The angry thread

[Newportnobby]

My Mother has not been feeling too well over the last couple of months - a little dizzy and a persistent cough. Bearing in mind all the adverts in the media tell folks to immediately report such she contacted her GP who didn't bother to see her but just sent her for a chest X ray (I must say at this point my Mother had a mastectomy about 5 years ago after cancer was discovered in her lymph glands). 3 weeks have gone past and nothing was heard about any results and Mum has started losing weight (she is only a lightweight at the best of times ). Finally she decided to call the GP to see what results, if any, had been received, to be told "This is giffgaff, please leave a message" and before she could do anything it cut off. At last, this morning, she got through to the receptionist who asked what her call was concerning and the GP did, indeed, call her back 15 minutes later. Mother asked if any results had been received from Preston hospital and the GP replied "oh yes, we had those last week" Mother then asked whether she could be told the result and the GP replied that all was well/clear. On being asked why she hadn't informed Mother earlier, the GP stated they don't inform people if all is OK, only of there is something amiss. Now, knowing only too well how easy it is to lose weight with worry, I suspect Mother has been fretting herself to bits thinking, as I confessed to her at her news, she had a returned cancer.
I'm appalled at this GP who, knowing my Mother's medical history, couldn't even be bothered to allay any fears with a simple call
Hopefully Mother will now start to put on a little weight, but she has only ever had the appetite of a sparrow

[Bealman]

That is extremely slack. I hope everything is ok!

[daveg]

That's pretty bad, Mick!

I'd be inclined to write to the Practice Manager and voice your disappointment if not anger in the way the practice has mismanaged the care of a genuinely vulnerable person.

A lot of practices now have websites and a place for comments. If there is such a thing you may want to hold off to see what response you get, if any, and then follow-up as appropriate.

Do hope your mum is feeling better and you can both stop worrying quite so much.

Dave G

[dannyboy]

That is another example of poor/abysmal 'customer care'! I would definitely put a complaint in writing Mick. Your Mother is an elderly and vulnerable person and should be treated with more care and respect. I hope she does get back to her normal self soon.

[daffy]

We have had the same issue with our GP practise over any tests. If they are okay, no comment or contact. While I can understand the logic, the concepts of 'duty of care' and 'in the patients best interest' should surely always apply.
Luckily since my wife's illness, and the regular weekly blood tests she has, the Vampire lady (I can't spell 'flebbotomyst') has established a system for her whereby the results, whatever they are, are posted to her, and are also eventually added to her online records.

This latter method - our practise uses 'System Online' - allows, after signed registration etc - patients to view via t'internet various aspects of their medical records held by the GP surgery. It's not a perfect system (my own registration to its inner secrets seems to be fraught with issues unknown), but it is worth finding out if it's available to you and your mother.

Trust she now relaxes and enjoys eating lots of what she fancies.

[javlinfaw7]

To add a bit of balance to this , my son ond I are both isolating having tested positive ,he had a online appointment with his GP due to coughing up specks of blood .  The GP was not happy with how it appeared on Zoom and arranged for him to be seen in a "patient  access centre" that after noon . NHS transport arrived to take him with all appropriate precautions taken  vehicle cleaned driver in mask and gloves and same supplied for my son .he was returned 40 minutes later  with no treatment necessary as he had fortunately only burst capillaries coughing .the driver then proceeded to clean the van before moving on to collect his next patient
Unfortunately levdls of care and attention to detail  seen to vary from practice to practice.

[Nbodger]

System Online is also used by our GP's

You can read all communications including results that have been sent by external sources to your GP. As I have regular three month check ups, it is quite interesting to read what the consultant has said. Last time I went, we were spending three weeks in a caravan and that I was building some model kits, this was in the report.

Blood tests I get via a separate online service called Patient View, I usually have the results the same day. This is a system that was developed for renal patients and helps you the patient to manage your health. There are even notes to help you understand the information reported.

Mike H

[guest311]

not unusual, I'm afraid.

