"Pretend" appointment on the NHS app

[KatyMac]

So I'm being asked to pick a clinic on my nhs app for a referral I have & all the appointments are for 1am invthe morning

So I rang the appointments line and they say I'm to leave it alone as they are pretend appointments for the staff

So I have a few questions

a) what is a pretend appointment for
b) why am I being asked to book a clinic if I'm not supposed to
c) does this cause a lot of distress to people who book thinking it's lunchtime turn up and it's both the wrong clinic and a pretend one

Thanks just don't like unanswered questions

That’s a very stupid system to have!

I don't even know what that means, pretend appointment for staff? I think I'd ring and talk to someone else.

Maybe system test?

I've just googled and found this which says don't use them (I think - it's complex language)

https://digital.nhs.uk/services/e-referral-service/document-library/dummy-appointments

We've used these in the past when I've worked in GP surgeries. Basically it's the only way admin can keep on top of 'things to do' for patients. We had a problem when staff were putting in 'admin appointments ' for patients but accidentally selecting 'send patient confirmation text'. Lots of confused patients! But yes, it is standard practice on the systems the NHS use. Although they should be set to not be bookable by patients..

I mean I haven't tried to book one but I get as far as day/time from the initial prompt

Should I try?

Actually I can get as far as book appointment

Thisnsortnof thing shouldn't be patient accessible really

I mean it's an appt on 11th March, I could be so chuffed to get one so soon I wouldn't look at details like 1:02 am

I got told off by the health visitor for booking appointments that didn’t exist. Not my fault they are available to book in the app!

Tbh I'd be happy to go at one in the morning, I imagine the parking would be better

But at 1am? Who is using that time to do admin??

It's an administrative error on the e-referral system. The dummy appointments should have been set to unbookable in the backend of the system so they they wouldn't show as bookable on the front end (what the patient sees). The dummy appointments can be set up for all sorts of reasons, including testing.

Same as @Femb0t said. We hold dummy appointments to time track admin/hold lists etc, someone has just cocked up the admin more than likely a human error but then we all make mistakes occasionally don’t we!

I don't have a problem with people making mistakes (God knows I'm fallable)

I just like knowing what's happening

Basically it's just a slot for the hospital to put you in so you are on a virtual list.
I'm a GP and we book these dummy appointments all the time for certain specialities like neurology where all the referrals are triaged before acceptance or direct access to colonoscopy where a nurse will review and provide the bowel prep etc.

I suppose they chose 1am so people don't actually turn up.
It means you are on the list and will hear in due course

That's incorrect use of eRS (not by you but providers). If referrals are to be triaged there should be the option for you to request triage without booking an appointment, and if there are no slots left it should be deferred to provider. But I guess you know this already with being a GP, and this is just how some providers have set things up locally.

Yes I had one too, and I assumed it was a way of getting me off the waiting list so that it didn't count!

It was for a year in advance, and it did say on the app not to turn up for the appointment.

After four months, it changed to a real appointment, though that still says it's not confirmed and will be triaged by the department - except the appointment is next week, so I hope that it is actually a confirmed appointment by now and they just haven't let me know. My is just for a test (echo) so not sure whether it needed triaging, or more whether it needed them to agree with the GP that it should be done. I guess it must have been triaged or they wouldn't have waited 4 months to do it if they thought it might be serious.

It confused me too when I saw it in the app, and I also kept googling to find out what was going on. I got another one sent last week for an appointment in a nearby town, and 8pm, for a test - but that one it turns out was a real one!

Thanks guys, I'm a pretty literal person but tbh my uncle (80, dementia but techy) would have booked it and turned up😁

Fortunately he is being looked after now but honestly!

I had similar recently. Got referred as a matter of urgency, My letter, which was in email format on the app said a 'telephone appointment' at .5.20 am - not a 'bookable' appointment like you get sometimes.
I was very confused. Went to sign in to the booking system anyway and it gave some different times so I picked 7.30 am just in case it was 'real', then got another email to say that it just meant that a clinician would review my case on that day.
The original letter definitely said telephone appt, but then underneath it said 'you will not be called'.
This must be a new thing, but it's nonsenical - I'm sure it's to massge the figures to say you've been 'seen' in the time frame.
I'm

I've had this a few times. But the letters always say 'this is not a real appointment' at the top and it's always for an obviously not real time and date. I think it usually says something like this is to confirm we have your referral etc