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[Padine]

 Just wondering how you would feel if this happened to you. I've had a few Video-call hospital appointments (for a muscular problem) instead of face-to-face and it's been working out perfectly.  At the beginning of March, I was kept waiting "till we connect you" for 30 mins then hung up and phoned, but they were "busy" so after 3 attempts I gave up. I wasn't really bothered as I knew they would sort it out when it was convenient, and I only had a couple of things to report. I got the fright of my life when 2 weeks later I received a letter from the hospital, basically copying me into a letter to my GP and the Consultant, saying I had not turned up. It was very abruptly worded and was assuming that I had just not turned up. I have never missed a medical appointment in my life, it's been drummed into me to have respect and basic decency for everything like this. After a rant and lots of tears on Mr. P's shoulder, I phoned the number wondering if the dates had been mixed up or something as simple as that. I spoke to the nurse my appointment was with and she used that "What do you mean by keeping me waiting..........well?" tone and I just spoke to her in a similar tone. She didn't believe me and protested that she was right. She said she had phoned and nobody answered, I said my phone was either engaged or the wrong number and she sort of relented that it was a computer error. I was trying so hard to not cry but her tone was very determined that she had done nothing wrong. There was a letter 10days later saying that I wanted the issue of my non-attendance to be rectified and put down to computer error (or words to the effect). She used a lot of words skirting around the facts and told a couple of blatant lies and I so wish I had been grown-up about this.
 I actually feel better for writing this out and realise it's not such a calamity! My GP knows me well enough to know that I would not NOT attend an appointment , hospital or surgery. Maybe this nurse was bitter about being moved to vaccinations for a time and/or not coping well that day.

[CLKD]

Every1 is stressed.  About 12 months ago the Surgery over seeing the Home where Mum stays tried to instigate Zoom calls so that they could talk to the residents.  However, there is very little wifi width available in that part of the Fens so it never happened.

How can some 'not turn up' to a video call?  You aren't going anywhere, it's up to them to keep their connection and if something happens, to contact the patient.  Surely ? 

I would be pretty miffed quite honestly and don't believe in video calls - if 1 needs to discuss a physical/mental issues, it should be done face2face!

[getting_old]

Wow, I could understand if you were a serial offender, but they should have given you a chance to explain. It's always going to be your word against the nurse's so I'd just ask the GP to make you another appointment with a different nurse.

[Sparrow]

Ask for a complaint form.

Even if you decide not to proceed they will know you are serious and won't be pushed.

It's really not good enough. Especially when most people have done their best to support the NHS, over the last year.  Also many with hugely delayed treatment.

You were much more self controlled than I would have been.

[groundhog]

Padine, I would have been very upset.  This happened to me once , I was recorded as a DNA ( did not attend ) and I wrote a letter as I do tend to get upset by things like that.  You could probably evidence the amount of time you hung on for but I’d try and leave it go.  Or maybe write a letter, let them know how you feel and then leave it go.  Probably a million other things going on and you took the brunt of her annoyance, totally unfair of course.
 A few weeks back I think I said I got blocked on a fb page by someone who worked at my surgery, I’d asked a question about the vaccines and she didn’t like it, it was a reasonable question but she thinks she runs the surgery and the world and woe betide anyone who questions anything.    I was really upset when she blocked me, no reason for it but I think when you’ve had traumas in your life you don’t take things the same and I find I react very badly to any kind of injustice or situations when I’m not believed .
Glad Mr.P was supportive xx  my husband tends to be ‘get over it’ but he is changing as he’s getting older x

[Katejo]

I have had absolutely no real appointments the past year, only phone calls. My GP and the local hospitals don't do video calls at all. In January I had an appointment which I expected to be at the actual hospital but I rang up the week before to check. I just couldn't get an answer. The appointment line told me that they didn't know and gave me another number to ring. Just got voicemail but left a clear message. No reply so I went in on the day. Was then told that it had been changed to a phone call which I had to take in a noisy public area. I mentioned my voicemail. I had been put through to a secretary who was on leave for 2 weeks!  It really annoyed me.

[Padine]

Thank you for your support, and Groundhog, not so long ago
Mr P would have said Get over it! But after a rough time recently he now is more understanding. I’m not taking this any further as the NHS don’t need that and I know I’ve done nothing wrong. It was the arrogance of this woman who clearly saw herself on a
pedestal. She fell off it with her 2 blatant lies, I think she thought I was stupid.

[Annie0710]

This is unfair, it’s similar to what happened to me back in 2012

I had been referred to an allergy clinic at a big teaching hospital, the appts had been going really well and she was educating me on how to deal with anaphylaxis etc.  On my last appt I had a call about an hour before we were due to leave for it (hubby always lost a days pay to come with me) from admin saying the consultant had been in a car accident and the clinic is cancelled.  I said how sad I was to hear and hope she makes a full recovery and wait to hear when an appt can be made.  Months letter I received a copy of a letter saying I hadn’t attended the clinic therefore I’m removed from the patient list !

And now I reckon I’m heading for similar, I’ve been having treatment at Guys in London and travelling the hour journey by train, alone most of the time, which is a big thing for me.  Last year either as lockdown was looming or just started I got an urgent call in the day of my appt to remove stitches to quickly get there as they were closing the clinic due to covid, I said I can’t rush, I live 30mins from the station and I can only catch the scheduled train, 2 every hour.  Anyway I got there and had the stitches removed and she said my next op was postponed until Boris says it can reopen.  I did a review for her in the summer by text and then she contacted me in Dec offering me an op date the Friday before Xmas, I said I couldn’t because I was babysitting my granddaughter (I’m part of her childcare) so she said she’d fix me in for jan, I explained this was difficult , I had less days free due to work and childcare but also the train timetables were iffy, and I can’t do the underground alone (I am useless at that sort of thing) and please could I be put on the list for feb , she said she would but I’ve not heard from her since.  I’m not thrilled at the thought of the surgery and it’s not life threatening so I bet I’m struck off again

[CLKD]

This is appalling for you all 

Get those letters written with copies to the Practice Managers and GP.  The NHS doesn't have 'enough to deal with', it's open 4 business.  Matt says so!

I knew when computers became involved, that the communications system would go pear shaped.  Sadly it doesn't seem to have improved since I was 'in' during the 1980s