NHS, ring them.

sambaDTR

sambaDTR

Well-known member
If you are waiting for news from them, ring them this week (Thursday and Friday are good days). This year so far…

1) In February I took my 88 year old Mother to Specsavers in Middlesbrough for a test for new glasses. They said that, after her cataract operation a few years ago, one of the lenses needed cleaning before they could test her. She needed YAG laser capsulotomy. They said they would contact my Doctors to arrange the operation. In October I rang Specsavers. They said they had sent the letter to the Doctors. I rang the surgery. They said the communication must have “got lost in the post”! It now seems sorted as she now has an appointment for February 2nd, about a year later!

2) Took her to the Genix Dentists in July. Dentist said she had something on her tongue. He said he would contact James Cook to get it investigated. Rang James Cook in October. They said they were only up to April referrals. They said that if I contact Genix and get the Dentist to send another email she might get moved up the list. Sure enough I did this and she had her appointment in December, was OK.

3). I went to see Eye Specialist at James Cook on November 8th. I am on eye drops for high eye pressure (2 types). She said that she was going to add a third drop to my prescription. Rang them just before Christmas. They said that they were short of typists for the letters! Funnily enough I got a copy of a letter detailing the new eye drops, which was also sent to my Doctors, the next day (!) so I now have the new prescription!

The bottom line is don’t rely on what you are told or their computer systems. If you are waiting for anything from the NHS give them a ring. (y)
 
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The Disciple said:
NHS is finished - only way to get seen quickly now is to go private. Best to have private health insurance in place before you actually need to pay the doctors a visit in fact.
Click to expand...
I've had no problem getting a quick apppointment in the past year or so on a few occasions.
 
My idea is that Starmer shuts up, RIGHT NOW, and stops his greasy pandering the tories.
All Labour have to do is illustrate posts like this one. Just show what these despicable tory bast.ards have done to OUR NHS.

Also add a little story about Tory profiteering during the pandemic.

Result: Labour landslide
 
The Disciple said:
NHS is finished - only way to get seen quickly now is to go private. Best to have private health insurance in place before you actually need to pay the doctors a visit in fact.
Click to expand...
I've been seen same or next day every time I've rang my doctors; I say rang but I don't ring; i use their online system and they ring me back after reviewing the info I provided.

Referrals were done quickly too.
 
On the subject of ringing the NHS and privatisation...

I was at a conference last year where a software company was talking about how they fit into the future of the NHS. They run an AI-driven automation service for GPs. It's basically an auto-triage service, like 111, but for GPs. Basically, the majority of GP time is taken up by people being in the wrong place and most appointments are made based on a first come first serve basis instead of by a priority judged on patient needs. The system sits on top of multiple GP surgeries, instead of a receptionist looking after just the patients in a particular surgery. It all sounded very logical and clever and it theoretically increases the efficiency of using key resources (GP time, Nurse time, AHP time etc) on the people that need it. Best of all there is no 8am telephone call lottery. In the current fragmented system there are days where a GP might have too many high priority patients that need to be seen and another doesn't have enough and there is no balancing (there will be within a practice but not regionally) so it makes sense for it to be pooled. I thought it was fascinating but I also recognise that there will likely be huge problems, as there are with most private companies dipping their toes into healthcare, where service levels etc are held super-strictly and the requirement to exceed them, which won't be thought about until it is too late, will end up costing more in the long run, especially once the system is embedded and any change to a different service is too big a job and too costly to be approved.

There are undoubtedly far superior ways of running things and there is so much technology available but I just have no confidence in the people running the country to make the correct decision on how to utilise the technology and I have no faith in those technology companies not taking the **** once they are in. I've seen it too many times already and something major like a GP network being controlled by a single company is too obvious a point of corruption for it not to happen.
 
In 2 months 2 of my Doctors appointments, one of them I turned up in person and they told me it was a phone appointment, the 2nd one I went to their second practice a bus ride away, got there and they said the doctor isn't there yet can I wait, then they said it was a phone appointment, so I waited, then they said the doctor is here if I want to see her, so I walk in to see her and the first thing she said to me is why I am there? I said I got an appointment ping on my phone saying an appointment was booked for this time, she said I didn't need to be there and it was a glitch on their system. Waste of my time and theirs.
 
I have hurt my shoulder


I went on 111 online last night - advice was contact your GP asap

Twenty three attempts to call my doctors surgery this morning starting at 8:01am

Twenty fourth attempt at 8:45am finally got through kept on hold for 18 mins only to be told by the receptionist to go to the Minor Injuries Clinic.

Fun fun fun.
 
I would second what the OP says. I was referred for an MRI scan last year. Was told my neurologist would make an appointment to discuss the results. I heard nothing so I rang them. They told me the neurologist has left. It seems instead of assigning a new one they jsut sat on the results. I asked for a new appointment and was told they would raise a complaint for me? I still haven't had my appointment so need to chase them again. It sickens me how this government has ran down the service. IN this case literally sickens!
 
No issues with the hospital but the gps are a disgrace.

I have had a complaint upheld over the way they treated me in November they were that bad.

Hospital on the other hand have been nothing but fast and effective
 
The whole system has been run into the ground. It's on its last legs and unless it gets serious investment it's going to die. For that to happen will take Starmer and that little idiot streeting to about turn and stop promising to continue the sell off to the private sector.
 
I've had no problems getting GP appointments. The only problem we've had is that, despite living within 10 minutes walk of Darlington Memorial, my wife has had hospital appointments in Durham and Bishop Auckland!
 
btw all those championing the great advantages of private health.

Two words for you

Pre-existing conditions.

See how great your new utopia is then !!!
 
My mrs has been waiting on an appointment from the pain clinic for over a year. She's been in a few times, been told the wait is 6 months but 12 months on and still no appointment. She just gets told they're working through the backlog and they'll get to her when they get to her, meanwhile she has episodes of agony which last anywhere from 10mins to 3 hours, every day.

The NHS is golden, it's in trouble and needs alot of investment and i'd love for me and my friends/family to all have private but the pre-existing is massive, its perfect if you're fit and healthy but if not then you're knackered but i think its just a case that (after a quick Google) the NHS began in 1948 when the country had a population of 50m and now its at 67-68m, an increase of what 30-35% and if the service itself and the facilities/staff etc available to the increased population hasn't increased then what happens... This, what you're seeing now, that's what happens.
 
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