BS: NHS Choose and Book (UK)

Subject: BS: NHS Choose and Book (UK)
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 13 May 14 - 03:38 AM

This is about the UK Health 'Service', so I apologise in advance to folk from other countries.
Has anyone had any dealings with this mad system? It concerns getting an appointment to see a specialist. The Government fairly recently spent £200 million installing a computerised booking system. You receive through the Post a code word and a code number. (In the same letter, so anyone getting it by mistake has all they need to get into all your private medical details) You log on, type in these codes and for a little while your face lights up. Here are several local hospitals willing to entertain you. You select one but, oh dear, red writing fills the screen. No Appointments Available. Okay, try another... yes, no joy. Eventually, one remaining hospital can take you on. But what is this? Only one day is offered. It's Friday 13th June. (appropriate!) That is the one day I can't go. I decide to ring the telephone line instead. Long wait, "We are experiencing a heavy number of calls..." A nice lady comes on the line. Jane. No, she can only get up on her screen the same thing I can. Friday 13th June. And now there is only one slot left. I have to accept it. My question is, Where is the 'Choose' in all this? And what an enormous outlay by an allegedly financially pressured service, to achieve what exactly?
Anyone else had these problems?

Subject: RE: BS: NHS Choose and Book (UK)
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 13 May 14 - 06:07 AM

I've had exactly the same experience Eliza, it's all hype, you can NEVER get an appointment when you want it.

Dave H

Subject: RE: BS: NHS Choose and Book (UK)
From: GUEST,Musket
Date: 13 May 14 - 06:37 AM

It's bloody awful Eliza.

I speak as someone who has to make head or tail of it and do my little bit to ensure the resource follows the patient.

When the government of the day introduced choice in this protocol driven madness, most of the people running The NHS saw two huge problems with it.

1. It means planning of where to put services is reactive rather than proactive. People eventually have to travel further for general acute services as the university post grad deans stop supplying junior doctors if cases fall below proscribed numbers.

2. When ministers said people want to be able to go to a better hospital than their local one, they didn't realise that what people really want is for their local hospital to be as good as the one forty miles down the road....

It would appear choose and book works great for many people, 86% if you can trust surveys. But narrow that down geographically and...

You live in Norfolk.

I have had to use it twice and it was seamless, stress free and helpful. I happen to know that where you live dictates how good it is.

Oh, and out of interest, it works best where GPs work with it rather than try to fetter it. (BMA News and Pulse magazine make interesting reading at times. They are self styled voices for GPs.)

Subject: RE: BS: NHS Choose and Book (UK)
From: GUEST,Patsy
Date: 13 May 14 - 07:34 AM

Eliza, I totally agree. It is a bit of a mad scheme especially when you consider that many elderly people are not computer literate, might not have any family with one and possibly have never had to run a bank account let alone anything else my mother being one of those unfortunately. So all of this is alien to her.

I had moved in to help her with bereavement and as I had a laptop I decided to go online not knowing about this way of booking but thought it could be very handy for general things. She has been suffering with a bowel problem which is progressively getting worse and in a lot of pain her GP arranged for this 'choose and book' facility which was a silly assumption to make as she knew the situation with my mother's mobility etc. It was easy for me to get on to eventually and up came a couple of choices, this was in January. One was a hospital that she had a bad experience with previously plus it was where my father and her sister passed away, two others which she could not possibly get to because of mobility problems and the only hospital option that she was ok with had a booking availability in latter part of April. But as I thought it best to book that instead of risking not having one at all we opted for that. Since then despite booking on line she has received two cancellations which would now take her to July! So much for choose and book! At 86 it is too much to deal with. Once a booking has been chosen it should not be cancelled by them once that booking has been made.

Anyway we have been trying to chase the GP (who is on yet another holiday) to try to bring it closer because her condition is becoming more severe and unmanageable. Actually the health care she is receiving in general is really poor not just the choose and book issue but that is another story.

What really annoys me is that they tell you to think before A&E but is it any wonder that people have to go that route instead? They should know that the older generation tend not to want to 'cause' anyone any bother and are less likely to want to 'cause trouble and inconvenience' to the emergency services or anyone else. This system is not elderly friendly at all and needs rethinking through.

Subject: RE: BS: NHS Choose and Book (UK)
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 13 May 14 - 08:58 AM

I'm not exactly 'glad' that I'm not the only one, but it's interesting that it isn't working for many. The lady on the phone ('Jane') was delightful and very kind, but she couldn't really do a thing. I too have had THREE appointments in a row (sent to me by letters) cancelled, for another condition. I got an Apology Letter, but it's very worrying that our once-excellent NHS is obviously so under pressure that it's finally busted. I'm so sorry for the people who've posted here with their very upsetting experiences. The point is that it's rather a con. It isn't about 'choosing' and possibly not even about 'booking', because one might just give up and not bother. I didn't even get to see a GP (do they even exist??!) but a nice chap who is a Practice Nurse. He can only refer one to see a specialist, he can't really diagnose. He told me he was actually a paramedic, which struck me as a bit odd. As my husband isn't available on Friday The Thirteenth I will now have to call out the Community Volunteer Driver in our village to take me there. If I could have 'chosen' I'd have picked a day when Hubby could oblige. The trouble is, we Oldies can remember a time when the whole NHS thing worked quite well. I don't feel it does now. (I don't wish to criticise the actual people in it, as they're usually lovely, kind and caring. It's no good ranting at them poor souls!)

Subject: RE: BS: NHS Choose and Book (UK)
From: Newport Boy
Date: 13 May 14 - 11:59 AM

Although the system works well for us here, I know there are problems elsewhere so I sympathise with you. The problems of availability and cancellation are largely due to budget constraints. Remember when you next vote not to vote for idiot politicians who believe in the efficiency of the 'market'. The so-called market is only efficient in one aspect - making profits for the 'providers'.

Phil