Hospital won’t rebook cancelled appointment, but I can’t complain

[whatareyouwaitingforr]

I have been on a waiting list for an orthopaedic physiotherapy consultation for 5 months now. I had an appointment booked, but I got a voicemail to say it was cancelled last month and they said they’d “rebook by post”. The hospital uses an app that is instant. When something is booked, it goes straight through to the app.

I know this because I work there. I am in an adjacent department to this one. So I can’t complain.

I’ve called everyday, sent emails, tried everything to get in contact with them. They don’t answer their phones, nor do they answer emails. I’m at a loss, mainly because I know after this appointment it’ll be another 6 months before I can get a scan and I’m due to go on holiday in August. I don’t particularly want to cancel, but I’m worried that waiting for this will make my insurance unaffordable.

Is there anything I can do besides PALS?

you should contact PALS then. I mean what else can you do if the department don’t bother to monitor emails and do not answer their phones. You have been trying for weeks and getting nowhere. You are asking for special treatment at all.

What will they do? This has all come from a self referral to physio, who then referred me on

If it's less than a minute away just go there and talk to someone, surely!? I don't understand why it being in a different building is relevant if you're saying it's so close you could go to a cancellation at the drop of a hat.

PALS was rubbish for me, asked for details I sent them (very intimate and distressing gynae stuff) and they didn’t acknowledge or reply. I had to contact them again, almost complained about PALS, they they decided I wouldn’t want conflict so they wouldn’t take it forward and would just pass on my concern. Absolutely useless

The very obvious answer if you don’t want to use PALS is to go there in person.

The physio building is a minute away. The team that book appointments for the hospital have been moved off site, away from everyone else. (Part of me suspects it’s because of staff who would go in and ask!)

I have no idea why you think it wouldn't be. Second example given on the NHS website is
'help resolve concerns or problems when you're using the NHS'. This is exactly what you can use PALS for. I have used it myself for similar reasons and found it very effective.

OP, please do contact them, it really shouldn't cause any issues, I've done it when I worked in the NHS and worked in related service. It's what it's there for!

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/hospitals/what-is-pals-patient-advice-and-liaison-service/

It's not Wes Streeting anymore! It's James Murray, the outgoing chief secretary to the Treasury...😀

I deal with complaints and pals. We would never expedite something due to either. NHS complaints regs are also very clear that complaints should never form part of the clinical record so they do not negatively influence care.

Just contact pals. That's the procedure, you've tried everything else. You are being a bit silly really, just use the system that's in place.

Management do it at ours 🤷🏻‍♀️ I just don’t want to look like I’m trying to get special treatment

It's not special treatment. You're being a bit of a marytr.

You need to get control of this. It's an appt they cancelled and can't reinstate because of crap IT systems.

If you self referred for physio I don't quite understand how that works.

This is for NHS physio?

OP, I hope you can get some priority, seems unfair if your appointment was cancelled through no fault on your part

But We get surgeries expedited by PALs complaints probably every other month. At our hospital, they just want to avoid anything bigger than a PALs, so they get it expedited seems unfair that people who complain get to queue jump, but those who wait patiently are penalised. Seems like rewarding bad behaviour

The physio building is a minute away. The team that book appointments for the hospital have been moved off site, away from everyone else. (Part of me suspects it’s because of staff who would go in and ask!)

If you're really that bothered, go to the physio building and talk to someone.

Honestly, you're being a bit slow in coming forward.

If they can't book the appts, they will at least listen to you and get the ball rolling.

Your being ridiculous ask your colleagues for advice what they would do
they’ll all probably say contact pals

You could try a letter, stamp and post to the head of that department.

Yes, it’s NHS.

We have to self refer to a physio (I tried seeing my GP and they refused!), they then do a video call, which I had back in November. You then get sent to face to face and if after a couple of face to face appointments you get sent to a consultant if they think ortho involvement is needed.

They can’t do anything, it’s nothing to do with them. They have nothing to do with the outpatients admin team

Starting to think a recorded delivery might be the only way to get a confirmed sign of life from them at this point 😩

I have this issue with the hospital I go to - consultant out patient line and admissions phone line rings out and then cuts out.

i get regular appointments that are always cancelled - my physio suspects that they are just put in and cancelled.

So frustrating - I did once contact Pals and stressed I was not complaining - just needed help.

They contacted the relevant department for me - it was not a 100 per cent success but they tried and said they were there for that sort of issue.

They did suggest a complaint but I did not want to go there as I did not want to be labelled a complainer.

I would try Pals

OP didn’t say she thought patients who used PALS were difficult. She said she works in the hospital and doesn’t want her own case to be flagged via PALS.

As you are blocking every suggestion and saying that PALs does work to expedite these things in your hospital, the answer is obvious, isn't it?

I didn’t realise you could do that. I may well reach out and just explain that I don’t want to complain, I just want some idea of timelines as I’m travelling at the end of the summer

I’m a bit confused- surely you just wait for the next appt? Or are you asking for it to be expedited? Do you have a reason for it to be expedited or do you just want it sooner?

Have you tried leaving a voicemail because no one seems to answer the phone anymore.

I’m waiting to be booked. It’s been four weeks since it was cancelled and nothing. I just need a date for an appointment, so I know whether I need to contact my travel insurance or not.

I’ve done everything. Voicemails, emails, even a message on our app!

I suppose the only good thing about this is that the longer I wait for this initial appointment the sooner treatment comes because my pathway has been ticking for ages. Small positives I guess!