New NHS System

[expat]

If you cannot go through the process of booking a visit to the doctors with a receptionist then I would say you have completely unrealistic requirements or a complete lack of communication skills.

People are quite happy to take the day off to wait for a new TV getting delivered but as soon as it's booking a visit to the doctors it all changes.

"People" may well be happy to take a day off, but I'm not.

I do not have unrealistic requirements: some people are not in tune with the idea of the customer having any requirements or even requests. And I humbly suggest that it is they who have a communication problem, since it is they who see no need for this information to be communicated to them.

Perhaps the problem arises from the fact that I do not have requirements, I have an order of preference. Ultimately I will take 3 days off work unpaid in order to attend a Wednesday appointment, if that is what I need to do. But first I would like to see whether there might not be a less costly possibility.

Thanks Moscow Mule BTW: as you say, it's not too hard. Or perhaps it is, for medical receptionists who are accustomed to just telling the patient when they will come in: I suppose in many cases they then tell their employer (if any) when they have to go, and that is that.

[minestrone]

Ok, do a test. I want you to find the next available appointment on a Friday afternoon after 3pm.

Phone up and try to get a plumber to come round at exactly 3pm on a Friday. Not a chance. You get told when he is coming round and that's that. You get on with it.

Then why do you expect to see a highly trained doctor at exactly 3pm on a Friday as if your feckin Elton John phoning up Harley Street or something.

Anyway this stored proc aint writing itself.

[expat]

Anyway this stored proc aint writing itself.

Yeah, my doc is a bit sparse so far, and I blame you and the NHS

[Mich the Tester]

Phone up and try to get a plumber to come round at exactly 3pm on a Friday. Not a chance. You get told when he is coming round and that's that. You get on with it.

Plumbers don't have booking systems costing 20 billion pounds of taxpayers' money.

[minestrone]

Plumbers don't have booking systems costing 20 billion pounds of taxpayers' money.

No but you have an expectation as to the service level.

Great system, crap system or phone call it all boils down to the choke point of an available doctor.

People say phone calls are useless and the system is useless but they both fail because people can't appreciate that there is not an endless supply of doctors. Live with the service level and move on without blaming everything you come into contact with on the NHS.

[Berko1]

I have had a similar experience with my doctors on many occasions:

I work an hour away from home, so request an afternoon appointment (don't mind waiting 2 weeks etc).

"We don't have any afternoon appointments at the moment as they haven't been released, and you can't have one that far in advance, call tomorrow to see if we have any tomorrow".

Called the next day before 9 - "call back after 12 please".

Called back after 12, "no appointments left - call back tomorrow".

Called back the next day and same thing again. Now that I have access to the online system I can go on line and have access to appointments (ie. appointments from 5pm) that do not seem to be available on the phone.

[Diver]

I phone the village surgery, and the receptionist says "When would You like to pop in Mr *******"

sorted.

[DS23]

I phone the village surgery, and the receptionist says "When would You like to pop in Mr *******"

sorted.

yeah - but you're a medical marvel.

[Moscow Mule]

Phone up and try to get a plumber to come round at exactly 3pm on a Friday. Not a chance. You get told when he is coming round and that's that. You get on with it.

Then why do you expect to see a highly trained doctor at exactly 3pm on a Friday as if your flipin Elton John phoning up Harley Street or something.

Anyway this stored proc aint writing itself.

Not true. I can phone up any number of plumbers and get them there when I want them, I might have to wait for an appropriate date (maybe well in the future) but they will still come - it's called an appointment.

[Diver]

yeah - but you're a medical marvel.

Not Gainsaying that

I'm not sure that the village surgery even has a computer

They seem to have a big pile of books on the reception counter they leaf through and write things in when you turn up.

Unless it's in the medicinal herb drying room, next to the leeches