Missed Nhs Hospital Appointments

[DSJ]

Now I know why there are apparently so many missed hospital appointments.

I got home late last night (Thursday) after two days away to find a letter from the local hospital offering me an Audiology Department appointment for next Wednesday. The letter must have been delivered on either Wednesday or Thursday of this week.

The letter states 'Please ask your GP or Practice Nurse to examine your ears, to ensure that they are completely free from wax, at least 1 week prior to attending.'

It also says 'If you fail to attend this appointment without advising us beforehand, you will not be offered another and a new referral will be required from your GP.'

When I telephoned this morning to tell them that I cannot attend next Wednesday, I pointed out that it would have been impossible for me to get my ears checked 1 week before the appointment, anyway.

If I had gone away for a week or ten days, quite common at this time of year, I wouldn't have been able to cancel the appointment because I wouldn't have known about it until afterwards. I queried this with the lady that I spoke to this morning & was told that appointments are never arranged more than a week in advance.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons why appointments are missed.

[DSJ]

Mobile phone calls don't seem to be an option with our NHS Trust. Difficult anyway because I am very deaf. A text would be OK.

[askyourgran]

We have had the same problem, MrAsk got an appointment for his checkup due the day before he received his letter. The envelope was postmarked two weeks later than the date on the letter.

[Mass_Hysteria]

I have been waiting for 2 months for an appointment at hospital (not serious but necessary). I got home from work tonight about 6.30pm and the post contained a letter from the hospital with an appointment on MONDAY morning at 9.15am! I rang the hospital to say I couldn't attend at such short notice to be greeted by a message saying they were closed until Monday at 9am! Now I will have to ring at precisely 9am to give my apologies!!
How long will I have to wait for another appointment?!

[gness]

I was waiting for a scan. I was given an appointment about a month ago which I kept thinking it was for the scan...it was to discuss the results of the scan......the one I hadn't had. What a waste that was.
I did have the scan today but the results are going to the wrong consultant according to the radiologist. He wasn't able to change it to the one I am seeing in three weeks.....will he have the results passed to him or will they be lost in the system? Who knows because I don't any more.

[tonyav]

Don't worry about that gness, I'm sure that the results will be forwarded to sqad forthwith !.

[gness]

Well that wouldn't worry me at all, Tony...he's the only person who's made any sense so far....mind you I did see the dishy radiologist who remembered me as the lady from last year who had a sense of humour...even though they couldn't help me. I have a booking for stand up comedy at their Christmas do now. ;-) x

[tonyav]

Good gal gness, always leave them laughing.