Telephone Appointments

Has anyone had a telephone appointment with their consultant? My trust is doing this and frankly for me I cannot see any point in it whatsoever other than to give them an excuse to knock you off their patient appointment list for another year regardless of how treatment's going.

[helixhelix]

I had a video consultation, which turned into a telephone call because my internet is so bad. Because I know my consultant I found it good. We had a good discussion because she had to listen to what I was saying, and we got through much more that in a hospital appointment

If it was the first time I had “met” my consultant I wouldn’t be happy, but since I’ve been with her a couple of years now it was fine.

[weymouth321]

Hi - received letter saying next appointment 20 th May - shall be by telephone in block letters , though , not sure if with consultant or member of the team ( have ra )

[Deniseelk]

Yes, my daughter had hers at the start of the Covid-19 issues and found it very helpful and even a medication was prescribed. She is at the start of her Rheumatology appointments to be fair but she found it invaluable. Why not have your call but request if you can be seen, in person, as soon as your Rheumatologist and hospital are safely able to do so?

[Mmrr]

Yes, I had a telephone consultation with my consultant in March, which I found very helpful. My biologics was changed and advice on a steroid taper given.

[Lolabridge]

Yes I had a telephone consultation with my consultant at 7.45pm two weeks ago and it was successful. He had my blood test results and I had sent photos of joints so he could see where I was having problems. We agreed a plan for how to proceed.

May I suggest you do the same and write a list of your questions/concerns to have ready for the call so it can be as productive as possible.

[Summerrain14]

I have a telephone appointment booked for the 11th June with my rheumatologist. It will be good to have an opportunity to have a chat with her as recently had a medication increase and will be having a medication review.

My understanding is that some appointments can be done via video to examine joints. Obviously not the same as having them physically examined by rheumatologist.

Hopefully it will give you a good opportunity to have a good chat through anything with your rheumatologist and an appointment made to be seen in clinic when appointments resume rather than being left another year.

I need to be organised and get some questions together. If you have things you want to discuss in particular would be worth seeing if you could email them in advance with photos if you wish to your rheumatology team.

Good to have some kind of contact as there will be in a huge backlog when hospital appointment resume. x

[janmary]

I had a telephone talk with a different consultant as mine is still on theCOVID side of the hospital. It was fine, she had my notes and bloods altered my prescription and said she would request an appt in September with my usual doc. Better than going near hospital at the current time

[Dobcross1]

Hi. I had a telephone consult with a Rheumatology nurse specialist 3 weeks ago which was a complete waste of time. She couldn't wait to get me off the phone and when I raised 3 different points of concern, she said if anything got worse see my GP (who has zero involvement with my RA treatment) and that was it....

[springcross in reply to Dobcross1]

That's disgraceful.

[bubblyalex in reply to springcross]

I agree

[AgedCrone]

These are unusual times LR......that we have to get used to....& although it is obviously much more satisfactory to see your doctor face to face......an opportunity to speak to him/her is surely better than being completely abandoned?

I was reading how a 15 minute regular appointment would take one hour ...to allow for the doctor to change the PPE necessary and for the consulting room to be sanitised. Plus of course many people do not want to attend a hospital right now.

Before your telephone appointment...think about the Questions your rheumatologist might ask you ......and what you want to ask & write that down.

You will then be prepared...& won’t hang up the phone disappointed. We all know it is so easy to forget to ask the right questions without making a list ahead of time......especially on the phone.

I hope you decide to accept the telephone appointment.

[Hidden in reply to AgedCrone]

To be honest I'd be a lot less stressed if I never saw or spoke to another doctor or nurse ever again.

The consultant is OK. But nothing he orders ever gets done. The GP is supposed to be monitoring under "joint care" but hasn't got a clue what she's looking for & she panics an already panicked me every time she's involved in anything.

GPs and the NHS in general is appalling where I live. I don't trust them for good reason. I'm Asperger's which I have generally under control until I'm stressed then communicating at all is difficult. I à left 99.99% of the time with no support so I don't see the use of any more appointments.

[AgedCrone in reply to Hidden]

Try the phone appointment.....sounds like it might be more productive - you will be more relaxed in your own surroundings.....can’t be worse than the stressful situations you have experienced before.....can it?

[crashdoll]

I am due a telephone appointment with rheum shortly. It’s not ideal but it’s better than nothing. I’ve had other important appointments cancelled with a “we will contact you” and then you’re in the dark. I’d rather have some form of contact, I think.

I would describe it as the ‘least worst option’ to have a telephone or video call.

It might be helpful to write a list of what you want to say and at least you’re prepared. I know it’s not ideal.

[embroy]

I had one last month, he just asked me to stop one of the tablets I was taking, and hopefully see me in July...

[Lizard28]

I was supposed to have my appointment in April with my haematologist, I knew it would be cancelled and received a call the week before it from what I thought was a receptionist to cancel it. He asked how I was, I said fine (I think), he then said he will make another appointment for six months. This now worries me as this will make it ten months since I’ve seen her, I’m supposed to get checked with examination and bloods every three months as I am on watch and wait after my lymphoma returned. If that was a doctor who called me, he was a total waste of time. I have every confidence in my consultant and it’s a relief when I come out an appointment with her as I know she is very thorough. Feel a bit let down with the phone call.

[Nik8210]

I had one it was ok I assume they are using it to speak to people and see if there is anyone who needs to be seen. We decided to make no change in treatment but I was left in no doubt that they are seeing people who are in need of interventions

[bubblyalex]

I had one with my new consultant (only just been diagnosed but this was second opinion). Whilst the news was very disappointing, the appointment worked very very well. Much better than I thought it would and like you had thought it would be a pointless waste of time ... it’s also way better than nothing.

[Hidden in reply to bubblyalex]

Thanks. I'm not going to do it. It's just far too stressful. He's alright but he'll fill my head with false visions of being monitored properly which won't happen and I'll get regularly stressed until I manage to accept again that there isn't ever going to be proper treatment and monitoring.

[bubblyalex in reply to Hidden]

How about asking for a second opinion at a different hospital. I did this and researched to choose someone else at a different hosp. Second time around has been a world apart from the first. What you don’t want is to have permanent damage to your joints by not doing anything.