NHS postage

p00hsticks

username said:

p00hsticks said:

Doesn't the hospital give you the option of going paperless ?
I get notification of all my appointments via text and e-mail with a link to download the letters. 
They would only follow up with a paper copy if I don't open the link.

I find all of these paperless things more hassle than it is worth, another set of logins and passwords of varying complexity. 

No logon or password needed to get access - you just follow the texted or e-mailed link, enter your surname, date of birth and postcode and then the letter is displayed for you to read and download. 

Albermarle

p00hsticks said:

Doesn't the hospital give you the option of going paperless ?
I get notification of all my appointments via text and e-mail with a link to download the letters. 
They would only follow up with a paper copy if I don't open the link.

I think this is the only the case for some hospitals, although presumably one day it will be the same for all. 

username

p00hsticks said:

username said:

p00hsticks said:

Doesn't the hospital give you the option of going paperless ?
I get notification of all my appointments via text and e-mail with a link to download the letters. 
They would only follow up with a paper copy if I don't open the link.

I find all of these paperless things more hassle than it is worth, another set of logins and passwords of varying complexity. 

No logon or password needed to get access - you just follow the texted or e-mailed link, enter your surname, date of birth and postcode and then the letter is displayed for you to read and download. 

Doesn't sound too bad in your case. Although, I would be fine with the option for it to just be sent as a normal email too.

Okell

J63320 said:

Brie said:
…

What gets me is that when you talk to someone and book an appointment and state you can do any time except Tuesday afternoons they then change the agreed time and day to a Tuesday afternoon.  And mention that you shouldn't be nasty to any of their staff.  Had this happen repeatedly with a local ortho department.  

A couple of years ago, the hospital that looks after me got a fancy new website. It uses the website to notify me when I have an appointment - but it sends letters as well, so no postage savings.  It also uses the website to send clinic letters - these are not duplicated by post, but they are not retained on the site either, so I have to print them (luckily I was tipped off about this by a friend who had not printed hers, and when she logged in to refer to it, it had disappeared).
The problem with this website is that it’s one-way - I can’t use it to communicate with the hospital. So if the appointment isn’t convenient, I have to phone, and then I have exactly this problem - they take no notice at all of what I tell them about my availability. Recently it took about six phone calls to get a satisfactory appointment for a non-urgent scan. After getting a couple of appointments I had to cancel because they ignored what I said, I finally got someone who would re-book it while I was on the phone.  But a week later they called me to tell me the doctor wanted me to have this scan. Yes, I said, I know, I’ve got an appointment. They had no record of it.

As a retired NHS manager who was unfortunate enough to be involved locally in the NHS NPfIT programme, I'd suggest anybody communicating with their local NHS trust does so via 'phone or snail mail.

That's what I do.  It's more reliable...

Okell

Silvertabby said:

Back in my LGPS days, separate benefit statements (current employment, deferred, different employers) would be issued in separate envelopes.  Cue complaints from fund members, re the cost of more than one stamp.

The answer was that it was much cheaper - and quicker - to send out the benefit statements this way than incurring the admin costs of an employee paid to collate all statements into the same envelope.

I have no doubt that that is correct.

TELLIT01

Brie said:

While I completely agree with you I would say this issue is due to letters being generated by a computer and posted from a different site.  It's not like "Bob" is sitting at a desk booking the appointments and printing off the four different letters and then popping each into a separate envelope (that would be madness!).  

What gets me is that when you talk to someone and book an appointment and state you can do any time except Tuesday afternoons they then change the agreed time and day to a Tuesday afternoon.  And mention that you shouldn't be nasty to any of their staff.  Had this happen repeatedly with a local ortho department.  

It's highly likely that the person you spoke to when complaining about the changed appointment time wasn't the person who made the change.  Even if they were it's no reason to be rude to them.

username

Okell said:

J63320 said:

Brie said:
…

What gets me is that when you talk to someone and book an appointment and state you can do any time except Tuesday afternoons they then change the agreed time and day to a Tuesday afternoon.  And mention that you shouldn't be nasty to any of their staff.  Had this happen repeatedly with a local ortho department.  

A couple of years ago, the hospital that looks after me got a fancy new website. It uses the website to notify me when I have an appointment - but it sends letters as well, so no postage savings.  It also uses the website to send clinic letters - these are not duplicated by post, but they are not retained on the site either, so I have to print them (luckily I was tipped off about this by a friend who had not printed hers, and when she logged in to refer to it, it had disappeared).
The problem with this website is that it’s one-way - I can’t use it to communicate with the hospital. So if the appointment isn’t convenient, I have to phone, and then I have exactly this problem - they take no notice at all of what I tell them about my availability. Recently it took about six phone calls to get a satisfactory appointment for a non-urgent scan. After getting a couple of appointments I had to cancel because they ignored what I said, I finally got someone who would re-book it while I was on the phone.  But a week later they called me to tell me the doctor wanted me to have this scan. Yes, I said, I know, I’ve got an appointment. They had no record of it.

