to not answer my phone to withheld/Unknown/unrecognised numbers

[LonerDave]

It drives me nuts.

But am I BU to not answer these calls

I always assume they are nuisance calls.

other earlier forms of notification I mean?

TANBU, every time I do its a sales call

I rarely give my mobile number out, so it is likely to be a hospital/doctor's surgery that will ring. Given that OH and DD have been very heavy users of the NHS with serious medical issues recently I don't ignore unknown numbers.

I assume that those who ignore phone calls don't have children in childcare/school or any ongoing medical issues with their family.

Thisismyfirsttime letters really aren't great, but my GP now has text reminders and I love it. Not sure why because I've never missed an appointment that I knew about. I do get why it's frustrating though.

I assume that those who ignore phone calls don't have children in childcare/school or any ongoing medical issues with their family

You assume correctly for the latter. Our school/childcare number shows up. If I had an ongoing medical issue I would imagine that the unrecognisable number would probably become recognisable after a couple of calls, or I would pick up the withheld number - but our hospital offers other forms of contact in any case.

If people are desperately waiting for a hospital appointment or results I would hope they could manage to pick up the phone even if it says withheld, just in case.

If it's urgent, yes - but I would hope that the hospital would be looking at other forms of communicating with patients for the routine stuff.

Probably depends on the hospital.

Our local hospital and GP surgery confirm appointments by text. Also whenever OH or I have to take our cars in for a service/brake check they confirm by text or phone call. I don't understand why people give out their mobile numbers so freely. I don't get junk phone calls on my mobile because I am choosy about who I give my number to.

Just checking with other nhs workers i can only telephone patients or send letters i have no access to texts or email externally to patients. Is that true in other trusts ?

Sir we send letters mostly but follow up with calls because of course sometimes patients say they didn't receive or lost the letter. Sometimes they didn't get it but will attend now they know, did get it but we don't ask them to confirm so we know they're coming via the call or they say they aren't coming for whatever reason (having received the letter) and at least we know that appt is open. Some of our HCP's just agree with the patient the next appt but request we call to remind/ confirm if the patient is known to forget.

I think you're probably right rach as I think we are the same.

Totally get all the frustrations for NHS etc

Think this really raises that the current system doesn't really work.

I personally would never miss a medical appointment, if I couldn't make it, I would ring and cancel - simple manners & respect

NHS calls in our area always come through as "withheld". Last one we got was letting DH know that he needed to go and meet his mum and sister in hospital, regarding his dad. Good job I didn't ignore that one, really.

Yanbu.

School and my family come up on caller ID so I ignore everything else. In the past it was only automatic PPI calls anyway.

Telephones calls that go through an private exchange (such as hospitals and my office phone) always show up as private.

I'm not so full of my own self importance that I won't answer the phone. We get very few junk phone calls, even on the landline, so I always answer the phone.

I just don't like talking to people

And email definitely wouldn't have worked better, in this case. Text might not have got through, as we live in a poor reception area - for everything!

And regarding email, you'd be surprised how many people have email addresses for the family, just like a landline phone number. Anyone in the family could access that. A lot of people, of course, still aren't online at all. it's not yet ubiquitous, just like having a phone in your house wasn't ubiquitous as recently as the 80s.

I personally always answer he phone as you never know if its ppi or other junk calls i say nothing just hang up, its not worth my time saying anything. Ill never forgive myself if that missed call from the hospital....

Agree ouryve you be surprised how many have no wifi or email access. I know from home visits. Most of my patients are in their 70, 80 and 90s!

I don't answer them. I figure if it is important/genuine they will leave a message.

I never answer them either. If its important they will text, email or WhatsApp.

I also don't have voicemail to try and encourage the above.

And that's a mobile, I don't have a landline for the same reason. Its nothing to do with self importance. I'm busy, I haven't got time to waste on ridiculous scam calls.

Forgo whats whatapp?