Missed hospital appt due to train cancellation

lisyloo

Woe betide you if you need a GP or pharmacy on a Sunday night.

There are out-of-hours doctors available if it's urgent enough.
Call 111 and they will direct to the appropriate service.

Comms69

caronoel wrote: »

Oh here we go ... why should the NHS only work 9-5 office hours when nearly everyone else is at work?

Woe betide you if you need a GP or pharmacy on a Sunday night.

1: Not even NHS employees
and
2: Ok, why don't you go and train and open a sunday surgery?....

Comms69

Pennywise wrote: »

May not be "employed" but they're certainly paid for by an NHS trust, so basically the same difference.

No they're not.

Manxman_in_exile

Comms69 wrote: »

1: Not even NHS employees
and
2: Ok, why don't you go and train and open a sunday surgery?....[/QUOTE]


Because people don't want to go to their surgery on their day off. They want to do it during a work day. If GP surgeries were all open during the weekend (and my surgery is part of a three practice group - one of which is always open Saturday on a rotation basis) the extra cost would not be proportionate to the perceived benefit.


BTW I had to get an emergency prescription from my local (five mins walk) community pharmacist for my wife. The GP surgery had a made a mistake on the repeat scrip. I 'phoned our pharmacy on Saturday, and the pharmacist said "No worries, I'll sort it out". He was really helpful and did sort it out.


Most people don't need to see a GP at the weekend. Go to a local pharmacy. They're often better that seeing a young and inexperienced GP! (And I used to work in the NHS!)


The OP was daft leaving a buffer of 15 minutes.

Manxman_in_exile

Korkyb wrote: »

Why don't you get a job which only works out of hours / weekends then you will be able to access the NHS 9-5 service without having to take time off work.


Incidentally I work for the NHS and in a role that means that over 80% of my hours are worked outwith 9-5.


With regards to your comment - "The NHS is the last bastion of unreformed socialism - run for the benefit of staff rather than patients".............. In my (professional) opinion you should consider visiting your local pharmacy to get a strong laxative - faecal impaction can sometimes cause faeces to be propelled up through the mouth.

Well said, KorkyB...


EDIT: After Gordon Brown's "saving of the world" I thought the banking sector was the last bastion of unreformed socialism! What a fool I am...


2nd edit: I particularly like the "propelled through the mouth" bit!

Rolandtheroadie

Thell wrote: »

What utter garbage!

It was the train company's screw-up that caused the appointment to be missed. It was then the hospital's resolute unwillingness to exercise some discretion and common sense and allow an extra five minutes that caused the appointment to be missed. Finally, my other half has paid the best part of a quarter of a million pounds in tax during her working life thus far, so don't even think about going down the "costing the NHS money" route!!

If it was that important, I'd have got a taxi to the hospital instead of walking the 15 minutes.

Manxman_in_exile

Thell wrote: »

What utter garbage!

It was the train company's screw-up that caused the appointment to be missed. It was then the hospital's resolute unwillingness to exercise some discretion and common sense and allow an extra five minutes that caused the appointment to be missed. Finally, my other half has paid the best part of a quarter of a million pounds in tax during her working life thus far, so don't even think about going down the "costing the NHS money" route!![/QUOTE]


So do you think somebody who has paid more tax than your wife should be given priority over her? I fail to understand your point. If somebody who has never paid tax needs treatment costing £500 grand, should they be prevented from receiving it? (And this includes alcoholics and cigareete smoking lung cancer patients who've probably paid a lot more in duty and taxes than your wife).


We have a NHS free at the point of delivery. (That doesn't mean that somebody doesn't pay for it). You and your wife's fundamental mistake was not to ensure you could get to the appointment on time.