The NHS nightmare

[thegymguy]

First came the patients choice where we could choose which doctor at whatever hospital we liked to make life better for us we were told.

Then came choose and book where we the patient could book our own appointments at hospital and make life easier for ourselves we where told.

Only problem is when you use choose and book you cannot stipulate which doctor you get to see! I only found this out after trying to book on-line and then on the phone after that failed!

I won't go into it any further due to the bad language I am bound to use and don't want to offend anyone.

I think the polite way to put it would be "couldn't organise a knees up in a brewery".

[Barbara]

My sympathies gymguy, it's a crazy system. Even doctors can't get past the Choose & Book system - well illustrated by an excerpt from a new book by Tony Copperfield, a GP blogger for Pulse, a GP magazine.

See pages 19 to 21 of mondaybooks.com/sicknotes/a...

[fiona]

At least you are going to the hospital clinic of your choosing. I assume by word of mouth you have heard of a good endocrinologist who works there.

If that is the case and you want to see a specific doctor only. Your appointment letters will probably arrive using the Professor's name. It doesn't mean you have to see that doctor, it just means that the letter gives the name of the doctor in charge of the clinic.

On arrival, when you book in, you must request to be seen by the doctor that you want to be seen by. Otherwise as you say, you could be seen by anybody and it could be hit and miss if it is a waste of time or not.

You could even go as far as phoning the medical secretary of your chosen doctor, the day before, to make sure there is no snags and he is in work on your appointment day. This might give you better sleep the night before your appointment.

Otherwise yeah I don't think the choose and book is always the best, it is impersonal and an assumption that all endocrinologists are good with the thyroid and why wouldn't you just want to see whoever...

Err don't worry, this is only the start! Wait until you don't know the date of your follow-up and you have to wait a couple of weeks to get a letter. This letter tells you to phone to arrange the next appointment. Then they give you a date when you know the consultant you know is on annual leave, or it turns into a longer wait than expected and you have to fight for it to be ASAP.

Fiona.

[fiona]

‘F**k you knobhead’ grafitti. I might resort to that if I don't get my prescriptions for T3 LOL. Or a naked sit-in protest chained to the distasteful 1970's interior that sounds similar to his practice. (only kidding).

Blimey I wonder what crazy run-around the patient had to resort to obscene graffitti. I did laugh though. Perhaps the person who was so angry was a thyroid patient.

Fiona.

[perks]

great book excert.... Made me giggle for the first time in day's... sounds just like our practice...