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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Text telling me about a hospital appointment

210 replies

TiesThatBindMe · 16/09/2017 01:13

Received a text yesterday along the lines of "We are expecting you for your appointment at XX hospital at 3pm on the 20th. If you do not attend it will cost the NHS £160. To cancel ring xxxxxxx number'.

The hospital mentioned is one I've been a patient at, but I am not aware of, nor have I received any letter regarding any outpatient appointment.

Even if it is legitimate, I don't know what department it's for! Do I just show up with some spurious text?

Does this sound dodgy to anyone bar myself?

OP posts:
SvartePetter · 16/09/2017 07:42

My trust has sent me appointment letters after the appointment twice this year, but the texts get there in time...

ChallyCreaks · 16/09/2017 07:42

This is the exact same message I get from my hospital. It has happened too where I haven't received anything in the post.

How could it be a scam?

inmyheadimthequeen · 16/09/2017 07:49

I'm the same as PPs, I've had a couple of texts like this and also get very similar from my GP surgery, only I've never had one when I haven't actually got an appointment lined up. I think the mention of money is to bring home to people that non-attendance at appointments is a massive waste of resources. Having said that, I would do as others have said and ring and ask. It's probably an error in the phone number.

YetAnotherSpartacus · 16/09/2017 08:05

There is no way I'd show up without knowing what it is for. I'd call and ask. It it was for an appointment I didn't want I'd cancel.

ThisIsntMyUsualName · 16/09/2017 08:07

I always get hospital appointments by text. Then a follow up text asking if I would recommend/ had any issues. I sometimes also get an appointment letter but often not until after the actual appointment.

SabineUndine · 16/09/2017 08:09

This happened to me yesterday and it turned out there was also an email from them in my spam folder.

colleysmill · 16/09/2017 08:09

I get text reminders for my appointments - even though the number isn't saved it comes up as NHS Reminders Don't not reply on my phone instead of the number

Livingdiisgracefully · 16/09/2017 08:11

It could be a routine mammogram. They send out letters for appointments without you having agreed a date. If the letter went astray, you might just have got the update. Although it seems a crazy way of doing it to me as tons of people must just not turn up for an appointment they didn't even make!

TuckMyWin · 16/09/2017 08:12

Yeah I got this text the other day for an appointment for my son. I'd ring your GP - they should have a record of any hospital appointments that have been made for you.

colleysmill · 16/09/2017 08:12

And the number to call is a local number (main appointments line). If you're worried I'd phone the main hospital line and ask to be transferred to the right department

JustDanceAddict · 16/09/2017 08:12

I get them for confirming appointments the week before, but you are asked to text back. If I didn't have an appt I'd call the hospital. Maybe it's someone else's appt using a wrong no.

ShiveryTimbers · 16/09/2017 08:12

I get texts from my local hospital trust reminding me of appointments. Just call the main hospital number and ask.

mowgeli · 16/09/2017 08:17

I get these texts, they are legit. Call your gp to ask what it's for.!

Sirzy · 16/09/2017 08:18

I love the texts and calls to remind. Means things are missed due to "admin errors"

One hospital ds attends doesn't do reminders. If they had we would have known before the missed appointment that he had an appointment but the letter had gone missing so I only found out when a replacement appointment was sent out.

Another hospital he attends contacts by text or phone to confirm attendance a few days before therefore meaning if things have gone wrong at the initial stage people will still know and be able to attend or cancel reducing missed appointments.

If your not sure of the validity of the text then just google the phone number of the appointments line for the hospital and call them.

Bluntness100 · 16/09/2017 08:19

As others have said , the text is what is sent for a reminder, the wording is accurate, however it might not be for you, it could easily be for someone else and they have the number wrong so you got it by mistake.

Dahlietta · 16/09/2017 08:23

Yup, I get these texts too and I've also twice had them when I had had no idea that I had an appointment. Once, when I was pregnant, it took my midwife about 20 minutes to track down what it was actually for. They confirmed that the letter had somehow got stuck in the system. I also once had a phone call asking why I hadn't turned up for my appointment. I told them I had received no letter, no text, and hadn't known that I had been referred to them. Fortunately they were very nice about it!

Sugarpiehoneyeye · 16/09/2017 08:26

Ties, have you ever had a smear test ? You have nothing to fear.

MrGrumpy01 · 16/09/2017 08:26

We had a reminder call for dd but had not received a letter. All it said was you have an appointment on x date at y time. Dh just turned up at the department she is under the care for in the hope it was there.

Apparently lots of people hadn't turned upthat day so something had obviously gone wrong with the appointment letters.

Things like this do happen. We knew which department she needed more difficult if you don't.

I get texts too. And also from the dentist.

Foreverlexicon · 16/09/2017 08:31

It's not a scam. I had exactly the same text when I was due to have a hospital appointment to have wisdom teeth removed.

I even had to call the number because i'd been told by someone else it had been cancelled.

Brittbugs80 · 16/09/2017 08:31

Would reception be able to access all appointments?

Our hospital does and because of the trust it's in, we are linked to three hospitals and it can say which hospital, department and time. Can't tell you what it's for though! I got a fright when I had an appointment through for a scan and had to report to maternity after blood tests!!

I've also received letters about the waste of NHS appointments and the cost, even though I've never missed appointments.

alltouchedout · 16/09/2017 08:33

"You have a Saint Mary's Hospital appt at Womens Outpatients on the xx.xx.xx at 11:00. Missed appts cost the NHS £80. Let us know if you cannot attend."

I got that two weeks ago.
I wonder why my missing appointments costs less than op missing them?

Cupoteap · 16/09/2017 08:34

Google the phone number

MothQuandary · 16/09/2017 08:38

Why can't PPs be arsed to read even the first couple of dozen posts, which would tell you that (a) she has googled the number and (b) it is a legitimate hospital number and (c) she is going to ring the hospital on Monday.

LilaBard · 16/09/2017 08:39

You need to phone them to check it out. We have had patients calling saying the same thing about getting a text message only my trust doesn't sent out text reminders, and we don't make appointments for people without verbally agreeing the date and time first (so no appointment should come as a surprise and in theory there will be less missed appointments) Don't know what the scammers could possibly get from it except maybe they enjoy wasting people's time.

LightastheBreeze · 16/09/2017 08:41

It is for you is it, is it your hospital, it could be another patients sent to you in error, this happened to a work colleague, the appointment wasn't her's.