to rhink the reason why so many NHS appointments are not attended is......

[HookedOnHooking]

People simply cannot get through to cancel or change them.

I have rung over and over and over again and cannot get through. Currently been on hold for 20 minutes.......

My post was delivered one day about 12pm and I opened a letter to find an appointment that I had been waiting for. It was for 12.30 the same day, and the receptionist wasn't too impressed that I wouldn't make it. The letter was dated the previous day (or the day before that) so hadn't been delayed in the post.

I pointed out 30 mins notice wasn't enough to get organised, find a babysitter and get to hospital! What a waste of an appointment.

My gp is quite easy to get through to on the phone at the right time of day, but it was a lot harder when I needed to move a hospital appointment.
But some people just don't think to try.

The only time I ever missed one was when the letter for the original appointment time arrived are the letter changing it to a new time so I thought the original time was a new appointment, then they wrote to GP how I didn't bother to attend.

Would have complained but appointment was just to be discharged anyway so wasn't worth it. Didn't like the snotty letter to GP though.

"After" the letter changin it to a new time, that should have said.

I have received letters after the date of the appointment, not received letters at all (which, unsurprisingly, they couldn't produce when I asked for a copy having had a snotty letter discharging me from the clinic) and most recently, having challenged an early appointment (consultant wanted to see DD2 after she'd had therapist input, we were still waiting for an appointment with the therapist) was told by the clinic that yes, we had to attend... only for consultant to ask why on earth we were there if she'd not yet seen the therapist. I may have got a bit cross. No wonder people just give up.

I have cancelled an appointment before and then received a shirty letter saying that I didn't turn up. My GP surgery is also impossible to get through to for about 1 hour each morning and afternoon so if you had to cancel in that time you wouldn't be able to.

I have no doubt that some people just don't bother to turn up, but for others they have done or tried to and the processes make it impossible

YANBU. Another one here who "missed" an appointment having received no letter.

I've received letters after the appointment date, 2 appointments for 2 different Consultants at the same time on the same date, and no appointment letter at all but a stinky follow up letter to inform me that I didn't attend (cc'ed to my GP).

It's definitely not always the fault of feckless patients who simply cba to turn up.

I recieved a follow up appointment to discuss tests that had not yet been done! We waited six months for the tests, three months to get the results.

Blimey OP you're not trying to get through to my department are you ?

Phones are manic here. Unfortunately due to the restriction on filling posts we have had 4 staff members in the last year leave and non replaced leaving the rest of us to pick up the slack !

( i'm on my break before I get shouted at. Been here since 8am and had no lunch )

Yanbu. It seems a letter informing you of an appointment is considered a luxury. as is a call to say it's been postponed or moved.

Finally got through. Have spent at least 3 hours waiting on the phone today. Plus assorted half hour waits over the last week.
Now have tinny plinky plonk music going round in my head.

Also...

All of our lines are currently busy at the moment. Which I think is wrong. Sure y 'All of our lines are busy at the moment' or 'all of our lines are currently busy'. Not both.

Sometimes you even get two appointments fir the same thing and can't get through to anyone to find out which one your supposed to go to

Sorry Bendy. I know it's busy and probably shirt staffed (am also nhs worker). Just frustrating.

I really think that's rather unfair though.

Certainly in my NHS department ( breast screening ) and others I am associated with we make every effort to try and make sure letters are sent out in a timely fashion and patients are always dent letters informing them of cancellations etc.
Yes there is the occasional human error but as I cited in the post above we are working really hard in the NHS through horrendous cuts and my staff go above and beyond most days.

I know its annoying though hooked I'm just as cross when I'm on the phone to the tax credit office

NHS Outpatient appointments can be easily cancelled online. Just look at the website for your local hospital. It is very easy really. And if you give them your mobile number next time you are there, they can text your next appointment to you rather than send you a letter.

Why, if the NHS is trying to save money, are letters sent out through the EXPENSIVE POSTAL SYSTEM. Why not e-mails. Or a way of logging in and booking / changing an appointment. Or mobile phone?

Also, why can't we e-mail a Dr's surgery or consultant? Even an e-mail form with a drop down menu to allow the communications to be sorted.

Oops X-Posted with windchime

I didn't know that.

I was surprised that at out local (regional centre) hospital's breast care unit, the poor receptionist (generally just one person) had to deal with all the patients actually there (some of whom were very upset having just had diagnoses of cancer), appointments for the breast unit itself and all the mammogram appointments for the whole area. Not surprising that the phone went unanswered!

I didn't know you could do it online either! Is that true of all trusts? Is it a new thing? Amazing news!

I get texts for my appointments so can cancel by text apparently (never needed to) but yes why not send emails instead of letters. Great money saving idea & I'm not sure more would go missing in junk folders than already do in the post or are delayed.

lilymaid now you really MUST be talking about my department !

South ?

We also send text appointments and cancellations if women fill out the mobile contact numbers at reception. You can also email/fax or go online to change your appointment.
The funny thing is we get so many women who do that and then call us anyway to make sure we've received it

Ds's last hospital appointment was changed five times. Patients can only change them once at this hospital. So if we change it to a convenient one, and then they change it we have to go.
Equally we have turned up to one appointment only to be told it had been cancelled and a letter sent several weeks before. They did see him as we had travelled a long way, but we had to wait until the end of the clinic. Next time I will be ringing to check beforehand (smallish specialist hospital, can usually get through)

I got two identical letters saying Id missed an appointment ,both of which had taken 3 months, from said appointment, to arrive. In fact my appointment had been on a different date,and kept. I let them know that I wasn't impressed ??.