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

Sometimes they arrive after the appointment.

Youre a right pain in the bum, pedant much ?

@ Yelleryyeller - "Oh for goodness sake, I've asked you 3 times to specify what YOU are talking about and you are giving the most immature responses. E-referral is specific to England, other countries in the UK have their own specific digital services which are similar or almost identical. They don't manage ALL services though i.e. scans though which is why I asked what kind of appointments you can't book online just out of curiosity..."

Well what sort of appointments are you talking about?

I live in England and in the last year I've had OP hospital referrals to (1) a hand surgeon; (2) a consultant led eye clinic; (3) a consultant led urinary clinic; and (4) a foot x-ray.

At no time have I been told about an e-referral platform which would allow me to manage my own appointments.

How are patients meant to know?

@SaltAirAndTheRust sometimes you get an appointment short notice. Being nervous is not easy. Also many health authorities have a two strikes and your out policy already

OP you are dealing with the most vulnerable and probably the most annoying people in society and so you are going to have to change your mind set or you are going to burn out quick.

I know it's frustrating when you see the problems with the NHS and how some people can abuse it, but it's a bit like a cleaner complaining about how disgusting people are or a police officer complaining about criminals doing criminal things - it's just part of the human condition unfortunately.

My mum has a couple of chronic conditions which involve quite a few medical appointments. She can’t drive any more so either me or my sister have to take annual leave to go with her.

The amount of times we’ve turned up only to find the appointment has been cancelled, usually with a letter sent out the previous day by second class post, or we’ve been kept waiting for anything up to 2 hours, or the necessary test results aren’t available meaning a wasted journey are many.

The NHS needs to sort itself out with regards to communication and perhaps stop treating patients as if they are being granted a huge favour by just being able to walk through the hospital door.

And don’t get me started on the extremely painful procedure my poor mum was put through with absolutely no communication or information from the medical team. She’s now too scared to go back to that department and I don’t blame her.

Ah yes, and you have seen the post service recently?

I once watched them print a cancellation letter and hand it to me - to cancel the appointment I was there for.

Other appointments had not arrived and apparently it's very easy to miss appointments if you don't know about them.

So what happens for appointments where the patient hasn't had a letter about itand knows nothing about it? Or as my husband and 6 other people had, sent for a scan sat around for 3 hours to be told that the wrong date was sent out to them and to come back the next day?

In fairness - what if you're seeing a specialist or having a diagnostic that only runs in the mornings, could you then do the morning? What do you have in the mornings that means you can only do afternoons to the point you'd cancel three consecutive appointments for your health? You're entitled to leave from work for medical appointments

Do they not have taxis in your area?

If you want to quote and disagree perhaps provide your reasoning because I am absolutely aware of such digital services in Wales and Scotland. I'm not certain on NI, is that where you're referring to with your detailed comment?

Again for like the fourth time, these digital services DON'T manage all services so again what types of referrals are you talking about ?

And people turn up for operations and have them cancelled by the hospital. They may have spent awhile organising care for their kids etc, booked time off work, got stuff in order.... spent the evening/morning with no food and sat in the waiting area with a packed bag and wearing a hospital gown... to be told their op wont be happening that day. And yes, I know the various reasons why.

Then people have letters for appointments after the appointment has happened.

Whilst I do agree with this in principle, this is problematical in that I missed an appointment because I didn't receive the appointment letter. First I knew about it was when I received a cc of a letter sent to my GP stating I hadn't turned up. When I did attend a re-arranged appointment I apologised even though it wasn't my fault and they told me it happens all the time!!

Was supposed to have been referred for a scan in January and have found out the department have sent a letter which again I haven't received. Secretaries phone is left on answer and you leave a message - waited 10 days so far and will have to leave another message.

It's not always the patients fault

Gosh you’re empathetic. You have no clue what is going on in people’s lives.

I can cite numerous examples of kith and kin getting a days notice for operations - because sent second class post - or even after.

Also trying to cancel operations because dates/time don't work round other commitments/even clashes with other NHS appointments or physically house bound and tranport is an issue - endless ringing out phones that no-one answers.

