DICT8 Plus (new November 2022)

[Whitestar55]

Hi, Here we go again, anyone else set up a new thread yet? Hope to find everyone 🙂

I’ll have to do it that way in future via Twitter or Facebook.

very slow on Tpro again this morning after the enforced bank holiday yesterday, (with about 5 new tasks all day) less than 10 tasks showing at any one time instead of the usual several 100. Rather concerning.

@Gally123 Sorry to hear that. I wonder if the strikes are having an impact now?

@Whitestar55 I do not think they are striking in the Republic of Ireland

I personally suspect digitial technology, which appears to be advancing in leaps and bounds, especially voice recognition and automatically generated letter and report layout, is now impacting on the availability of work for we home transcribers, unfortunately.

Just look at the services offered by T-pro that reduce the need for admin staff. I've noticed some Trusts have contracts with Nuance for voice recognition, including Guy's and St Thomas' recently in 2021.

Also more Trusts have recently been offering hybrid working for their own secretaries/transcribers, which is probably more efficient and ultimately cheaper for them.

What can we do to not get left behind and thrown on the scrap heap?

One of my old colleagues switched specialities just after I left the NHS last year and told me they were going to trial a VR software last autumn. She recently told me it's not happened yet.

My other friend from the speciality I worked in says she has been left on her own again as all the typists are leaving and don't stick it out. Speaks volumes.

Dict8 doesn't cover the hospital!

I worked for NHS and left to do solely private work from home. I registered as self-employed as you should (and also took on Dict8) and obtained a tax advisor (he is very good). In the initial years everything was real good (was earning about £2000 - a month +) and paid my tax and income tax --- some time's 'hefty bill' but it was worth it. But then my heal took a decline and 'family things'. I am on benefits BUT as self-employed I declare my earnings self employed through my Tax Advisor. They marry my benefits up against my self-employed earning. This year: No tax, no income tax and no payment to tax advisor ... it is best to be up front and you do get concessions against tax like: office equipment, electric and gas + some other things.

Just be up front and above board - register self-employed otherwise you will be bitten in ass, have a huge fine OR, indeed, imprisoned - it is not worth it.

I still type work from Guy's and St. Thomas' through Dict8 [maybe not all Departments have taken that on board yet]. I am not sure what Nuance is. I will look it up.

@Whitestar55 - Strikes are having an impact as the letters are shorter (no examination details) mostly telephone consults that should be face-to-face and simply re-booking patients back in!!

I am sure the work will pick-up after strikes and extra clinics will have to be put in place due to backlog on waiting lists. Let's hope so, anyway ... I just feel really saddened by patients left in limbo.

I wonder if the reduced amount of work is to do with the rotation of junior doctors which happens on the first Wednesday of February and August. I remember the first week involved an induction programme prior to the juniors being let loose in the department and clinics. One of our Registrars once told us if we ever needed to attend A&E (I worked in A&E) it was the best time as there were likely to be more senior doctors working until the juniors had been inducted! Just a thought!

@ElleBee56 - the doctors in Ireland seem to rotate in January and July as that is when the new bleep lists come round and we had our new voices last month. I cannot remember when they used to rotate in my local hospital, other than sometime in the summer (as I remember when I worked in a very small hospital now closed down, one SHO arrived and he immediately got lots of personal phone calls from women - the switchboard was in our office with the bleep system. He turned out to be a bit of a romeo).

Message to Tpro ladies - have you been paid yet as im still waiting. I know its only Wednesday and been bank holiday for them

Hi Tpro ladies, forget that message, just seen it being addressed on their system!😁

@carosel2I have been paid by T Pro first thing this morning

Me too paid by Tpro around 6.00am this morning.

@olddoglover - @nomadchild Oh yes, Ive just noticed that message was yesterday on Tpro! I will have to chase as I still havent received anything. Cheers ladies

I went on Dict8 today…..took a task to type, the consultant farted twice before even starting……really?? Do they not realise we are real people, for all they know we could be their patient 😂😂😂😂😂

@Chrissols I've had that😂. Had to keep playing it back to make sure it was what I thought it was. 😂^^

@Lovemydaxie so did I, then couldn’t believe I was rewinding to listen to a fart 😂😂😂😂😂💨💨

What I hate is someone dictating with a cold and constantly doing wet sniffles -ugh !! Turns my stomach and also gutterel clearing of the throat that’s horrible.

I had a dictator say 'f*ing hell' when he was struggling to find patient details.

I had a guy having a pee while dictating - I know they are busy but surely have time for a pee without me having to listen to him.

This wasn’t when dictating but we had a female cardiologist who used to regularly cock her leg and let out a fart while standing around our desks !!! She was from Sri Lanka and when challenged on it (in a subtle light hearted way) she told us it’s a common acceptable practice in her culture. She may have been winding us up. Each to their own eh. If we saw her approaching our desks we’d quickly run to the loo where she shld really have been !!! I still laugh about it today.