left hand dont know what the right hand is doing

[ev'n'clive, HENGOED]

hello people x I had an appt at the hospital today at 10am ( face to face! ) always get there early, importance of time etc. anyway this was a new hospital ( for me ) I think it was built around 1700!! anyway for anyone who lives in wales the road signs are notoriously bad, you really have to guess where you are going, anyway gave ourselves an hour to get there and only had to go to two garages to get directions an one person... ( for some reason couldnt get directions on google ) quite likely even google didnt know where this hospital was!Five diffrent departments we were sent to and in each one was told, " its not here there are no doctors in today " One nurse must have spent 20 mins on the phone trying to get help for me and she was told I was expected but nobody knew where! Gave up and came home to phone the hospital, I was cut off three times then eventually got through TO A MACHINE with three choices, none of which were mine.... So where does one go from here?

[Malcolm, Essex]

In a survey it was revealed that near everybody HATES those "machines" yet the firms still use them, even though they all claim to take customer service seriously!

[andyn, Bucks]

Well not sure where you go now, but one place I wouldn't have gone is home.

[Topdeck, London]

Usually(all mine) appointments have the name of the person ("member of their team") you will be seeing.

The reason for the appointment could be a clue to the department.

Missed appointments cost money


When going somewhere new I Streetview how to get there and what the parking is like.

(Not always upto date, local one is a building site, will be better than 1700)

[Issyalex, Glasgow]

If I drove all that way I wouldn’t have left till they found out where I was to go. Did you have your hospital letter with you? If so surely the reception would have known where you were to go or at least send you to the right department, eg dermatology, urology, gdn, cardiology etc.

What next 🤔 phone the number on your letter first thing Monday morning and explain what happened or find out your consultants secretary’s phone number and give them a call.

[annie, Glasgow]

hello people x I had an appt at the hospital today at 10am ( face to face! ) always get there early, importance of time etc. anyway this was a new hospital ( for me ) I think it was built around 1700!! anyway for anyone who lives in wales the road signs are notoriously bad, you really have to guess where you are going, anyway gave ourselves an hour to get there and only had to go to two garages to get directions an one person... ( for some reason couldnt get directions on google ) quite likely even google didnt know where this hospital was!Five diffrent departments we were sent to and in each one was told, " its not here there are no doctors in today " One nurse must have spent 20 mins on the phone trying to get help for me and she was told I was expected but nobody knew where! Gave up and came home to phone the hospital, I was cut off three times then eventually got through TO A MACHINE with three choices, none of which were mine.... So where does one go from here?

I apologise beforehand if this sounds harsh. It was your responsibility to know which department to visit, if unsure, phone ahead before leaving home. How were you notified of the appointment?

if necessary visit the Patient Liason Office.

A niece of mine conducts some of her clinics at a local children's hospital and when patients don't turn up on time........

As TD said more money wasted.

Annie

[BigMac, Glasgow]

In Scotland, and under Dear Leader's regime, I was recently sent a letter informing me of a telephone appointment with my heart specialist.. It was to be 11:50 am, but I was asked to be available for a full hour beyond that time in case the consultant was delayed.

I then received another letter cancelling the first appointment, which altered the new appointment to 12:00 midday..

You have to wonder who actually runs this madness.

[JohnR, Chippenham]

On hospital appointments I get there is always the Appointments Booking Office telephone number to call for any reason.

[Gill Nickson, Albox]

I've been awaiting a particular appt for 8 weeks now, (supposed to be phoned to me) and finally I got it yesterday via SMS. Mid-Aug, at 20.00! And to add insult to injury, it's on the one day a week I go out in the evening to a quiz.

[ev'n'clive, HENGOED]

I apologise beforehand if this sounds harsh. It was your responsibility to know which department to visit, if unsure, phone ahead before leaving home. How were you notified of the appointment?

if necessary visit the Patient Liason Office.

A niece of mine conducts some of her clinics at a local children's hospital and when patients don't turn up on time........

As TD said more money wasted.

Annie

I knew the dept I was going to, OUTPATIENT................ My responsibility was to know where I was going and be on time, both of which I was, ( it also involved a 60 mile round journey! ) the consultant who was supposed to be seeing me, it was their responsibility to be there, the same as I was... There is not much you can do when you are in the correct place at the correct time and there is nobody there........ I emailed when I got home and have to wait 48 hrs for a reply........ I also phoned 3 times and got no response so, please, tell me what else I can do

[ev'n'clive, HENGOED]

Usually(all mine) appointments have the name of the person ("member of their team") you will be seeing.

The reason for the appointment could be a clue to the department.

Missed appointments cost money


When going somewhere new I Streetview how to get there and what the parking is like.

(Not always upto date, local one is a building site, will be better than 1700)

I took my letter with me which had the name of the doctor, the dept, time and date and went to THREE diffrent outpatients depts... its not a hospital that has a patients Liason dept not too sure it even had a ward it is an outpatient hospital, there were porters, cleaners, nurses but no doctors, believe me I wasnt happy to go all that way and not be seen and I have still heard nothing

[ev'n'clive, HENGOED]

If I drove all that way I wouldn’t have left till they found out where I was to go. Did you have your hospital letter with you? If so surely the reception would have known where you were to go or at least send you to the right department, eg dermatology, urology, gdn, cardiology etc.

What next 🤔 phone the number on your letter first thing Monday morning and explain what happened or find out your consultants secretary’s phone number and give them a call.

hi izzy x I was in the right dept, ( heamatology ) and the poor nurse was ringing everywhere all she was getting was voicemails.........I think she must have phoned every room in the hospital, nothing, one of the other nurses even took off on foot to find someone.........They tried absolutely everything and nothing

[annie, Glasgow]

I knew the dept I was going to, OUTPATIENT................ My responsibility was to know where I was going and be on time, both of which I was, ( it also involved a 60 mile round journey! ) the consultant who was supposed to be seeing me, it was their responsibility to be there, the same as I was... There is not much you can do when you are in the correct place at the correct time and there is nobody there........ I emailed when I got home and have to wait 48 hrs for a reply........ I also phoned 3 times and got no response so, please, tell me what else I can do

I would have asked them to page the consultant.

Annie

PS BTW not all outpatient clinics are held in the same physical location at my hospital. As it was a new hospital to you, I would have checked the hospital website for details of pathways in these Covid times.

[ev'n'clive, HENGOED]

hi annie, it really isnt that sort of hospital it is just a dumping ground of brickbuildings, never been in one like it, actually I have never seen one like it, to be honest the way Wales works sometimes it was probably over the road in a diffrent hospital! thanks for your help anyway x hugs x

[Flintshirelady, Rhyl]

Hello ev’nclive🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 I can understand your frustration completely. I am Welsh and live in Wales, the NHS in Wales is run completely differently . We are close to hospitals in England and Wales . Up until recently we could ask to be referred to Chester instead of Wrexham or Glan Clwyd. Wrexham is utterly awful the outpatients are spread over about 3 different sites as well. It sounds as though you have done all you can do. I am sure they will contact you and rearrange.