People complaining about NHS appointments on a Sunday

[reallyffspeople]

This is just a moan. I’m currently working to book people in for outpatients appointments. Some of these people have been on the waiting list for years, I’m calling them to offer them appointments and they’re giving me grief because they’re on a Sunday!!

I bet these are the same people who complain that they’ve been waiting so long 🤦🏼‍♀️ complaining it’s not convenient to them and it’s their weekend, as if I’m not giving up my weekend to call them! I just can’t believe that people can act like this

Positives of Sunday appts -
. No need to miss work
. Parking will be easier at hospital car park or depending on the hospital, able to park around hospital for free or cheaper

Disadvantages
. Those who rely on PT have limited service or none

OP
Did the patients who complained about the Sunday appts - did they give reasons why?

I understand the public transport situation but if they had zero plans - no need

Then this post isn’t about you?

Most just seemed to be really annoyed that they were being asked to come in on a Sunday

If people want that much choice then they need to go private really

It's difficult I know. Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that everyone who can't make the appointment doesn't really need one. I really hope you can get one soon!

We do not have to be a slave to the NHS. A week’s notice is not a lot of notice for a lot of people especially at this time of year. Have you never heard of the NHS Constitution? Patients are allowed choice and the service should meet their needs and reflect their preferences.

Is it the short notice? I know I need help to get to appointments so that would give me pause...because I can't check it's ok during a short notice phone call with my carer travel support.

I had this once after waiting over 2 years once..a call at 5pm for an appointment the following day in a city down the motorway, city centre hospital no easy access appointment at 9.30am...I couldn't arrange support to get there OR work cover.

Even after waiting a long time you need time to plan how to get there ...so short notice appointments can be incredibly ableist and thoughtless. Patients may need to arrange help to get there.

Interestingly, I went to a Sunday Pre OP clinic my trust ran with, I now know, agency staff. Pretty much every bit of advice I was given was walked back by a matron who called a few days later late into the evening, some really out of range results were ignored and much later I was told no such clinics would be attempted again ...after complaints

What part of that allows them to swear down the phone at people who have given up their weekends to ensure they can even be booked onto these clinics though? If you can’t make it just say that, don’t swear at people

It’s probably the short notice rather than specifically the Sunday. It’s very annoying to be on a waiting list (after jumping through all of the nhs hoops and battling gps who are dismissive and ignorant/rude) and then get a call from someone who assumes you should be gleefully grateful to be offered a last minute appointment on a Sunday - many people will have already promised kids to do something, have family commitments, have church, haven’t had a day off for ages, whatever.

But they are rude because they are rude - would be if you offered a Tuesday. That’s why.

Seems like you’re taking this and making it about “they should be grateful” - which, honestly, is the nhs culture all over - rather than making it about “some people are horribly rude”

I've had a couple of Sunday appointments - the first time I'd only been referred a week or so before and had been told it was at least a 3 month wait so I was a bit thrown to receive a letter with a Sunday appt less that 2 weeks later.... I did phone to check that a) it wasn't an admin error and b) they didn't think it was more serious than I'd been told. I was reassured it was just as they were getting the backlog down before Christmas 😆

With the backlog for NHS appointments at the moment,I would happily take an appointment on any day of the week, including Sunday! I have an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon,with a view to having a hip replacement op,for the beginning of April next year. This was made in the middle of August this year. I knew the waiting lists were long but I never thought I'd have a seven and a half month wait just for the initial appointment!

To be fair not all of us drive, my village doesn't have a train station and the bus service was stopped, so it would cost a fortune by cab for me.

Agree. What makes it ok to swear at nhs staff. I do not accept the "oh but they might be stressed, anxious, upset " excuse.
It's bad behaviour and shouldn't be pandered too.
You can't go into Tesco and scream at staff because your favourite biscuits have sold out. You would get barred

This is exactly it. I know it might be frustrating to be waiting forever for an appointment, just to be offered one and not be able to make it. But that doesn’t give you a right to swear at me

DD lives in a care home 160 miles away. She comes home every 3 weeks for a week - 10 days, at their request for her mental health. We usually go on a Saturday or Sunday, so DH doesn’t lose a day’s work unpaid, and the roads are quieter. The M6 is very busy in the week! We usually book her returns home, several months in advance, so her care staff can book their holidays.

Care staff always find it hard to get time off. They have complained to us for years, about how they were promised at their interview, they’d get every other weekend off; and in reality they don’t get it! Or, they said at the interview, that they needed Sundays off to care for their DM, and are put under pressure to work on Sundays!

If her staff have booked their holidays, on the basis DD is at home from one Sunday to the next, we don’t like having to tell them, we are picking her up on the Monday, and can they find two people to cover the day shifts on the Sunday, because one of us has a hospital appointment. (We don’t want to take her with us, and she has to sit around bored for several hours. Not good for her and stressful for us!)

So you would simply decline the appointment then as it doesn't suit. So long as you aren't swearing at op, then it's fine.

I find it a bit weird that people think Sunday clinics shouldn't run because it doesn't suit THEM - can't you see it reduces the list so you will get seen sooner? They are doing these Sunday clinics IN ADDITION to the weekdays, not instead of.

It's shocking how selfish people can be- only seeing their own needs!

Sorry to hear you were abused doing your job op.

I've been offered two CT scans this year at the weekend. So, your general point - weekend appointments or not - still applies.

F people are low income they can claim transport costs for some appointments

And most people can arrange a lift

Public transport where I am is poor/nonexistent on a Sunday so could be an issue for some.

As a PP says, childcare can also be an issue.

I wouldn't have anyone to take young DC many weekends. I'm married but DH works away. I'm happy to pay for babysitters but also hard to come by here.

She’s only calling them to offer an appointment……..if people have preferences of location then they’re stated at referral and then the referral goes to the hospital where they want to go.

When I was working full time I would have loved a Sunday appointment! I’m currently undergoing tests/treatment for a few different conditions and feel really guIlty when I get sent a first thing in the morning appointment as I know they are preferred for workers who then don’t have to request as much time off work.

you can’t please some people, but I think the majority of 9-5 workers would be extremely happy with a weekend appointment.

I would be incredulous if offered a Sunday appointment.

If I relied on public transport I might be horrified though.

I’m betting you wouldn’t swear at the person offering it though?

I would love a Sunday appointment! So much easier than juggling around work.

But I think if someone rang and offered a Sunday appointment I would be quite taken back

I also guess that when the kids were little then as a single mum with no family near the reality was week day appointments were pretty essential

That's a really good point about public transport!