Those three words (did not attend)..

[crpsSucks]

Anybody else ever feel like they're playing a really long game of Snakes & Ladders where it takes six months per move/referral?

I missed an appointment yesterday, when a 15-20min journey took over an hour. Now I feel I'm being punished by them marking me as DNA, so I have to go back to me GP. It really is soul destroying.

[Enzo777]

That is just plain cruel. Did they atleast give you some medicine or other temporary solution to help ease your pain for the next 6 months? Is your GP sympathetic and/or helpful to your situation? I guess your GP can not get you in earlier or explain your situation to them. Its bad enough that you are sufferring already but to add this on top of everything else really is a huge burden to bear. I feel that youve been treated badly. Please know that my heart goes out to you and I wish you the best.

[cyberbarn]

I take it the appointment you missed was with secondary care (hospital clinic)? They were supposed to have stopped making you go back to your GP when you miss an appointment like that. It puts too much strain on the GP practices.

This is from NHS England: england.nhs.uk/2016/07/join...

"Along with NHS Improvement, NHS England is also writing to all NHS Trusts, Foundation Trusts and CCGs to remind them of the standards now in force as part of the NHS Standard Contract, including not automatically asking GPs for re-referrals for did-not-attend outpatient appointments into the care of a GP."

So they shouldn't have done that, they should have rescheduled the appointment. You can either get hold of someone from the hospital, point this out and demand that they reschedule, or go to your GP with this information so that they know that you know that the hospital has messed up. It might also be worth telling your local Heathwatch and PALS too.

[crpsSucks in reply to cyberbarn]

Thank you!!!

I've just spoke to them, and when she tried to get me to refer back to my GP (again). I asked if she was aware of the "NHS Standard Contact", she sounded a little confused.. So I explained that there's no need to go back to my GP, and that she's just wasting everybody's time. They're going to rebook🙂.

[cyberbarn in reply to crpsSucks]

That is brilliant news! It just goes to show what a little bit of 'patient power' force can do!

[CaitNaidoo in reply to crpsSucks]

I’ve just tried & been told because I’m discharged they can’t rebook an appointment for me. I have to go to my GP and ask them to email the appointments centre. So I’m still creating extra work for my GP.

I’m so upset. The reason I missed the appointment is due to the trauma Whipps X hospital put me and my sister through, whilst caring for our dying Father, which in turn has made Fibromyalgia a million times worse.

Quite possibly the worst hospital in the UK

[CaitNaidoo in reply to cyberbarn]

Thank you for this. I’m going have a go too x

[CaitNaidoo]

The same thing happened to me. I had waited so long for an appointment at the pain clinic. I’m broken hearted. I have to be referred again too.