Outpatient Appointments - Part II

[MichaelJH]

I commented on these a few weeks ago. Over many years I have had issues with them such as not being sent one (very rarely do they make them when you leave) and appointments being changed due to unforseen circumstances.

I have just had a new one! A few minutes ago I got a reminder text that is slightly different to the appointment letter. Fortunately the only difference is that it is half-an-hour earlier - I wonder if it really is? If I phone it will take ages to get through so I will just go at the new time and take a magazine or book with me.

Anybody else had this?

[Caitlyn6]

Yes or they say 'sorry you have rearranged your appointment' and it's the same day 30 mins difference. What happens...nobody knows. You get there and there is always a hour delay anyway. Might as well just say 'turn up at 10' to be seen before consultant goes to lunch. Turn up at two, to be seen before everyone goes home at 4. That's how I read them anyway, that way I never complain as I expect to be there half a day anyway.

[Fredders]

Yes I’ve had one of those and it was just a telephone consultation and was made for 30 mins earlier, but still didn’t get it until after the original time. I hardly ever get an appointment that doesn’t get re-arranged.

[Calliope153]

At least you are getting appointments - the consultant requested an appointment for me at the start of May "within six to eight weeks". No appointment likely before October according to clinic coordinator and consultant's secretary and then "only if I am lucky" apparently I have been on the top of the cancellations list since May but nothing. I was due for an annual scan in March and nothing heard of that either and I have chased. Off to GP to discuss this managed an appointment for this in three weeks time. I suspect I am going to end up as an emergency when the aneurysm bursts.

[Calliope153]

I am thinking of going one step further Mr Dillon, saving like fury and going privately for a scan See my reply to Miichael- baked beans anyone?

[Calliope153]

You young people....... "Matt Dillon is a fictional character featured on both the radio and television versions of Gunsmoke. He serves as the U.S. Marshal of Dodge City, Kansas, who works to preserve law and order in the western frontier of the 1870s."

[MichaelJH Heart Star in reply to Calliope153]

If Gunsmoke is Matt Dillon I will have to be either Doc Adams (medical knowledge) or Chester (limp). Will have to sleep on it. Who fancies the other parts like Miss Kitty and Festus? Maybe a Christmas panto - Gunfight in the Cath Lab! 🤠

[Calliope153 in reply to MichaelJH]

So the Cath Lab should be called Dodge City?

[cowparsley in reply to MichaelJH]

Can I please audition for Miss Kitty.I`m 69 but I`m sure the makeup girls could fix it.

[Lezzers in reply to cowparsley]

I just watched the opening on a certain music media, I can definitely see you as Miss Kitty & I'm sure no make no girls are required, I'm definitely not auditioning for Festus!! ☺. I do vaguely remember the series, apparently it ran for 20 years!!

[cowparsley in reply to Lezzers]

Must try and see it,I vaguely remember it too back in the aeons of my life!

[lettingoffsteam]

I had a text reminding me of an appointment I'd never been sent.Fortunately I rang up because I had to fast for four hours before this particular one.Also it took over two months and some chasing to get the results.

[MichaelJH Heart Star in reply to lettingoffsteam]

I had a text one Wednesday about an appointment the next morning. When I rang straight back they said they had sent a letter out, which I had not seen. Anyway I had to rearrange. The letter (second class) arrived on the Friday posted Tuesday. Things are made worse as all letters/appointments are sent out from an outsourced location many miles away. I also believe they are bulked up for discount causing additional delays.

This has happened on more than one occasion and makes me doubt that all "did not attend" are down to the patient!

[lettingoffsteam in reply to MichaelJH]

Well I never did get that letter despite the hospital claiming it had been sent.Actually I had a holter ecg in April and after a couple of months I was sent a brief letter about it but my G.P. has never been sent the results and had to copy my letter. Great eh?

[Calliope153]

lol

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Matt Dillon was 6' 7" - you may need lifts on your cowboy boots! 👠

[Lezzers]

Let us know who they are, save me googling!! 😌

[MichaelJH Heart Star in reply to Lezzers]

Here's a heads-up:

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun...

[Lezzers in reply to MichaelJH]

Thank you, I do vaugely remember it now!

[Speakeazi]

Make sure it will cover existing undiagnosed symptoms

[Desanthony]

My wife got Benenden cover when it was still the Post Office and Civil Service Sanitorium Society and we have been so pleased to have it. Of course like other types of societies and insurances they generally do not cover you for a pre-existing condition - check on their website. We have had numerous consultations and tests carried out using it - for diagnositc purposes you are given a grant of £1600 - so covers the costs of blood tests echocardiograms MRI etc. Then of course your consultant can either perform procedures or operations through Benenden if they are covered or you can go onto their NHS list. My wife had two cataract operations for fast growing cataracts before her GP would even refer her to the consultant and I had two operations as well and numerous tests and scans for knee, back, neck and heart problems. The one problem is that if you have had diagnostic tests, procedures or operations carried out for a complaint through Benenden and it comes up again you cannot claim so with my AF this time round I have to pay for anything which takes forever on the NHS - so am doing so. Also I think they have stopped taking people on who are over 65 so check on their website for this as I just scan over the letters sent to me as we have been members for years. It is a great service - I have also used their GP service on the phone once too. Although I had to make an appointment a few days ahead at the time it was far quicker than getting an appointment with the GP surgery I was with at the time. If you can join then do they are worth their weight in gold.

[cowparsley]

Interesting.Michael,how is it you are sooo knowledgeable?

[MichaelJH Heart Star in reply to cowparsley]

Hard to be specific... When I started school I could already read and write a bit and do basic maths. It was an excellent small village school which under 20 pupils per teacher. It just carried on from there and I went on to gain a BSc in Physics and an MSc in IT. Fortunately I also seem to have a good memory so got worried when people mentioned memory loss with statins and anesthesia. Mind you I know very little about Greek/Roman mythology, English literature and post-1980 music for instance.

[cowparsley]

Good job those subjects don`t crop up too often on a heart forum.Could wreck your image xx

[MichaelJH Heart Star in reply to cowparsley]

If I see a query about Shakespearean sonnets I will suspect a catspiracy! 😁

[cowparsley]

Watch this space!

[Desanthony]

I said check with them as this is probably something that has either changed recently and I didn't take note of it or I didn't read about it properly int he first instance. Glad you have joined and hope you get good use from it.

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

An update. I went to the clinic at the new appointed time. With 15 minutes the nurses were doing the usual pre-checks and it was then wait for the consultant. That went well and he said "See you next year". I then went to try and book the appointment but it was claimed they could no do it. Two days later it arrived by second class post! I was back outside the hospital in under an hour. However, I suspect the appointment will be changed a few times in the interim!

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Had another appointment time shifted by 15 min via text. Wonder if the local health authority have brought Tetris for Appointments? 😁