The NHS is rediculous - Page 12

jambutty · 06-06-2007, 13:34

A letter from my GP opened with this paragraph:
The Primary Health Care Team based at Springfield Surgery consists of 1 GP, 1 Practice Nurse, 1 Practice Manager and 2 Receptionists.

Or put another way 1 chief (Practice Manager) and 4 indians (the team who do the actual health care work)

Once upon a time not too long ago I could ring up for a repeat prescription before 10:00am and collect it the next day.
Today I have to deliver the counterfoil to reception and wait 48 hours to collect it.

Once upon a time I could ring for an appointment several days in advance.
Today, if I need to see the doctor I have to ring before 8:30am, if I can get through. To be fair though if the need is urgent but not so urgent as needing to go to A & E I will get seen on the same day. But it could and often does mean sitting in the waiting room for anything up to TWO HOURS, waiting for a cancellation or a non show up, or more often than not waiting until after the last patient has been seen.

Progress? Hmmmm! Debatable! But at what cost?

WillowTheWhisp · 06-06-2007, 16:03

What exactly does a 'Practice Manager' do?

MargaretR · 06-06-2007, 16:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

What exactly does a 'Practice Manager' do?

An ex neighbour of mine is one - like a doc's secretary/girl Friday/Google Page Ranking person

Eric · 06-06-2007, 16:37

Like a triage person maybe? Or does someone else set priorities as to who gets seen and how quickly?

jambutty · 06-06-2007, 19:19

A Practice Manager manages the practice and earns a decent salary for doing so WillowTheWhisp.

How come they managed without one for all those years?

I forgot! It’s called progress.

cashman · 12-06-2007, 21:24

well went for my op today at gisburn park, 1st class staff, 1st class grub, everything went to plan this time lol, nice to have summat good to say (for me anyway

) my right hands now getting sore as anesthetic wears off,but thats life.

WillowTheWhisp · 12-06-2007, 21:29

Gisburn Park is really nice isn't it? Very posh.

cashman · 12-06-2007, 21:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

Gisburn Park is really nice isn't it? Very posh.

i am.......

WillowTheWhisp · 13-06-2007, 09:23

Well here's a variation on the theme.

I am registered with Peel House. Over the past umpteen months I've been having tests for this, that and various others. I have been in and out of hospital and undergone more tests and two ops.

Recently I had another blood test at Peel House and had a phone call last week to say they were referring me for a glucose tolerance test. I was expecting to get an appointment for The Royal Blackburn or maybe, with a bit of luck, Accy Vic.

This morning I received my appointment - it is with Dr. Ward's surgery in Clayton-le-Moors! Huh?

cashman · 13-06-2007, 09:40

heres another variation,

just been taken to peel house, to make appointment to have my stitches removed in 10 days, (no problem) also had to pick up my prescription- was told sorry we seem to have lost it- no problem as its your repeat i will order it,and you can pick it up friday! i replied there is a problem- i have to trail back here.

after my experiance at gisburn a fortnight ago,i would say admin leaves much to be desired in the NHS.

WillowTheWhisp · 13-06-2007, 09:54

As they'd lost it wouldn't they do a replacement for you there and then?

cashman · 13-06-2007, 21:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

As they'd lost it wouldn't they do a replacement for you there and then?

no willow,friday and thats it, never pursued it further,cos i have enough pills to last till sat.

Ber999T · 14-06-2007, 04:52

Cash I think you'll find that most chemists will now have list of regular customers and they will remind you to order your script a few days before it's due and then they'll call and pic it up and have it depensed for you on the day you need it.

I have signed up with ASDA at Accrington for that had no problems at all (and hoping thats how it'll carry on)

Neil · 14-06-2007, 06:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

What exactly does a 'Practice Manager' do?

Well mine got an explanation as to how things work in the real world when I phoned one Monday mid morning and could not make an appointment "one afternoon this week please after 4pm", without having to be very insistent with the receptionist. I explained that some of us actually work and can't always phone in the morning to make an appointment and pop down the same day, we need to plan around work when we can see the Doctor. She agreed that their current system worked fine in their other surgeries (Shadsworth and somewhere else in Blackburn) but, The Ossy surgery has a much higher number of patients that work and that they needed to make some changes to their booking system.The result was her discussing the situation with the receptionist's and allocation more pre booked appointments. It would appear that pre booked appoints are excluded from the waiting list targets.

Blame Blair and his stupid statement about getting an appointment within 24 or 48 hours or whatever he said without switching his brain on. The surgery have to send a monthly report on waiting times to some NHS waiting list counter. By giving me an appointment today for next week they miss that target, stupid isn't it.

jambutty, I did not take you as someone who could not phone up and get an appointment when you want not when they want to give you one. Maybe you are all balls behind the keyboard and a pussycat in real life.

Neil · 14-06-2007, 06:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by cashman

had to pick up my prescription- was told sorry we seem to have lost it- no problem as its your repeat i will order it,and you can pick it up friday! i replied there is a problem- i have to trail back here.

Answer next time should be something like - no problem I will wait here while you go now and get the Doctor to sign a new one, while you are with the Doctor you can explain you have a very unhappy patient in reception complaining about your competence.