How to get past the receptionist...

Blackpool_Saver

Shocking........I presume this is NHS

mgdavid

I do feel there's a huge amount of detail around this story that we aren't being told.

emg

Wilma33 wrote: »

You can probably guess the email e.g. [EMAIL="firstname.lastname@townhospital.nhs.uk"]firstname.lastname@townhospital.nhs.uk[/EMAIL]

The bit after the @ will be the same as the hospital's website address.

If you get it wrong it will probably bounce back.

Be careful with this as most hospitals are using the nhs.net domain for staff emails now as they are encrypted to a level that allows us to send patient information securely to others on the network. We do have some 'trust name' email addresses but they are not checked as regularly as our nhs.net ones.

Having said that, if you can get an email address it is often a good route to dialogue. In my NHS job (not a consultant!) it is hard for people to catch me in the office and I have minimal time between clinic appointments. I often try and sort my admin before my clinic day starts and its much easier to email someone at 6.30am than try and find a gap in my day at a more sociable hour to ring them.

Tenyearstogo

If you don't need to speak to the specialist nurse, then don't contact them. They are not the consultants secretary.

Appropriate and quickest solution will be PALS.

thorsoak

mgdavid wrote: »

I do feel there's a huge amount of detail around this story that we aren't being told.

And why should we know any more detail than that which Victory chooses to give us?

The forum does not need to be a gossip place!

fluffnutter

Blackpool_Saver wrote: »

Shocking........I presume this is NHS

I suspect the chances of talking to a consultant if you have health insurance are just as slim. There aren't private consultants and NHS ones, there are typically consultants who do both private and NHS work. Do you think they sit there with their list of patients thinking 'ooh, that one's paying, I think I'll do them the honour of giving them a call. That one's NHS, I'll ignore her'?

Nicki

fluffnutter wrote: »

I suspect the chances of talking to a consultant if you have health insurance are just as slim. There aren't private consultants and NHS ones, there are typically consultants who do both private and NHS work. Do you think they sit there with their list of patients thinking 'ooh, that one's paying, I think I'll do them the honour of giving them a call. That one's NHS, I'll ignore her'?

What an odd post! I assume this poster doesn't use private healthcare much. Every private consultant I have ever used has returned my phone calls whether they also have NHS posts or not. One who sees my daughter privately and on the NHS will return a call made to her private consulting rooms but not to her NHS clinic. It's all about how much time they have available

LannieDuck

I work with medical consultants. Five days is quite long enough for even a busy consultant to return a call (unless they're on leave or at a conference). I agree that the issue probably hasn't been communicated properly and the consultant doesn't realise that it's urgent.

OP, if it's urgent (and I assume you wouldn't be getting upset if it weren't), I would go back to the GP asap. Explain you've been trying all week to speak to the consultant and they refuse to take your call. The GP should be able to call directly. It would be interesting to see whether the secretary puts them straight through to the consultant I think this will be the best way to get the quickest response.

If that doesn't work, I would try the secretary once more. Be calm and clear and don't let her rush you off the phone. Go back to the beginning and explain what the problem is and exactly why you need to speak to the doctor. Explain (very basically) the change in your son's condition and what your GP has said (e.g. does son need a change in medication that has now been delayed by a week? what are the implications of this?). If consultant is unable or unwilling to return your call, ask if there's someone else who could answer your specific problem. Perhaps one of his/her registrars could help? If not, ask what the complaint procedure is.

gunsandbanjos

Tenyearstogo wrote: »

If you don't need to speak to the specialist nurse, then don't contact them. They are not the consultants secretary.

Appropriate and quickest solution will be PALS.

Good point, I was just mentioning it as in my situation that is what we've been told to do. Our liaison doesn't act as secretary but is invaluable if we need to ask about anything. Last month we phoned her and she phoned back with an appt to see the consultant the next day.

FBaby

But could it be that the OP think it is urgent but the consultant doesn't?