SWMBO had her 3 month CT scan on the 16th of last month, the first since her surgery for lung cancer.
after a fortnight with no results I started the never ending round of phone calls and message leaving that seems to infect the NHS.
the CT scan department number that was on her appointment letter is 'not recognised'

phoned the Sussex county, got put thought to the department secretary, who needless to say does not answer her phone, you just get a gabbled recorded message too fast to write down, even if you do have a pen and paper, so left a message with all info.

no response so a couple of days later waded through all the letters and repeated for the department at PRH Haywards Heath. same result, message left but no response.

CT dept at PRH did not even answer the phone and no voicemail !

then phoned the surgery, selected option 3 for results brr brr thank you for calling goodbye.
phoned again and selected option 1 for appointments, explained the situation 'oh, the secretaries have gone home now'.  it was 14:55 
they tell you to ring for results after 13:00, so quite a narrow window to get an answer.
and of course, the receptionist didn't know if any results had been sent.

today, a letter arrived, 'dictated 31 August, typed 31st August - first class' so then took 10 days to actually be posted, sorted and delivered.

all ok, no signs of any new growths 

here endeth nearly four weeks of SWMBO worrying about if everything was ok.

all no doubt to be repeated in two months time.

just goes to reinforce what I have said so often before ....
nurses and doctors 5 stars,
admin - there isn't a minus star system is there ?

think it will take more than a few billion pounds to improve this, more like a good old fashioned boot up the nether regions, and a restructure / reduction of the numbers of admin staff [with their reserved car parks] less so called 'managers', and a greater concentration on the front line staff.

where, oh where, are all the Matrons  :'(

[Newportnobby]

Latest - Mother has posted a letter to the BMA about her GP.
Probably won't get an answer
Thanks for all the good wishes.

[Invicta Alec]

On being asked why she hadn't informed Mother earlier, the GP stated they don't inform people if all is OK, only of there is something amiss.

This CANNOT be standard practice surely? If it is, it is clearly WRONG! 

Alec.

[dannyboy]

On being asked why she hadn't informed Mother earlier, the GP stated they don't inform people if all is OK, only of there is something amiss.

This CANNOT be standard practice surely? If it is, it is clearly WRONG! 

These circumstances are not restricted to the UK NHS. I normally have my blood tested once or twice a year. I am always told by the Doctor that if there is anything amiss, they will ring me in about a week, otherwise the results are okay. If I have not heard anything within two weeks, I ring the surgery and ask them to do me a printout for collection.

[dannyboy]

I know that we 'more mature' people are often accused of looking at the past through rose tinted glasses, but I often think that change is implemented for the sake of it. Somebody decides that something would be better if done a different way, so changes are made. After whatever length of time when it becomes obvious that the changes are not working, nobody has the guts to say, "we got it wrong, let's put it back how it was". No, what happens is something like, "we got it wrong. lets implement some more changes". So yes @class37025 , let's bring back the Matrons. And we are just talking NHS here - remember the 11+? (Okay, I'll shut up now  ).

[thebrighton]

A while back I booked an exhaust replacement through ATS's website to be carried out at the local depot who are just down the road from me. On the morning of the appointment they rang to cancel as they wouldn't have the part for another week so I had to wait (you pay when booking).

These things happen and I had forgotten about it until today. 2 new tyres were required for the wife's car so I booked with ATS online a few days ago for today as it's the wife's day off and paid as required. Evidently nothing has changed; under an hour before the appointed time a phone call to say they haven't got the tyres but can fit them Monday.

Why bother to have a booking system when it is quite plainly just a money grabbing exercise to get business with no idea if they can actually provide what has been paid for? And no, Monday isn't any good that's why I booked it for today. I'll have a refund and go elsewhere. No problem, we'll sort a refund, it will be with you in around 5 days even though your payment was taken instantly. What a load of cobblers, I can sit here on my laptop and send pretty much anyone in the world money instantly but you can't with a refund after failing to provide a service paid for.

Once is a mistake, twice is incompetence. I won't be going there again.

[daffy]

I learnt some years back that ATS stands for Absolutely Terrible Service.

Well, it was from the branches I and my stepdaughter have used.

Won't go anywhere near them now.

[Calnefoxile]

I've just had my tyres done by Tyresonthedrive.com which it turns out is run by Halfords, and the whole process was completely painless.

They came to me and changed the tyres in about 1/2 hour.

I can't actually believe I'm recommending a service from Halfords but they did a great job and the Engineer was very polite.

Regards

Neal.