As a retired NHS manager who was unfortunate enough to be involved locally in the NHS NPfIT programme, I'd suggest anybody communicating with their local NHS trust does so via 'phone or snail mail.

That's what I do.  It's more reliable...

For my local NHS trust they seem fine to communicate via emails, the added benefit being you can have a dialogue at your own schedule and there is a written trail.
I find it amazing in 2024 for routine things such as blood tests at the local GP surgery you can't just go online, view the available dates/times and book yourself in, rather instead having to phone and having to hang on like it's 1989.
The other thing I completely find ridiculous is why a load of places use "no reply" email addresses, it is like they actively make it as hard for you to respond if there is a follow up.

Murphybear

username said:

Okell said:

J63320 said:

Brie said:
…

What gets me is that when you talk to someone and book an appointment and state you can do any time except Tuesday afternoons they then change the agreed time and day to a Tuesday afternoon.  And mention that you shouldn't be nasty to any of their staff.  Had this happen repeatedly with a local ortho department.  

A couple of years ago, the hospital that looks after me got a fancy new website. It uses the website to notify me when I have an appointment - but it sends letters as well, so no postage savings.  It also uses the website to send clinic letters - these are not duplicated by post, but they are not retained on the site either, so I have to print them (luckily I was tipped off about this by a friend who had not printed hers, and when she logged in to refer to it, it had disappeared).
The problem with this website is that it’s one-way - I can’t use it to communicate with the hospital. So if the appointment isn’t convenient, I have to phone, and then I have exactly this problem - they take no notice at all of what I tell them about my availability. Recently it took about six phone calls to get a satisfactory appointment for a non-urgent scan. After getting a couple of appointments I had to cancel because they ignored what I said, I finally got someone who would re-book it while I was on the phone.  But a week later they called me to tell me the doctor wanted me to have this scan. Yes, I said, I know, I’ve got an appointment. They had no record of it.

As a retired NHS manager who was unfortunate enough to be involved locally in the NHS NPfIT programme, I'd suggest anybody communicating with their local NHS trust does so via 'phone or snail mail.

That's what I do.  It's more reliable...

For my local NHS trust they seem fine to communicate via emails, the added benefit being you can have a dialogue at your own schedule and there is a written trail.
I find it amazing in 2024 for routine things such as blood tests at the local GP surgery you can't just go online, view the available dates/times and book yourself in, rather instead having to phone and having to hang on like it's 1989.
The other thing I completely find ridiculous is why a load of places use "no reply" email addresses, it is like they actively make it as hard for you to respond if there is a follow up.

We can do most things online for our GP surgery.  I have regular blood tests and the results are available 2/3 days later.  

Albermarle

username said:

Okell said:

J63320 said:

Brie said:
…

What gets me is that when you talk to someone and book an appointment and state you can do any time except Tuesday afternoons they then change the agreed time and day to a Tuesday afternoon.  And mention that you shouldn't be nasty to any of their staff.  Had this happen repeatedly with a local ortho department.  

A couple of years ago, the hospital that looks after me got a fancy new website. It uses the website to notify me when I have an appointment - but it sends letters as well, so no postage savings.  It also uses the website to send clinic letters - these are not duplicated by post, but they are not retained on the site either, so I have to print them (luckily I was tipped off about this by a friend who had not printed hers, and when she logged in to refer to it, it had disappeared).
The problem with this website is that it’s one-way - I can’t use it to communicate with the hospital. So if the appointment isn’t convenient, I have to phone, and then I have exactly this problem - they take no notice at all of what I tell them about my availability. Recently it took about six phone calls to get a satisfactory appointment for a non-urgent scan. After getting a couple of appointments I had to cancel because they ignored what I said, I finally got someone who would re-book it while I was on the phone.  But a week later they called me to tell me the doctor wanted me to have this scan. Yes, I said, I know, I’ve got an appointment. They had no record of it.

As a retired NHS manager who was unfortunate enough to be involved locally in the NHS NPfIT programme, I'd suggest anybody communicating with their local NHS trust does so via 'phone or snail mail.

That's what I do.  It's more reliable...

For my local NHS trust they seem fine to communicate via emails, the added benefit being you can have a dialogue at your own schedule and there is a written trail.
I find it amazing in 2024 for routine things such as blood tests at the local GP surgery you can't just go online, view the available dates/times and book yourself in, rather instead having to phone and having to hang on like it's 1989.
The other thing I completely find ridiculous is why a load of places use "no reply" email addresses, it is like they actively make it as hard for you to respond if there is a follow up.

I have been able to pick a date/time online at the GP surgery when called for vaccinations, but not for other things.
There is definite digital progress ( using the NHS app to request repeat prescriptions is a doddle) but Rome was not built in a day I guess.

forgotmyname

Considering removing my mobile number from the doctors surgery files as well as several other options.

Doctors appointments, no need to send 7 text messages for 1 appointment date.  Swapping from FTTC to FTTP and again lots of
duplicate messages which is just OTT.  I responded yes stating the appointment time was good and yet 2 days later they ask again.

If someone misses appointments then stick them at the bottom of the list, you don't need to annoy people that have never missed
an appointment because a minority do not turn up.