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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to suggest the reason why the NHS loses millions every year due to missed appointments is because the administration department is run by incompetent monkeys?

65 replies

EccentricaGallumbits · 01/06/2009 22:21

A letter today, copied to the GP stating that DD hasn't attended a hospital appointment in May.

Perhaps the reason she missed the appointment is because I wasn't informed of it.

Again.

this is the second time this year this has happened. This will be put in her notes and in her GP record and that is 2 much needed appointments we haven't been to because we knew nothing about them.

They are incompetent.

OP posts:
KatyMac · 01/06/2009 22:23

It's so annoying when that happens

This month we had an appointment on the 4th to discuss the results of the scan DH has booked on the 8th......they time-travel too

oodlesofpoodles · 01/06/2009 22:26

Same thing happened to me. Ds saw the peadiatrician, he said ds was fine but to make a follow up appointment if I was concerned, which I wasn't so I didn't make an appointment. I have since had 2 snooty letters saying I have missed apointments. The letters are in his file at the GP to make me look like an incompetent fool who can't even be bothered to take their sick child to the hospital.

EightiesChick · 01/06/2009 22:27

The thread will be flooded with people telling you you're BU and the NHS is brilliant, does a great job in difficult circumstances etc, so I'll be the twig resisting the tide and say YANBU. I do agree with all of the above in many instances, but in many others things are just not run well, and people cling to jobs they're not particularly good at because they can, and expectations of customer service are low. I could list many examples of why I agree with you, but can't be bothered, and anyway those who don't want to think that way won't be persuaded (until of course it's their appointment not sent, records lost and so on).

Hope you are going to write and complain about this particular admin department's performance.

Meglet · 01/06/2009 22:28

a couple of years ago i was sent a letter saying i had missed an appointment (an appointment i had been chasing desperately) and it turned out they had managed to send it to a house i lived in 20 years previously.

i suppose its a case of too much work and not enough admin staff to get it really organised. But surely if they spent some timne + money (in an ideal world I know!) on it they'll save money on the missed appointments.

Ninkynork · 01/06/2009 22:28

YANBU, my mother caused destruction worked for the NHS for twenty years. I try not to think about it too much.

oodlesofpoodles · 01/06/2009 22:29

On dds notes at the GP it says she is in care and I am her foster carer. I admit I look nothing like her but its a bit of a cheek to assume she is in care .

Kathyis6incheshigh · 01/06/2009 22:30

LOL. Talking of NHS customer service, I rang the wrong number today and booked my 20 week scan privately instead of with the NHS. The thing that made me realise I'd called the wrong number was that the woman on the other end of the phone was nice to me. It made me realise how much rudeness we accept from them usually just because it's free.

Original poster
EccentricaGallumbits · 01/06/2009 22:31

I know the NHS can be bloody fabulous. I'm a chuffing nurse for gods sake. I am chuffing fabulous in extreeme circumstances.

Is it that difficult to actually tell people they have an appointment?

I do now look like an uncaring forgetful neglectful mother and I'm bloody not.

I am bloody furious that this has happened again. Last time I phoned up and ranted but the next appointment they could offer was a further 3 months away. I suppose the next time they'll be able to squeeze her in will be next bloody christmas.

OP posts:
BoysAreLikeDogs · 01/06/2009 22:32

omg kathy I have missed an amazing piece of news haven't I ? Wow congratulations !!

Kathyis6incheshigh · 01/06/2009 22:34

Thanks BoysAre.

paranoidmother · 01/06/2009 22:36

Can I also point out that when you turn up for an appointment it would be nice of the nurse to not whisper the next persons name into the folder she is holding. Then when that person doesn't get up, she tuts and calls out some one elses name.

I've had this in the x-ray department, Urinry (sp ) and also in ENT - I ask you, people already can't hear without them not speaking up. (sorry slightly annoyed)

StewieGriffinsMom · 01/06/2009 22:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

pointydog · 01/06/2009 22:39

congrats on baby, kathy

(hospital admin is often rubbish, I think)

edam · 01/06/2009 22:40

some trusts pull stunts like this deliberately to avoid missing waiting time targets. If the patient is a 'did not attend' they don't count as someone waiting over 18/13 weeks.

