NHS Admin

If I hear Wes Streeting talk about digital enablement, the NHS app and improving efficiency and experience one more time…….. well, I might not be responsible for my actions.

Sometimes I get my appointments ping up on the app, sometimes I get a phone call, sometimes I get a text, sometimes it comes in a letter, and sometimes I am given a bit of paper with the dates and times on it and sometimes I get a combo of many or all of them .

What I don’t get is anything that meet my needs and there is no clarity.

Then there are other times when I get absolutely nothing apart from an accusatory phone call to ask where I am and my reply is usually getting on with my life, blissfully unaware of the appointment because you haven’t told me.

In March I was sent a letter for an appointment with the oncologist, I couldn’t make it as I was on holiday in Egypt. I phoned to re arrange, no answer so I left a message, no one got back to me, left another message to say I won’t come to the appointment can you send another one, no one came back to me.

I go on holiday I am lying on a sunbed and around the time of the appointment a local number pops up and it’s the oncologist asking me where I am “didn’t you know about the appointment” – yes but I cancelled it as I am currently on the beach in Egypt.

I get letters after the appointment has taken place, I get appointments that don’t specify if it is a face-to-face appointment or on the phone, I get phone appointments that mention coming to outpatients.

I sit waiting for appointments and hear lots of other patients come in for appointments that are phone appointments, but they have misunderstood as it wasn’t clear or they are at the wrong hospital.

I chase appointments and leave messages on voice mails, they rarely return my call, I follow up and I am told I haven’t left a message when I know I have and I am asked to identify myself not by name and or date of birth but by my hospital number…..

I work in the NHS, I know how the system should work, I also know that it doesn’t and I am bamboozled by the lack of consistency in process, the lack of empathy when it doesn’t go well and the absence of accountability for my appointments and how that impacts my care

This week my phone oncology appointment was changed from Wednesday to Thursday at a time when I am presenting online to a large audience of work colleagues. I ignored the call as I knew I couldn’t take when I was free tried to call back but the number wouldn’t dial, later I got a return call which started with I tried to call you earlier. Yes, I know but I wasn’t a time when I could answer the call!!

I was then asked I was ok for the infusion booked for Friday, what infusion? that was number one my list to ask you about. You are booked in for tomorrow, have you had your bloods tested ready? no I don’t have a blood card, and I know nothing about the appointment……

I have the infusion booked for this Friday having re arranged my work diary, and the blood test is done.

It’s just tiring, repetitive, it lacks compassion, understanding or any form of basic human consideration and I am frankly sick of it.

The irony this is a system set up to treat illness, try to make you better and is built on the premise of care… really!