Work will not pay me for hosp appt that has been changed 5 times (better explained)

surreysaver

TELLIT01 wrote: »

Hospitals won't cancel appointments for the fun of it. They are mostly grossly understaffed so if somebody leaves or goes on long term sick it can have a massive knock on effect.

Hospitals are generally inefficient, have incompetent admin staff, and walk all over people. I'm sure if the OP put their mind to it and made a fuss, the hospital will be able to sort the issue out. The fact that people don't say anything and just grumble behind hospitals' backs is what allows them to get away with it.

Dymphna60

Has anyone a success story of putting foot with hospital and getting an original appointment reinstated?
Love to know what you have said.

Manxman_in_exile

surreysaver wrote: »

Hospitals are generally inefficient, have incompetent admin staff, and walk all over people. I'm sure if the OP put their mind to it and made a fuss, the hospital will be able to sort the issue out. The fact that people don't say anything and just grumble behind hospitals' backs is what allows them to get away with it.

I don't think you have a clue - and it's not particularly helpful advice for the OP either. Hospitals don't give a **** about complaints because demand already outstrips the resources they have to supply services. If somebody wants to complain, they don't need to care. Have you not noticed?


OP - if I were you I'd find out who deals with appointments for your particular specialty (it'll probably be on the letter notifying you of the cancellation), ring them up and talk to them. Ask if they can explain to you why the appointments keep being re-arranged as it's causing you great inconvenience at work. If you approach it correctly you may be able to get to the bottom of it, or at least let them know that continually mucking you around is causing you hardship and they'll try to accommodate you.


On the other hand, if you want to make a complaint...

Comms69

surreysaver wrote: »

I think hospitals and schools are the worst organisations for expecting the whole world to revolve around them. They need to be more flexible, and understand that they cannot expect everybody else to keep changing their lives around because they are disorganised. Patients, for some reason, are afraid to complain, which is why hospitals get away with it. If people stood up for themselves and put their foot down, perhaps the hospital would make more of an effort to stick to an appoint - after all, they whinge and whine when patients don't attend, don't they?

Excellent, go put your foot down.


Your appointment will happen when the hospital is able to provide it.


There is no need for a hospital to be 'flexible' they are providing the service you require. If you don't wish to avail yourself of that FREE service, by all means go pay for private.

Labsuper

surreysaver wrote: »

I think hospitals and schools are the worst organisations for expecting the whole world to revolve around them. They need to be more flexible, and understand that they cannot expect everybody else to keep changing their lives around because they are disorganised. Patients, for some reason, are afraid to complain, which is why hospitals get away with it. If people stood up for themselves and put their foot down, perhaps the hospital would make more of an effort to stick to an appoint - after all, they whinge and whine when patients don't attend, don't they?

You know the thick end of nothing about hospitals and schools and how they work. I say that as someone who has worked in both.

surreysaver

Comms69 wrote: »

Excellent, go put your foot down.


Your appointment will happen when the hospital is able to provide it.


There is no need for a hospital to be 'flexible' they are providing the service you require. If you don't wish to avail yourself of that FREE service, by all means go pay for private.

Assuming the OP pays tax, it is not a FREE service. They are providing a service which the patients are paying for. It is always worth complaining, as hospitals don't like complaints as it affects their targets.

Sncjw

To the person who is saying it’s due to incompetent admin staff.

You don’t have a clue. Often clinic changes are due to doctors submitting leave, or leaving the dept, more appropriate clinics being put on and also Doctorow suggesting to move patients around due to investigations or needing to see urgently.

It’s not down to the admin staff. The admin staff bare the brunt of it most of the time. Complaints from patients and complaints from doctors despite doing what was asked of them.

Also there’s only so many slots for each clinic and appointment type. They can’t usually go over the clinic slots because that would cause delays in clinic.

Comms69

surreysaver wrote: »

Assuming the OP pays tax, it is not a FREE service. They are providing a service which the patients are paying for. It is always worth complaining, as hospitals don't like complaints as it affects their targets.

Complaints about medical negligence, poor care on site etc. sure


complaints about waiting times, that's a national issue.


And yes it is free.

System

Sncjw wrote: »

To the person who is saying it’s due to incompetent admin staff.

You don’t have a clue. Often clinic changes are due to doctors submitting leave, or leaving the dept, more appropriate clinics being put on and also Doctorow suggesting to move patients around due to investigations or needing to see urgently.

It’s not down to the admin staff. The admin staff bare the brunt of it most of the time. Complaints from patients and complaints from doctors despite doing what was asked of them.

Also there’s only so many slots for each clinic and appointment type. They can’t usually go over the clinic slots because that would cause delays in clinic.

I thought the consultants should give advanced warnings about taking time off. They aren’t in the jobs where you can ask could I have next week off. Obviously there are emergencies with their personal lives such as deaths of immediate family or sickness.

If the hospital knew that the consultant was going to be on holiday on a certain week, why do the system book patients in? I know this goes on as a friend had her appointment cancelled (for a different dept to me) and a neighbour a few doors had an appointment 20 minutes after her with another consultant. In the waiting area, there’s a list of consultants and their whereabouts. By my friends consultant was “holiday”

Comms69

ScarletMarble wrote: »

I thought the consultants should give advanced warnings about taking time off. They aren’t in the jobs where you can ask could I have next week off. Obviously there are emergencies with their personal lives such as deaths of immediate family or sickness. - Frankly hospitals struggle to recruit consultants anyway, so what do you expect a hospital would do, sack them? Ok, they'll walk into another job the next day - supply and demand

If the hospital knew that the consultant was going to be on holiday on a certain week, why do the system book patients in? I know this goes on as a friend had her appointment cancelled (for a different dept to me) and a neighbour a few doors had an appointment 20 minutes after her with another consultant. In the waiting area, there’s a list of consultants and their whereabouts. By my friends consultant was “holiday”

Unfortunately there isn't enough staff, and therefore the power lies with the employee rather than employer