Medical appointments..how do they do that?
Discussion
How can you have an appointment at 10.00am in an outpatients clinic that started at 9.00am, but they are already running 90 minutes late when you arrive at 9.50am? 15 people told to be there at the same time. Do they really get everyone to turn up at the same time and just hang about? If so, why? Then everbody complains they were only in for 2 minutes ( 15 x 2 =30). What are they doing for the rest of the time and the extra time they made up by having the 90 minute late sessions????? Alex Fergusson must work there.
They do it when you pay too. 3 vets, nobody seen for 30 minutes. How can a vet charge me £5 for 4 halves of a tiny tablet? I can buy E for less, and without waiting for a pug ugly miserable smelly veterinary nurse to dispense it. How come they always find complications that need more drugs and visits? Shall I just pay my salaray direct to them and cut out the midddle man?
The worst clinic I ever did was running 2 hours late 2 hours into it. It was horiffic and stressful. Was the patients fault though. The people at this particular doctors surgery didn't seem to care what time their appt was for. Whether their appt was at 9 or 11, they near enough all turned up at 11:30. We had to have words with particilar women. Isn't fair on us who got not lunch, the minority that turn up on time but are put back and the women we were late to visit in the afternoon.
leftie said:
How can you have an appointment at 10.00am in an outpatients clinic that started at 9.00am, but they are already running 90 minutes late when you arrive at 9.50am? 15 people told to be there at the same time. Do they really get everyone to turn up at the same time and just hang about? If so, why? Then everbody complains they were only in for 2 minutes ( 15 x 2 =30). What are they doing for the rest of the time and the extra time they made up by having the 90 minute late sessions????? Alex Fergusson must work there.
They do it when you pay too. 3 vets, nobody seen for 30 minutes. How can a vet charge me £5 for 4 halves of a tiny tablet? I can buy E for less, and without waiting for a pug ugly miserable smelly veterinary nurse to dispense it. How come they always find complications that need more drugs and visits? Shall I just pay my salaray direct to them and cut out the midddle man?
Can't comment on the vets, but in outpatients, it's quite simple, the clinics are almost always heavily overbooked, in such a way that the medical staff can't possibly hope to keep on time. I did a clinic today, in which they booked 60 patients for 3 doctors, most of whom I saw, as I was in charge of two junior doctors who needed help and supervision, with some complex cases.....
dave_s13 said:
Yep, that's how some consultants works.
It's a 'I'm more important than God so you'll all wait in my holding pen till I've finished playing golf' kinda scenario.
Mmmmm I'd say mostly they aren't like that at all, more likely the Consultant has to see everyone elses patients, before they can see their own list, as they are supervising the juniors and have to be able to give an opinion.....
968 said:
Yep, that's how some consultants works.
It's a 'I'm more important than God so you'll all wait in my holding pen till I've finished playing golf' kinda scenario.
Mmmmm I'd say mostly they aren't like that at all, more likely the Consultant has to see everyone elses patients, before they can see their own list, as they are supervising the juniors and have to be able to give an opinion.....
Yeah I know, I was just being a t
t 
leftie said:
How can you have an appointment at 10.00am in an outpatients clinic that started at 9.00am, but they are already running 90 minutes late when you arrive at 9.50am? 15 people told to be there at the same time. Do they really get everyone to turn up at the same time and just hang about? If so, why? Then everbody complains they were only in for 2 minutes ( 15 x 2 =30). What are they doing for the rest of the time and the extra time they made up by having the 90 minute late sessions????? Alex Fergusson must work there.
They do it when you pay too. 3 vets, nobody seen for 30 minutes. How can a vet charge me £5 for 4 halves of a tiny tablet? I can buy E for less, and without waiting for a pug ugly miserable smelly veterinary nurse to dispense it. How come they always find complications that need more drugs and visits? Shall I just pay my salaray direct to them and cut out the midddle man?
