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

Always loads of people at the bus stops at the large hospital nearest me. Always seem to be a fairly steady stream of taxis dropping off and picking up as well.

People are weird... I had a few routine scans in both pregnancies on Sundays and it was great as so much easier to find parking at the hospital. DD2 was born on a Sunday too, best day to have a baby as so much quieter in general on the wards!!

Yes, we would and wouldn’t dream of being abusive to any employee, doing their job.

However, OP says if patients want that much choice, they should go private! There will be a number of unpaid carers, who find it hard to find an alternative at short notice for a Sunday!

I think if you want to dictate exact time etc that you’re offered you should be going private! Not abusing people who phone you up to offer a date.

I would be pleased to be offered a weekend appointment. Myself.

I had a 10:15 this morning booked some weeks ago after moaning why my surgery doesn't take e-consults.!

would happily see a gp on what is considered my spare time.

If you have been waiting over a year for an appointment, get offered an appt for Sunday, to reject it with no valid reason - is pointless. Valid reasons include on holiday (away from home), not well or have no transport. Anything else, back at the bottom of the queue.

I had a text on a Thursday last month, could I attend my eye dept appt on Saturday in two days time. I was able to do this.

I’d very much struggle to attend a Sunday hospital appointment. I wouldn’t be rude about it at all but my husband works Sundays and as he’s self employed, he’d lose a whole days wages to drive me.

Busses and trains run on a reduced timetable and I’d need a carer with me, the person who travels with me on busses to medical appointments does not have short notice Sunday childcare.

A taxi would be something like £50 each way and I don’t have that money spare at short notice, the patient transport service I use occasionally, does not run on weekends. For some people their health issues or disability means they have to carefully plan things that others might take for granted.

There’s plenty of reasons why someone maybe can’t attend on a Sunday or who will struggle to and it doesn’t mean that they don’t need the appointment.

There’s no excuse for being rude to you at all though.

DH had a routine MRI scan at 8.00am on a Sunday. It was great. No traffic on the roads and plenty of space in the car park. The only comment we made (to ourselves) was how, now that he's retired he got a weekend appointment when he could go at any time when most working people would be grateful for a Sunday appointment. But from your post OP, it would appear that they're not!

I doubt that’s the reason for most of the complainers… Some people just don’t like change, any change, and will
moan about anything and everything they can.

I like weekend appt - only negative I could see for a Sunday would be accessing public transport to attend due to timetable?

I’d jump at a Sunday appointment.

Although weekend appointments are brilliant for many, including those who work, public transport is rubbish with some services closing down on Sundays

Taxis are expensive, paid carers/companions charge extra for weekend work and if mobility is so affected that they need patient transport, some trusts don't run on weekends at all

People who work on a Sunday know how hard it is to get someone else to cover a Sunday... 2 weeks before Christmas... with one week's notice.
Not a chance.

I was so grateful when I got 24hrs notice for a Sunday app in a private hosp via nhs

Childcare (hospitals don't like you taking your kids)
affordable transport (no public transport here on Sundays, taxis too expensive)
caring responsibilities for older/unwell people.

lots of things.

no Need to be rude to the person on the phone though. But sometimes their people skills are sadly lacking.

the NHS doesn’t exist to fit around your life. It exists to fix you. And on the cheap. Because taxes.

if you can’t find childcare you take your kids - or you think about what would happen if you got hit by a bus

if you truly have no friends that would help out in that situation you need to sort your life out and perhaps the problem is the selfish self centeredness ( that I “ oh I can’t possibly make that time “ demonstrates ) is part of the problem

Where am I being rude? Merely stating my approval for other options. Yes people can't always do that but surely by me taking a weekend appointment if possible it frees up an appointment for people like yourself that can't get there on those days.

As someone that is having a minimum of two appointments a week in hospital at the moment having an option where I don't have to think about childcare or fighting for a parking space takes off the mental load somewhat.

Didn’t you comprehend my post? I have never been abusive to NHS staff!