Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
patients not turning up for appointments
I had to work yesterday morning as patients insist they want to be seen on a saturday, even though when I joined the nursing profession 34y ago, i didnt realise i would be signing up to work weekends for the rest of my career. Oh I forgot to mention, we also dont get any extra money, and neither to doctors
so i was there bright and breezy, BUT 5 out of my 8 patients didnt turn up-Unbelievable!!!!
When we are all so pushed for appointments, running round like lunatics working so many extra hours unpaid to try to keep our very very overstretched NHS running to some degree
What a total waste of my time- And then I was exhausted for the rest of the day at having to get up early, on one of the few days i can have a lie in
I also work until 8pm once/week (also no extra money) for me to be sitting there waiting for my 7.30pm patient who doesnt turn up
cant wait until they start fining patients- Its so selfish, especially now people get reminders. And yes its usually working people who book these appointments, but just too tired, lazy to come or to let us know
rant over- But next time you forget an appointment- remember, it is no excuse you wouldnt if you were paying
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Antoinette on
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That must be so demoralising. I was about to say that my dentist send me text reminders the day before my appointments and I find that really invaluable. But then I re-read your post and you say your patients are already getting sent reminders so there really isn't any excuse. Perhaps you should phone them and ask in person why they didn't show up. I bet out of sheer embarrassment they wouldn't do it again.
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Permalink Reply by tigha on
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do you know I do do that, unfortunately some of the numbers were wrong, so i couldnt even do that
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How about the situation where my daughter had an appointment with a specialist GP in a local surgery. Signed in 5 minutes before, waited 45 minutes and went home demoralised without being seen. We found out later that this particular GP had no access to the surgery appointment system, not always the patients fault.
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Let me guess....Bridge House Surgery? You could have just checked at Reception though surely.
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No, not in this case.
Is each occasion of no appointments available on the rare occasions I want to visit my GP after paying 42 years of NI tax logged in the stats?, I doubt it.
Why does the surgery not charge for failed appointments?, my dentist does.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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I think the gulf between what people say they want and what they actually use is interesting. A few years ago we asked people if they wanted our reception at work open until 8pm and on Saturdays. Overwhelmingly they said yes. We did it for a few months but no one actually turned up so it was a bit of a waste of time.
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Permalink Reply by Sarah on
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I've hardly been to the doctor in the nine years I've lived here. My last surgery was rubbish. I've been in Haringey the past year and a half. Registered for a local surgery, they called a couple of months later to tell me I was due a smear, how would Saturday morning suit? I was amazed! Never had that kind of service at my old surgery (which served a very deprived area and was all locums and trainees).
So I made sure I turned up! Not sure if it's the same now - I received a survey saying it was out to tender a while back.
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SO one of our GPs yesterday, had to tell me a patient had just written a formal complaint about me, as i had advised her to see her pharmacist to get some sudafed for 3day course. Well she reacted badly to it, so she put a complaint in about me. Sorry but what bit of that was my fault. So how do i change my practice. I will now make sure i tell patients to stop taking the medication if they react badly to it-DOH. with 10 complaints/mth, it just takes more valuable time away from treating patients
Look dont get me wrong, I love my patients and I love my job,
but the incredible stress we are all under is terrible, as we are the dumping ground for people to come to as more and more services close, yet Gp surgeries get less and less money. Our surgery now ;like many has to tell people that there arent any appointments on the system as full until May. We tell people to ring every day or look on line as more appointments will be put on. The reason we all do this because all the research shows many people DNA if they make an appt too far ahead, so this is our way of trying to manage it. Yes its rubbish. I like you am an organised patient who when i need review, wants an appt in my diary with the gp I want, so that I can work round it. And I wont forget. so this system doesnt cater for the organised. So many different ways have been tried and failed.
And whilst Im on a roll please be nice to receptionists. I have worked in quite a few surgeries, and all the receptionists have been lovely. But yes they may sometimes be abrupt with patients, thats because they have to put up with people being rude and angry with them all day long- they are very weary and tired and overworked
But of course you have rogue staff, and rogue surgeries,you have that everywhere
Toptip, If you need to be seen that day, as an emergency as you cant wait, all surgeries will have an emergency list, but you will need to go when they are free. If they dont, move on. We have over 100 patients on our list most days-
Must be an easier way of earning a living
well thanks for reading
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Permalink Reply by John D on
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Tigha
I don't know what the position is with surgery receptionists, but at work our trained first-aiders were not allowed to suggest any medication, even aspirin.
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apply the old truism "do as you would be done by" I've seen and heard some appalling behaviour whilst waiting in my local surgery-drunken shouting, endless ignorant rudeness with mobiles, unruly children ignored by their parents (often on their mobiles) etc etc receptionists get the brunt of sick people's unhappiness with their situations not really surprising if they are a bit short-tempered sometimes mine never are of course!
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sorry John, bit confused, totally agree first- aiders, reception staff, as well any other non- medical staff, totally shouldnt be suggesting any sort of medication even paracetamol
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Tigha is a nurse though...
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