nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/about-...
Follow the link to find out about Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Had a quick glance at Scotland and seems they are divided into loads of boards etc. Crazy for a country with a population smaller than Yorkshire! I will contact my brother who’s still there. Seems like a huge case of over management?!
Can't see a link to the other nations.
I know what they're supposed to do anyway, it's called My Health Online but it's down to each surgery. At my surgery they use it for the patient to request repeat prescriptions, but for most of us in our very small town it's easier/quicker to drop repeat form off at the Chemist and pick medication up a week later. When I asked my surgery about online access for test results or anything else I was told they will only do it when they're sure it's 100% secure, that was 2 years ago so obviously they still don't think it's secure!
That means they don’t think the whole system is safe? Some receptionists put off the inevitable because they’re afraid of the tech. My dentist had huge heavy tomes to make appointments in until 2 years ago!
It's unlikely that it's the receptionists who are making any decisions about this, they are too low in the chain of command to have that sort of responsibility.
My dentist wanted computers but some receptionists have or use power above their pay grade. My dentist is nice so didn’t want to upset receptionist so took years!
It's the doctors and the practice manager (who is also a partner) who run our surgery.
Same here in my neck of the woods in Montgomeryshire... In normal times we can request repeat prescriptions and arrange doctor/nurses appointments, but they’re not even doing the latter now. Ironically, the surgery is only 5 miles away and they’re doing COVID-19 vaccinations on Saturdays now and yet my husband has been given an appointment at 7.30pm for his jab in Newtown which is 20+ miles away! He’ll go there, but it’s a worry to have to drive that far in the dark and not knowing what side-effects there might be... Thankfully my son-in-law will be going with him to drive back if necessary.
That must be frustrating. My health centre, a few minutes walk, is doing vaccines for some but I had my vaccine at another health centre a bus ride away. Think it depends which surgery you are with and maybe how fit to travel? Not sure just glad to have had the vaccine! Sometimes think of moving out of London suburbs but worry about health facilities for Macular especially. My brother depends on his son more and more.
Zephyrbear
I think we are fairly fortunate where we live. We can see a GP if they deem it necessary, you ring up, they triage all requests at a morning meeting and if necessary will see you on the day. We can have appointments for regular blood tests with a nurse if we are happy to go along. They are doing their regular Warfarin clinic, blood pressure checks for those that need them regularly, etc. We have to wait outside the surgery as they aren't using the waiting room, but it's very organised.
Ours is a very small town - one mile from one end to the other and only one road in/out - and no other surgery for 10 miles either way.
Our Covid vaccinations are being done at the leisure centre which is only 5-10 minutes walk for anyone, not sure what time they start and finish but they are booking an appointment every 4 minutes, again it's very organised, they ask you to arrive 1 minute before your allotted time to avoid queueing, in and out, very organised and working well. 363 vaccinations done last Friday by the nurses, my turn this Friday as long as delivery of the vaccine isn't delayed.
The health boards in Scotland are as they have been for a long time. We don't want any fewer of them because although the population is not big the size of the land area covered by the health board is. This means that patients have a long enough distance to travel already to the main hospital and often that is the only hospital left.
I know you don’t want fewer hospitals. My brother lives in Callander and goes all over to various hospitals for his treatments. Drives miles. He took me to Falkirk A&E once because Stirling had no late night A&E. But that doesn’t mean computer records couldn’t be centralised easily by few if not just one authority. Look at Police Scotland! (Or not?)
Online Access to Health Records
Access To Test Results
