To think that if you cancel on the day with the NHS, you should be put to the bottom of the list?

If it’s very common for people to cancel due to nerves then it suggests the pre-appointment support isn’t effective. That might be for all kinds of reasons but I think it’s the job of the organisation to understand and act on that first, before thinking about delisting or charging people for missed appointments.

Claustrophobia and violently loud noise . And it's one of the reasons they give you a 'panic button' so the scan can be halted

DD recently had a paediatrics appointment. I had moved the appointment myself originally with the secretary. I had 5 letters reminding me of the appointment in the post. The letter was also sent electronically. It was also sent on the NHS app and then we got 2 texts reminding us!

DH sees multiple different consultants in different hospitals, he also sees the practice nurse for injections. What we need is one portal with all the appointments in one place to view. If he makes the injection appointment on the phone, he gets a text with the details, if he makes it in person, he doesn’t! These are the ones he forgets. Sometimes it’s just too much on top of work and also some appointments are originally sent out over a year ahead of time!

My Dad had tried and failed with one but they kept booking another - it triggered his claustrophobia - parents kept having to cancel them and it was difficult to do.

I know one of the mother's at DC primary was putting her foot down and asking why it was needed - as it was traumatic and quite long for her DD and it wasn't always clear why it was being done.

The other things NHS is really good at is doing test- blood/x-rays ect and no-one looking at results.

DN - did x-ray to rule out less common presentation - no-one looked at it wasted 18 months with method that had no chance to work - and needed much more complex operations due to delay - only happend as GP did a referal to another hopsital as timeline of treatment was twice as long as initally suggested and sister was worried - took two trips to GP severla months apart.

Dad's text results - field before GP ever saw them - and they were difficult about Mum and him getting access to them.

Friend treated for pnd for two years before locum asked about goiter - they'd done the blood work no-one had looked at results - she didn't have pnd and thus wasn't a surpsie she wasn't improving with the anti depressants.

Let’s pick this apart.

If I was charged, it would be the price of a nice bottle of wine. I’m happy to pay that for flexibility. I have family, childcare, transport, resources. So I can easily miss but won’t have to. If I want to though, I can.

A single mum, ESL, no help, unreliable transport, no childcare, is more likely to miss AND the charge could be really difficult for her.

You’re just compounding privilege.

Money is a poor motivator for behaviour change AND it’s discriminatory. And good luck trying to get that money. It’ll cost more than you’ve charged to get it.

As a clinician within the NHS I do think there has to be give or take with patients.

Most of the time if someone cancels we can fill their surgical slot with emergency/urgent work. If someone fails to attend we can't. Id rather someone called and cancelled, and was honest about the reason. If someone is too nervous to go ahead with surgery then we can think of alternatives. If someone is too nervous and feels they have to turn up that just wastes more time, as again it gives no opportunity for that slot to be filled, we will have prepped equipment etc.

I am also aware that we cancel last minute on patients for sickness or because of emergency work, and we ask patients to be forgiving of these situations. Therefore we should be forgiving back

Problem is letters may get sent but that doesn't mean they get delivered.

Then there's the make an appointment digitally cancel by letter and then phone up to change. Telephone appointment cancelled yet Dr still rings, sadly person not available as they've been told its cancelled.

The system assumes people can just drop everything and attend. We were once given 2 appointments 30 minutes apart at 2 different hospital sites 11 miles apart and when we tried to change one the person couldn't understand why.

The system where I live is one dna your get discharged, you're allowed one change or discharged.

Fining isn't the answer IMHO.

I know.

That's why I've asked @Yelleryeller to explain what this e-platform is that they think all people with NHS hospital referrals should be using to manage their appointments...

I assume your role is admin? Because if you were a HCP you would know health anxiety is a real thing. Maybe stick to your pay grade and just concentrate on posting the letters

Thank you. We will put it behind us. Just as well I wasn’t there, as I might have pointed out a few things!

Nope - only if it's isnt rescheduled within 28 days.

The person OP was replying to was being deliberately goady, they weren't disagreeing with OP they were trying to put OP down. OP is not being aggressive to reply in a similar ilk

Can't stand posters who just pick apart the wording or grammar of a post. It's so tedious

You sound so caring and lovely.

When I had broken my leg and required hospital transport to get to follow up appointments, transport quite often didn't show up, didn't show up on time or didn't show up with the right number of personnel. Same with my very disabled mum.

Yes, I haven't had any post delivered in the last 5 weeks, including some vital pet medication, that I've now had to pay twice for. The NHS can't keep relying on the postal service because, in many places, it's gone to shit (depsite the best efforts of my local posties, I must add, but they're so short-staffed it's just not happening).

They're terrified of the OP!

I haven’t have an annual routine outpatient apt otherwise they will discharge me and this is seen as best solution to stay on books. It’s telephone post Covid which is good as I literally take 2 mins.
The last apt was changed 3 times. I have the hospital account and get an alert and can log an and see letter changing apt but they also post letter, I can’t see anyway to say just electronic notifications fine. Huge waste of money.

A lot of letters arrive late because of our appalling postal service.

I'm not sure you're a good candidate for working in healthcare

I can see how frustrating this is , but driving someone in your personal car can lead to complications re insurance so many people and organisations advise against it. And presumable taking someone off their normal duties could have implications for staffing levels.

Its pretty fucking obvious what OP meant 🙄

Then you dispute.

Not always. My gran literally got a letter with date on it that was the day after her appointment. Still puzzled about that one!

I'm aware of that, of course. I wondered why pp was insulting NHS staff.

Ok well what about when a letter comes after the appointment date - what am I supposed to do? I got a letter this morning for a gynae appt last Friday.