To think there must be a better way of arranging NHS appointments than by letter?

[Feelingvawful]

Long story short I have just found out that I missed a hospital appointment on Friday afternoon.

Although it is my fault (and I feel so so so bad about it!), had the appointment not been arranged by a letter in the post I would not have missed it, or at least would have been able to call to rearrange to this week.

AIBU to think that in 2023 there is a better way for the NHS to arrange appointments than by letter? Surely a ‘copy’ of the letter could be texted or emailed if such contact details are given? 😬

Yes omg yes , I had an appointment come through just the other day and the time wasn’t legible so I had to phone up…

you’d think it could be arranged by txt these days, with maybe a back up email.
imagine how much they would save in postage too.

Agree, it's a national scandal. I'm not a Tory but I thought Sajid Javid had good plans for joining up tech in the NHS. Sad that he quit.

Cost.

My neighbour trust has a phenomenal digital system. My trust is 50 million in debt and a system that is from the 80s. We don't even have a system that can log email addresses.

DH is having three different bits of his body tested/monitored/fixed at the moment. It’s a sad day in our house when he doesn’t get a billet-doux from the NHS.

Patient knows best is nationwide I think?

I'm currently making regular visits to a central London hospital. They send me texts with a reminder about the appointment a couple of days in advance. Great system. False economy not to roll this out right across the NHS.

I get a copy of all hospital appointment letters sent through to the NHS app using the Patients Know Best system.

I much prefer a letter. An email could easily be lost in all the spam. A letter stands out as it is much rarer.

my department rings and then emails
only sends a letter if absolutely no contact and they have been waiting years, they also send letters asking for contact,
they should really send letters asking for contact much more often

I get text messages and emails. Usually followed by a letter a couple of days later.

my dentist texts me a reminder
as does my nurse at GP surgery

There is.

I'm half way through treatment of BC. Basic tests are booked online and confirmed by email, other appointments are by text.

On the two occasions that machines have broken down, replacement sessions have been hastily organised by phone.

I agree with this.

I've had 2 hospital letters arrive a few days after my actual appointments!

The hospital wasn't happy with me as one was for a meeting with the perinatal mental health team and one was for my glucose tolerance test as I'm 31 weeks pregnant.

I don't know why they insist on sending letters, post isn't what it used to be, sometimes I'll go 2 weeks without any at all then one day I'll have 20 letters delivered.

Our post is shocking, we live on a road where houses have been knocked down and blocks of flats built all over it, so the numbering is weird and there are lots of 123, 123A, 123B arrangements. As a result post gets delivered to the wrong place all the time, and we only seem to get a big batch of post every week or so (rather than every day).

I have missed a number of appointments as a result, either through not getting the letter at all, or getting it a week or so after the appointment but as I told the GP (when they told me off for the last no show) there is literally NOTHING I can do about it if the NHS insists on remaining so behind the times.

In some areas you can see appointments on the NHS app, but for some reason around here that is not possible

Yes. Ours is a ridiculous system for hospital appointments. DH saw GP and was told a letter would be sent to him for an appointment with a consultant. Letter arrived after about a month with a phone appointment. He had to ring a number at a time on a day in a few weeks. When he rang, expecting to speak to doctor he was bemused to find it was an appointment to book an appointment. So he said ok, let's book the appointment. Only he wasn't able to book the appointment it was just to tell him that an appointment would be sent to him in the post..

That's some Kafka level shit.

DH has missed 2 appointments where we never received a letter. He did get texts to tell him he’s missed them.
He sees a consultant in a city hospital once a year. We will get numerous letters about the change in times, sometimes it’s 5 minutes later. When he goes it’s always an hour late anyway. Waste of postage.

Wowww ok this the worst example! What the heck!

Of course there's a better way.

I make doctor and dentist appointments over the phone in the US, though I can also make doctor appointments online, also eye doctor appointments.

The day before my appointment I get an automated phone call asking me to press 1 to confirm I'll be at the appointment.

Agree. Should have an app. In every county. Sometimes I get a text reminder.
Can't believe letter still gets sent detailing your appointment with consultant. Everything should be online by now.

A friend had two letters in the post on the same day. One was cancelling their appointment. The other was issuing a new appointment, FIFTEEN MINUTES later.

If an appointment isn’t made there and then I always find it easier to just call up the department about a week later to find out if there’s any update with the appointment. Some consultants secretaries will ask if you prefer to be contacted in another way to mail. Most of not all departments have mobile number to text patients. The secretaries usually update on any online portals and how to access them. (Love the secretaries that go above and beyond and will where possible give appointments across departments on the same day)

The ones that still rely on snail mail I call back once a week.

A day or two before the appointment I find it less frustrating to call and make sure the appointment hasn’t been rescheduled and if so what’s the new date.

My local area have an app they send you appointment on, you can change or cancel the appointment.
It's brilliant. sorry for those that don't have this yet.

Tell me once has no chance of working for the NHS where multiple computer systems are used and most don’t ‘talk’ to each other

Mine are all by text