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

[SaltAirAndTheRust]

Unless you have a good reason of course!

I’ve just started and I’m in my first week, in this week we’ve had multiple cancel due to nerves or just not turning up. Seeing the amount of work that gets them to this point, it’s staggering! I just can’t get my head around it

Just started what?

A job in the NHS?

What do you deem to be a good reason? Would there be a set list of acceptable circumstances approved by you? What if someone lied and used one of these excuses?

And charged for the wasted slot

I just think cancelling on the day due to nerves is a load of rubbish - they’ve had months to get to this point and can talk through all of it before hand! Same as just not turning up

Are you asking us or telling us?

Ideally, it costs so much!

Why do you care?

Cancelling what?

I think if you miss or change 2 appointments that can happen already - my colleagues partner has multiple health conditions and has been threatened with this when they tried to change an appointment (for legitimate reason) and they had missed an appointment because they didn't recieve the letter with date on until the day after they should have been there!

You make no sense at all.

Perfect for the NHS I guess. Maybe get back to work and stop wasting public money on mumsnet.

DM used to do this all the time. However, many times they booked her in for things she didn't want, they didn't discuss it with her properly, and she didn't press her case of not wanting the treatments. If I happened to catch these appointments, I cancelled them in her behalf, but often she just didn't turn up. Infuriating.

See also being pressed by ambulance crew to go to hospital, then checking herself out, and...

See also prescribing meds she had no intention of taking. Drawers full. Also infuriating.

Why are so many of your patients so nervous?

I would like letters with appointments sent out, before the appointment while we're on.

We operate a '2 strikes and you are out' policy. Of course people get sick on the day, their childcare falls through etc, so we allow for 1 missed or same day cancellation. They go to bottom of list. On 2nd time they are discharged back to gp. Unfortunately wait lists are so long and appt so precious, we have to be a bit strict, otherwise everyone ends up waiting even longer

Yes, and I'd like to be able to book an appointment online, not have a time and day sent to me and then have to call during certain hours to change it.

Some days it's unavoidable. I was due a scan - came out to get in the car and the brake warning light came on. Was the car safe to drive? I didn't know and called out the AA. It was half an hour before my appointment but couldn't take the risk.

I cancelled the appointment and as it turned out, the brakes needed doing. It would have been safe to drive a few miles up the road but I couldn't know that. Fortunately, I've got an appointment reset for next month.

Should I be penalised for that? I was being careful.

Ah imagine. A letter coming saying it's time and please book your appointment online? That's like a different dimension dream healthcare that.

We've had multiple appointments cancelled on US on the day, most memorable when I was sitting in the waiting room. There was another where the date and time on the letter was an error and they asked me how I got the letter 🙄

Last dentist appointment was an hour and a half past it's time because the dentist arrived late, that was even more annoying as it was private.

Perhaps be a little less judgmental. You have no idea why people have cancelled. Or, more importantly, what is their urgency/clinical need, and what is needed to get them through the door.

I've only ever cancelled one hospital appointment, due to heavy snow and a road blocked by abandoned vehicles. Would that be up to your standards?

Also, remember that it works both ways. I was half way through a week of radiotherapy appointments when the hospital rang and changed my appt to a hospital 64 miles away, at two hours notice. I then entered into to a 'Challenge Anneka' race across the country to get there in time, and ensure the series of treatments was not interrupted. I didn't complain, I just got on with it.

But I do understand your frustration. Perhaps call them all, the previous day. It might help.

you leave the car and call a taxi?

Of course that’s a good reason. And I agree the hospital cancelling on the day is just as bad - but they get fined for it.

There wouldn't have been time. Unfortunately, our local taxi service is not terribly reliable.

Letters do get sent.

I mean RTT rules mean you can’t “put them to the bottom of the list” regardless of 2 strikes and you’re out etc. Rules suite dictate the patient needs to be clinically reviewed and consultant agree to remove them from the in patient or outpatient waiting list and (for the former,) brought back to clinic or discharged back to GP.

op doesn’t your place operate a standby list? Thats how we’ve mitigated our cancelled ops wastage. We also have someone ring the patient 24-48 hours before to check all still good to go ahead.

but I agree the DNA when you can see letters and text reminders have gone out in the appropriate time frame (appreciate this doesn’t always happen) are really disappointing and frustrating. As is the surgeon/anaesthetic turning up too late, or the kit being wet and unusable and because we’re clamping down on money there’s no spare kits around to use, or because there’s no beds.