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?

but this isn't a clinical decision its administrative. I don't see why the OP can't go to Pals? The people who do the scheduling don't make the rules personally. You aren't complaining about then personally, you are making an enquiry about the system.

OP I have had 3 hospital appointments cancelled and now have none at all for an eye disease. I have been going to this hospital for 13 years, had several surgeries there and they have never done this before. Also I have a prospective appointment at another hospital for a condition I do not actually have but if I don;t hear from them by end July I should contact them. This is after nhs head nurse and physio visited me AT HOME!!

what is an NHS head Nurse? Are you saying that Duncan Burton visited you?

SIILLY ME - I mean she is called that here in central London by herself. Another nhs error?

The fact that, as someone who works there, you state you wouldn’t want to complain to PALS because it would be marked on your notes and therefore presumably you think you’d be treated differently as a result (!), and that it would be assumed you are “difficult”, shows exactly what is wrong with the NHS and why care is so poor.

I’m sorry for your situation OP. I think you should complain as should everybody else on the receiving of sub-standard care, unacceptable delays and lack of appropriate and clear communication with patients.

Complaining is not bad behaviour - it’s an entirely acceptable action if the process is broken, the service is bad or the care sub standard. Now, perhaps some in the NHS rationalise it as bad behaviour, because that’s easier or less work than actually tackling the issue, but that’s an NHS fault not a patient one!

Their email bounce back says there’s “no timeline” for them answering.

FUCK ME!! All I want is to know when this appointment will be

So PAL's is doing the thing it's supposed to do? You've been let down, PAL's is supposed to be a middleman to help no? I am now concerned that you think PAL's patients are somehow bad and you don't want that on your record.

I just wrote a PALs last night. 14 months I've been waiting. This patients patience has run out.

I’ve never once said that, stop reading into what I’m saying. I’m saying I personally feel like it looks like I’m trying to get ahead of the queue, when I’m not.

well "you personally" are wrong.

Okay? Why is it that whenever an NHS staff member starts a thread on here they get treated really rudely?

As I read OP's message, patient A complains about delay and gets prioritised, which pushes patient B further down the queue. That seems unfair

Why would it look like that when you're just after your appointment replacement that was cancelled? I wouldn't think you were queue jumping.

I worked in hospital admin for 26 years. I didn't abuse the system, but I knew enough people to be able to ask a general query about waiting times without it coming across as asking for a favour. However - in your situation I think I would contact either the consultant's secretary, if you think you may have been forgotten (that has happened to me for a cancelled max fax procedure) or the central booking team, if you have one. An appointment cancelled by them should not send you back to the bottom of the list, when I rang up about mine I was seen within 2 weeks!

Exactly. The NHS is not only substandard but clearly toxic as well.

The staff have a culture of covering up mistakes and disrespecting patients but the OP’s posts are very revealing in that there’s clearly a culture of having convinced themselves that patients should think themselves lucky if they very belatedly receive the care they need.

It seems they pretend it is a problem with the patient if they expect to be provided with a treatment plan with appropriate timeframes, and for this to actually be delivered. This attitude is so apparent in many of the staff now in how they speak to patients, as though patients’ very existence is an inconvenience rather than the reason they are employed by us all!

Christ alive.

The majority of the NHS is now beyond a parody of itself.

Lucky him. Many are not because of precisely the behaviours I described from NHS staff.

I’m not saying I judge patients ffs. But of course I forgot this is Mumsnet where everyone hates the nhs

I am retired from the NHS. I am probably in a different geographical area from you but to my certain knowledge because I used to deal with them a lot, that is not how PAL's works here.

This comment actually confirmed one of my fears.
I don't complain because I'm terrified of being treated even worse than I already am. I had no idea that I was actually right.

You think this makes your comment ok? People who complain are “right whingers”?!

I love the NHS, it's a treasure but it's a little sick itself now.
But you have made some strange comments!

That’s not what I said, is it? I said I feel like one, mainly because it’s not a serious health issue but I have been trying to contact them for so long

You don’t get treated worse because of complaints.