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

You’ve literally been there less than a week. Come back after a month when you realise most admin workers and staff in NHS are incompetent.

Not sure about anyone else's circumstances but a taxi to our local hospital there and back would cost about £120.00 not easy to find.

We get letters, but sometimes they arrive days after the appointment.

Also need to add, I’m impressed that anybody can cancel an NHS appointment these days. They have nobody answering phones, it’s always a recorded message asking you to leave a message, but nobody ever calls you back. It’s extremely frustrating.

That's a bit rude. Your opening post wasn't clear really eg you haven't said what your job is

I had an appointment a couple of weeks ago that was moved (both backwards and forwards in date) 7 times in 5 months, I did manage to turn up at the right date and time but it felt like pot luck by the end. I've also missed an appointment for my daughter before as the letter turned up after the appointment time. It feels like very basic and achievable admin could reduce a lot of missed appointments before you can then properly address genuinely 'wasted' appointments.

Gosh there’s some rude people about today

YANBU OP. It's not too much to ask that people call to cancel with enough notice that the slot can be given to someone else, which they would make sure they did if it was an appointment for a hairdresser/nails or any other service provider that would charge a fee for a late notice cancellation or no show.

Yes, this.

What are they cancelling?

Maybe there's a way to lessen their fear of it? Information, preparation?

I think OP has a point. I remember needing dental work and every time the booking came up I would cancel due to nerves.

On my 3rd time cancelling the dentist spoke to me about the potential about being put to sleep or having someone with me to calm my nerves and that every time someone no shows or cannot come due to nerves it means someone else has missed out on the opportunity to be seen.

To me it was valid to cancel, but I think it does put pressure on the nhs and to others who desperately want to be seen too

Judging

Nerves are a real thing though. The nerves I feel before the dentist are unreal I’ve sometimes planned to have someone go with me to find they can’t no longer on that day. Also if it’s anything more than just a talking appointment I think it’s fair people can have a change of heart if they want to right up until the last minute. But yes just not turning up for the appointment on the day because you can’t be bothered when people are on long waiting lists is totally unfair and wrong x

Most services (if pretty generic) do let you reschedule your appointment online, but obviously if you need to see a certain clinician then it makes sense that the hospital staff would allocate you an appointment rather than you self booking. It's not that much to ask to have to call within a certain set of hours to reschedule given you hopefully don't often need to reschedule - I mean it's an appointment for your health in a system we all know is massively stretched, unless you're out of the country or completely unavailable just adjust your plans and prioritise your appointment.

"Most services" - citation needed. None of the services I use have that facility.

It's 2025. Wanting to be able to book online is not a big ask.

If they were paying , and would be charged for a cancellation you’d be surprised how many people would make an effort to go. Also NHS admin peopel are paid a pittance work work extremely hard , due to recruitment freezes doing the work of two people with shit outdated IT equipment .

Missed appointments at hospitals are often not down to patients, but down to commincation failures by the nhs. Letters that don't get sent either electronically or digitally or by phone.

Attended hospital today for one appointment completly unaware they had also booked me in for a nurses appointment which they were about to mark me as absent for. The consultant asked how I got on at the nurses appointment my blank look was a giveaway obviously. Thankfully they were able to squeeze me in as I had been in early.

Well that argument goes both ways.....3 times my DP has had appointments cancelled with no reason given....maybe he should charge the NHS for wasting his time.

Really depends on the individual circumstances and what people are cancelling on. A lot of people’s conditions deteriorate over the long time it takes to even get an appointment - they may have days where they can’t even get out of the house. It’s frustrating especially in the dental setting where we see patients no-showing emergency appointments (that they have made that day!) but everyone has a reason.

But most services I mean pretty much all GP referrals to secondary care are on the e-referral platform where patients can reschedule themselves..what kind of appointments are you referring to? Surely you understand that (most) specialist appointments or diagnostics require you to be seen by a specific person or have a test within a certain timeframe that it makes sense that the service books you in and you attend (unless you really have to reschedule) rather than endless open referrals awaiting patients to book an appointment when they feel like it?

I have an appointment next week at the hospital which I am incredibly nervous about. Will attend though. But my nerves have come from no one explaining about the procedure and that for some women it can be incredibly painful for. I was told by the hospital no different from a smear, but having spoken to others, and reading other women's experiences know that while that might be true for some women, some need a ga.

perhaps the hospital staff should be a lot more open and honest about these things and acknowledge that people will be worried

Yes to this and to @gamerchick’s point above.

And I’d like the digital cancellation/postponement systems of hospitals to actually work; and not to fail every bloody time due to lack of communication with the relevant departments.

And I’d like PALS to acknowledge that these digital systems don’t work and step in, not let patients be sent shitty letters and bumped back to their GPs for ‘DNA crimes’ they didn’t commit.

Surely you don't think the entire NHS is the same as your local area and surely you don't think only booking systems will allow you to put in any day or time you like? Surely!

'It's 2025. Wanting to be able to book online is not a big ask.'

Couldn't agree more. The amount of patient communication that happens by letter is just utterly bananas

I can see both sides here. I work in the NHS too and I agree with OP that the public have no clue how much work goes on behind the scenes to set up clinics, arrange room bookings, book patients in, organise clinicians schedules, etc. Staff are often using clunky, maddening, antiquated systems which are totally inefficient. It is so disheartening when patients cancel last minute, or even just don't show up. It means a huge amount of wasted time

Of course, I'm also a patient and i understand that sometimes things just happen and life gets in the way. And I've certainly had experience of appointments being cancelled by the NHS last minute or v late, and sometimes being rescheduled for a time that just isn't convenient for you. No one in the system feels valued or fairly treated, staff or patients

The number of wasted appointments is ridiculous.

There’s a lot that both patients and the health service could do it to reduce it.

My private physio - I get written confirmation of the appointment booking after it’s made (email or letter, opt which format when register).

I then get an email reminder 3 days beforehand, including reminding that any cancellation within 48 hours incurs charges. And another reminder the day before.

I can cancel and rebook through the online system.

NHS physio sends appointments by letter, that sometimes arrive after the appointment. To cancel or rearrange requires magical powers of phone timing. I’ve been a no show despite being determined to go, because the appointment letter arrived two days after the appointment.

Maybe the NHS could stop sending out appointments to my dead father. I have told them so many times.

At a recent cardiology appointment they were thanking me for turning up which I found strange. They said they have no shows every single day.

As it happens the persons before and after me didn’t turn up so she was able to ring her colleague and get the ball rolling for me a little bit faster as she used the time to do that and called me with the update.