 

[LamieRobertson]

The games still 3pm ko if that helps…..good journey down (I presume u r coming)

 

[Bodian]

On a similar note - I once sent a very important missive to a landowner by special delivery 'guaranteed delivery next day'. They didn't deliver it because no-one was in, but we didn't find out until it arrived back with us a week later. I complained at the time to the effect that what they meant was 'guaranteed attempt at delivery', not 'guaranteed delivery'. I would have been better off sending it simple first-class - as then they would have at least put it through the letter box.

We had to delay the court case at great expense to everyone.

 

[Triggaaar]

So this isn't about new signings then?

 

[BNthree]

Very confused by the thread title given GP is common abbreviation for Graham Potter on here..

 

[beorhthelm]

i'd love to experience such problems, however getting an appointment from my GP is impossible.

and i dont even need to see "my GP". i just have to see a doctor to get refered on, as they act as the gatekeepers to the NHS. system is archaic and divorced from any sense, sooner we replace it the better.

 

[amexer]

I am sympathetic when I get an email or txt to tell me that my appointment has been cancelled and that I need to rebook. With this clown government, and the lingering covid presence, insufficient funding results in' needs must'. I get that.

But what about changing an appointment to an earlier time?

A couple of weeks ago I rocked up to the surgery for a 6.30 appointment and they had no record of it. They then found I had missed the appointment because it was at 4.30. I left, crushed. I then riffled through texts and found that the day before I had been sent a txt to say the appointment had been changed (to 2 h earlier). I am not someone who looks at my txts much.

I phoned and complained. I asked them to email me with changes in future.

Yesterday I had a phone consult. I was sent a txt to say it would be between 6.00 and 8.00 pm. Great. I was out all day. I was driving home at 6 but had the phone set to receive a call. No call.

This morning I found an email sent yesterday while I was out saying that I would be called before 6.30 yesterday. No note of a change. Simply a different time to the time in the txt.

I am sure this would annoy the crap out of someone who isn't wired to be freaked out by this sort of nonsense.

Why change an appointment to a few hours earlier? Whose need is being met here? Doctor finds they have an earlier window? Oh, I know, lets bring this appointment forward then I can bugger off earlier. Seriously?

They will say they contacted me. But what is contact without acknowledgement. If I pin a note addressed to my GP to a tree in the woods, have I made contact? By sending space probes into deep space, has NASA made contact with extraterrestrials? No. These are all attempts to make contact. Is it worth attempting to make contact with a patient to bring forward an appointment without checking they have received the 'contact'?

And they do NOT say - keep your phone with you at all times because you may be able to take advantage of a last minute cancellation. No. They just change your booking to an earlier time and nail the announcement to the cyberspace tree.

I will be having words with them next week when I rock up for an 'emergency' appointment - the only way to see the GP in a timely fashion these days.

Are others experiencing this too or is it something new?

Nothing to do with government, covid or funding but your doctors practice

 

[Westdene Seagull]

It's because GPs aren't actually employed by the NHS - they are private businesses there to make a profit out of the NHS. Never really understand why people hold GPs in such high regard. Complain to the Practice Manager - not that it will a lot of good - they always side with the GPs.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Nothing to do with government, covid or funding but your doctors practice

That was my point.

 

[Pevenseagull]

My GP's introduced a new 'patient friendly' appointment system a few months back. So far it's booked me in for blood tests at 10, 10:15,11:00 and 11:30 on same morning*, told me that I needed to go to A&E immediately when I tried to arrange a routine diabetes check up and has booked me in for a somewhat unnecessary cervical smear test.


*standard blood tests, not a cortisol test which I think is done at intervals, although I have been due one of these since before lockdown to see if I can stop taking steroids before my bones disintegrate.