NOT suggesting this is necessarily the case, but it's not unknown for trusts to accidentally encourage staff to book appointments on dates that patients have given as unavailable - you know, patient says I'll be on holiday August 13-20th...

But more often it's a ruddy cock up because the system doesn't work.

Your hospital should have a Patient Advocacy and Liaison Service (unless it's been abolished and renamed since the last time I looked, which is entirely possible). Have a look on their website and raise a complaint. With the director of whatever clinical service it is dd needs - paediatrics or whatever, look up the board and see who the director responsible for dd's area is and address your complaint to them at the trust's HQ.

oodlesofpoodles · 01/06/2009 22:42

I went for a 40 wk scan with ds and I was in the computer at antenatal reception but not at scan reception. The scan receptionist was muttering to her friend along the lines of 'bloody stupid woman, she thinks if she just turns up then she can get another pic of her baby'. I burst into tears .

I do love the nhs really though. They saved ds2 life.

Original poster
EccentricaGallumbits · 01/06/2009 22:42

I do work in the bloody place. will throw my considerable weight around. will kick ass. and shout and quite possibly cry if they tell me it will be another 4 months until she gets seen.

OP posts:
edam · 01/06/2009 22:44

at Stewie's story but thank heavens they didn't accidentally book her in for something really scary.

One leading London teaching hospital managed to confuse two gynae patients in the waiting room - at least one of the patients didn't speak English so didn't realise the name was wrong. Gave woman A the hysterectomy the woman B was supposed to have and vice-versa.

Only very, very luckily, when they realised their mistake, they decided that during surgery they'd found something that meant woman A should have had a hysterectomy anyway, so wasn't it all just as well in the long run...

treedelivery · 01/06/2009 22:46

When I read the referral letter my GP sent to the maternity dept, it said I had previously broken my thumb and had 1 termination.

All day dreams.

Admin staff are often temps [it's an amazingly complex place to work so they haven't a hope of getting it under their belt before leaving] and on basic wage. Mainly students at my old place.

StewieGriffinsMom · 01/06/2009 22:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

LaDiDaDi · 01/06/2009 22:52

YANBU.

The hospital clinic I work in had patients booked in for my clinic for both Bank Holiday Mondays in May. There was concern from the management about why I was cancelling clinics at less than 6 weeks notice (against hospital policy) as I had only realised this in April. When I pointed out the problem they still seemed to think it was my fault that the software system hadn't identified BHs and I think would have suggested that I still do the clinics if it weren't that the entire OP department would have been closed.

mammya · 01/06/2009 23:02

YANBU, I had a phonecall from the hospital today telling me I had missed an appointment that I knew nothing about... Apparently they sent a letter I never received anything.

NigellaTufnel · 01/06/2009 23:05

Last time I was sitting waiting for an appointment (over an hour late, of course) my DH noticed that they still used a big office diary, no computers or anything more sophisticated than a pen.

We decided that Letts is propped up solely by the NHS.

And don't get me started on how long it is taking to get my medical records from the sodding Royal Free in London.
Nevermind that the phone number they gave us to call when I was in labour had been disconnected.

And at the risk of coming accross as a Nazi (dons tin hat), I find it incredbibly frustrating that none of the people I dealt with on the phone at the Royal free (who have English as a second language) understand my very clear regional accent.

SparklyGothKat · 01/06/2009 23:09

I have missed a few appointments that I have never recieved letters for...

The best one was when I recieved a card from Post office saying I had a letter with no postage and I had to collect and pay £1.28. When I got there it was a letter from hospital saying about an appointment I had to attend with Ds2 a few days later. This happened TWICE!!!

UndertheBoredwalk · 01/06/2009 23:10

YANBU, I had a huge spate of this last year with one of DD's consultants. When we finally got in to see him, I was explaining what we felt we should now be doing with DD, when he started muttering about how we 'could have started this much earlier if only we'd turn up for bloody appointments' I lost my temper and shot back that yes we could have started it much earlier if only his bloody secretary would learn how to post out appointment letters

NigellaTufnel · 01/06/2009 23:12

Bored - what did the consultant say?

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