Also had FIL and Brother turn up to designated hospital in different parts of UK for different reasons to be told it's now in another hospital in nearby city due to staff or equipement issues- nether drive so it wasn't simple to get to new location in the time at all and they got a shrug not their issue but not getting there meant counted as missed appointment.

Or you take time off and get there to find it canceled - perhaps for the fourth or fifth time but to late to unbook time off or staff you need aren't working that day - for parents that invoved booking hospital transport as Dad was house bound - got there team they needed to see on training day .

Also appointmnets popping up out of no-where - so no idea why suddenly need to go there and no expliantion - that's surpisngly common. Worst one was after Dad died - there were a couple of let everyone know NHS/coucil mechanism which my family used as well as any direct numbers - so it was a nasty shock to have a nurse turn up on my Mum's door step few days after his funeral - well after his death asking to take his blood - there was no made appointment made with anyone at address to cancel it just happened though some service that had scheduled it and failed to cancel it despite NHS being informed of his death.

NHS admin is a mess in most cases. You'd think in this day and age they'd be some booking mechanism - so you could get some input on when or with texts and e-mails enough time to sort things to accomodate - and an easily unbooking mechaism as life happens - but no.

I agree, especially if you have told them multiple times that you need an afternoon appointment, yet they keep on sending you morning ones! Then, when you have rung up to change the appointment time 3 times in a row, they tell you that you have cancelled (an appointment that you had never agreed to in the first place) your appointment 3 times, so they are discharging you from that service!!

If this was introduced, the most suffering (including avoidable deaths) would be among those with disabilities and support needs - mainly the ones whose PIP and other benefits are being taken away because they aren't disabled enough to qualify for the more stringent criteria - but also they aren't functional enough to get their life as well-run and organised as is needed to keep track of their appointments.

I have AuDHD and under normal circumstances I can earn enough in a specialist role that I can pay for the assistance I need. When I got cancer, keeping track of all the different things I had to do, different tests and scans and therapies and complementary therapies etc etc - it was utterly overwhelming. I was ok despite not being able to afford paid help (as oops! No income) due to having loving family around me. But it opened my eyes to how complicated it is to interact with the NHS if your life doesn't run on smooth rails.

Someone on their own, or who is the "default parent" themself and is trying to provide care despite being ill themself (which yes does happen) doesn't stand a chance. I'm sure the nice middle class mumsnetters with well-organised lives and a fully functional diary system can all be confident they will always keep their appointments. The ones whose lives are chaotic and running out of control and who most urgently need help will be the ones who fall through the gaps.

If the NHS want to do this you probably need to ensure that appointment letters don't arrive with patients several days after the appointment was supposed to happen.

She works for the NHS, of course shes rude.

This. I would also like to be emailed with appointments when I have asked to be emailed, not sent letters through the post that arrive on the day of the appointment or after it.

Precisely what is being cancelled? Procedures? Out patient appointments? Therapy Services? Unless you’re going to be more specific OP it is very difficult to comment.

What I will say is this……..clinics DO get cancelled by the hospital and NOT all patients are informed! Imagine driving 30 miles each way in the heatwave we experienced recently for a clinic appointment that had been cancelled two weeks previously and NOT being told beforehand! I was beyond angry! 😡

Well, I hope your career is as short lived as the patience you have with nervous patients.

I am awfully needle phobic and I tend to cancel 2-3 blood test appointments before I manage to go, then I whilst I am there, I can not go ahead with the procedure. it can take 5 slots to get it done.
Thankfully the staff at my surgery are very understanding and know how difficult it can be for some people.

I had the reminders for the consultant appointment that you speak of and also had them on the nhs app.Absolutly nothing regarding the nurses appointment which was also scheduled for the same time as the consultant appointment. I'd love to be able to clone myself but doubt it would be available on the NHS.

If multiple people are cancelling due to nerves that suggests there is something missing in the NHS that they need to invest in now to save money long term.

Does this not happen already ?