Been away for a few days and, on return and checking my home phone, found I had 5 messages. The first 4 was the NHS saying they would try to contact me again. The 5th was from the NHS telling me not to attend my appointment at Chorley Hospital on 1st July at 16.30hrs. My first thought was "I haven't got such an appointment but do have a telephone appointment at 18.00hrs that day with the spinal consultant". The lady then went on to say "Oops. You don't have an appointment at Chorley and the consultant won't be ringing you as that call was supposedly a follow up to an MRI scan (for which I haven't even been given a date for yet) so it will be at least a couple of months away yet"
I'm not the first to suffer this and I'm sure I won't be the last but it's a  shambles. I spent 2 grand on private consultancy just to be thrown back on the NHS scrapheap waiting for action.

One PC has lost USB, spent the last 3 days trying to cram everything onto 1 PC, tried adding hard drive from duff machine to the working one, erased most of C: directory still wouldn't start, so now resorted to copying from the smaller (2GB) drive connected via USB.

I received a letter yesterday from Chorley Hospital giving me an appointment at the Fracture Clinic on 2nd Sept at 16.30hrs. The letter gave full details about parking, where to go, bring any medications etc so I reckoned this was my long awaited MRI scan.
However, when I finally got through on the phone (after 8 attempts) I was informed this was just a telephone appointment with the spinal consultant who would give me the results of an MRI scan I haven't got an appointment for yet.
If the NHS was a private company they'd have gone to the wall years ago

Welcome to modern medical practices, Mick. I had two injections in my abdomen on Monday, and am now dealing with an infection.

Not worth the angst.

Virgin media email; tried logging on, no joy, seems like Virgin have teamed up with O2 and require one to set up a second email address to include O2; I've tried numerous ways to try and satisfy this using variations of my name and initials using their on line registration pages, so filled in a complaints form, but heaven knows how they will reply if I can't log on to email!

Quote from: Dorsetmike on July 15, 2025, 04:06:20 PMVirgin media email

I was for many years nobodyhasaclue@ntlworld.com. They may have become virgin branded but that didn't improve anything

They were so bad that when I left they spent the final months paying me compensation for amongst other things closing formal complaints without responding

Quote from: Newportnobby on July 04, 2025, 10:18:22 AMI received a letter yesterday from Chorley Hospital giving me an appointment at the Fracture Clinic on 2nd Sept at 16.30hrs. The letter gave full details about parking, where to go, bring any medications etc so I reckoned this was my long awaited MRI scan.
However, when I finally got through on the phone (after 8 attempts) I was informed this was just a telephone appointment with the spinal consultant who would give me the results of an MRI scan I haven't got an appointment for yet.
If the NHS was a private company they'd have gone to the wall years ago

Is it the same cr@p as over here with the doc having 15 minutes to hear your issue for 14 minutes and diagnosing it in the final minute of the session, getting paid for how many patients they see in an hour?

Quote from: kusojiji on August 01, 2025, 01:58:41 PMIs it the same cr@p as over here with the doc having 15 minutes to hear your issue for 14 minutes and diagnosing it in the final minute of the session, getting paid for how many patients they see in an hour?

No, it isn't, mainly as it's State-run, but it does need a bit of work to improve it! (I work for the NHS and even I know it's broken).

Quote from: Foxhound on August 11, 2025, 11:34:28 AMNo, it isn't, mainly as it's State-run, but it does need a bit of work to improve it! (I work for the NHS and even I know it's broken).

I stuck a saw in my foot, got sewn back up and my US friends were baffled that I didn't have a $20,000 bill after insurance cover, so while it's broken it still beats the alternative.

Quote from: Newportnobby on July 04, 2025, 10:18:22 AMI received a letter yesterday from Chorley Hospital giving me an appointment at the Fracture Clinic on 2nd Sept at 16.30hrs. The letter gave full details about parking, where to go, bring any medications etc so I reckoned this was my long awaited MRI scan.
However, when I finally got through on the phone (after 8 attempts) I was informed this was just a telephone appointment with the spinal consultant who would give me the results of an MRI scan I haven't got an appointment for yet.
If the NHS was a private company they'd have gone to the wall years ago

Apart from nipping out at 9.30 for ½ an hour I've been in all day and the much vaunted phone call from the spinal consultant never came. They even texted me 2 days ago confirming the booking and saying they'd ring twice and after that I may be discharged. Don't you just love being threatened by a hopelessly inefficient organisation?
Now when I call them tomorrow with a sackful of snot, I wonder what I can threaten them with
Soft cushions? Comfy chair?

It's pathetic really  Anne has exactly the same sort of problems. It's made even worse here by having to pay for it as well!!

Wow, that is really bad.

@Newportnobby did they ring you twice? Both of them for 2 rings only 10 seconds apart, qualifying them to say that they did it? That's what my hospital does. Didn't even give a chance to get back to my desk before both were completed.

@kusojiji

Neither landline or mobile rang at all

Its the same in High Wycombe I had my phone right next to me all day waiting for a doctor from our surgery  to ring me with the results of my M R I scan at half past 5 we rang to ask what was happening as we had been sitting here waiting for the results all day and the receptionist was rather rude and said WELL WE DONT CLOSE UNTILL 6 Oclock and put the phone down .
Still waiting days later and NO call so as I was getting worried  we rang the `Hospital instead and had a chat with a consultant who reasured me that allthough my Prostate was enlarged at 78 that was quite Ok and NO sign of Cancer so not to worry unless problems get worse .
Bob

Quote from: Bob Tidbury on September 03, 2025, 07:56:01 AMNO sign of Cancer so not to worry unless problems get worse .
Bob

That's great news, Bob

Quote from: Bob Tidbury on September 03, 2025, 07:56:01 AMmy Prostate was enlarged at 78

Same as your vinyl records, then