Its Monday. Its physio. My appointment is at 10am. This means I have to be ready at 8.30am just in case (last week the ambulance came dead on 8.30 for a 9.30 appointment). I have breakfast and wait. And wait. And wait. at 10 I try to phone Patient Transport. Cant get through. At 10.15 I phone the physio department to say I will be late. I try Patient Transport again. And again. And again.
In the meantime I try to call St Johns. I have an appointment in April and I need to arrange patient transport. But the secretary's number doesn't work. I try switchboard. Seems the secretary's phone has been put on the wrong setting. There is no way of contacting her. I call someone in the outpatient department. Not their responsibility apparently. They tell me to call Patient Transport direct.
At 11 I get a call from Physio. The person is extremely apologetic. Seems someone forgot to book my transport. My appointment is lost and I have wasted two and a half hours waiting. And money on all the phone calls.
I ring Patient Transport again. Astonishing. Get through. Try to book the trip to St Johns. No. Its the rule. The hospital has to make the booking if its less than six months since I saw them the last time. Outrageous. But I cant get through to the correct person in the hospital. I plead. Pleading doesn't work. I ring the switchboard. Ask if there is any way of contacting the secretary. No. What about email? I am given an address. I have no idea if hospital staff read their emails. Most of the systems still appear to be on paper. I send her an email anyway.
I don't like complaining about the NHS. People work hard. And they care. Resources are stretched. But I am a good patient. I turn up on time. I do my physio. I am always ready when the ambulance comes. I fulfill my side of the contract. But today's antics are more akin to a 19th century French farce than a state of the art health system. Of course it is probably just coincidence that the booking wasn't made and the phone was on the wrong setting. The systems are set up tp produce efficient positive outcomes. But I made around 15 phone calls this morning. With nothing to show for it but disappointment and frustration.
I did, though, get a nice letter about my prescription payments - warning me that my pre paid prescription card was about to expire. It remains to be seen how easy it is to renew it! Going on my experience with community pharmacies to date, it should be a piece of cake...
In the meantime I try to call St Johns. I have an appointment in April and I need to arrange patient transport. But the secretary's number doesn't work. I try switchboard. Seems the secretary's phone has been put on the wrong setting. There is no way of contacting her. I call someone in the outpatient department. Not their responsibility apparently. They tell me to call Patient Transport direct.
At 11 I get a call from Physio. The person is extremely apologetic. Seems someone forgot to book my transport. My appointment is lost and I have wasted two and a half hours waiting. And money on all the phone calls.
I ring Patient Transport again. Astonishing. Get through. Try to book the trip to St Johns. No. Its the rule. The hospital has to make the booking if its less than six months since I saw them the last time. Outrageous. But I cant get through to the correct person in the hospital. I plead. Pleading doesn't work. I ring the switchboard. Ask if there is any way of contacting the secretary. No. What about email? I am given an address. I have no idea if hospital staff read their emails. Most of the systems still appear to be on paper. I send her an email anyway.
I don't like complaining about the NHS. People work hard. And they care. Resources are stretched. But I am a good patient. I turn up on time. I do my physio. I am always ready when the ambulance comes. I fulfill my side of the contract. But today's antics are more akin to a 19th century French farce than a state of the art health system. Of course it is probably just coincidence that the booking wasn't made and the phone was on the wrong setting. The systems are set up tp produce efficient positive outcomes. But I made around 15 phone calls this morning. With nothing to show for it but disappointment and frustration.
I did, though, get a nice letter about my prescription payments - warning me that my pre paid prescription card was about to expire. It remains to be seen how easy it is to renew it! Going on my experience with community pharmacies to date, it should be a piece of cake...
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