Narrrrrrrrrrr!! just put animal out of its misery...
shame it only had fleas.........
was a joke seriously i have a dog and a cat and the vet p xxxes me off you take said healthy dog in for vac so he can go in kennels and you get have you wormed him fleaed him etc.
that'll be another 37 pounds please....
I guess they must do clinics after other jobs, like ward rounds? I just object to writing off the best part of a working day for 2 minutes of advice. Thankfully the example I used wasn't my family (my wife went with a friend) but I will pay privately should I need to see a copnsulant. Doesn't make business sense to me to lose half a day, and not be able to tell clienets when I will definitely be available in the afternoon for the sake of a consultation fee.
But that is exactly what I did do for the vet. Simple op. Spent 90 inutes getting there and booking the dog in. Similar time getting her back (5 minute intervals between a discharge process that took 15). Had to return 4 days later and now have to go back on Friday (just in case). At each turn digging deep. I must get a copy of the vets equivilant to the BNF and see exactly how much the drugs cost them because oddly, everything seems to cost a fiver. Even sold me a plastic dog collar that must be all of 10p worth for £5. They even sold my wife some 'special' food at 3 times the price of ordinary dog food which is still siting at the back of the cupboard because any self respecting dog won't touch it.
My wife complains I don't go to the dentist enough. It isn't fear of pain, it is the waste of time waiting for them. I would pay extra for a dentist who sticks to time, and who does all of his/her proceedures in as few a sittings as possible.
Don't get me started on nurses.
But that is exactly what I did do for the vet. Simple op. Spent 90 inutes getting there and booking the dog in. Similar time getting her back (5 minute intervals between a discharge process that took 15). Had to return 4 days later and now have to go back on Friday (just in case). At each turn digging deep. I must get a copy of the vets equivilant to the BNF and see exactly how much the drugs cost them because oddly, everything seems to cost a fiver. Even sold me a plastic dog collar that must be all of 10p worth for £5. They even sold my wife some 'special' food at 3 times the price of ordinary dog food which is still siting at the back of the cupboard because any self respecting dog won't touch it.
My wife complains I don't go to the dentist enough. It isn't fear of pain, it is the waste of time waiting for them. I would pay extra for a dentist who sticks to time, and who does all of his/her proceedures in as few a sittings as possible.
Don't get me started on nurses.
My g/f had a doctors appointment the other day at 11:30. She phoned up at 10am and asked if she could have it for 12:30 and was told 'no, the doctor is leaving at 12'.
So she gets there at 11:30, and has to wait an hour in the surgery 'cos the doctor was busy! The GP was in his office but wasn't seeing anyone and no one really knows what he was doing for an hour.
I honestly feel that certain people in public services need a hard kick up the arse. They get paid to do their job regardless, some people have to take time off work to see a doctor so the least they could do is minimise the amount of wasted time.
I appreciate some people regularly miss or turn up late for appointments, in that case they should be refused to see the doctor and should be told to make another appointment.
So she gets there at 11:30, and has to wait an hour in the surgery 'cos the doctor was busy! The GP was in his office but wasn't seeing anyone and no one really knows what he was doing for an hour.
I honestly feel that certain people in public services need a hard kick up the arse. They get paid to do their job regardless, some people have to take time off work to see a doctor so the least they could do is minimise the amount of wasted time.
I appreciate some people regularly miss or turn up late for appointments, in that case they should be refused to see the doctor and should be told to make another appointment.
leftie said:
I guess they must do clinics after other jobs, like ward rounds? I just object to writing off the best part of a working day for 2 minutes of advice. Thankfully the example I used wasn't my family (my wife went with a friend) but I will pay privately should I need to see a copnsulant. Doesn't make business sense to me to lose half a day, and not be able to tell clienets when I will definitely be available in the afternoon for the sake of a consultation fee.
.
Next year, all GPs will have to offer patients a choice of 5 hospitals, if and when they refer you for diagnosis or treatment. One of those choices will have to be an independent treatment centre, ie private. This will be the beginning of the end for the free NHS, as it will be brought into direct competition with the private sector, who will compete for the tender of referrals from GPs.
Of course, being in the private sector, they will no doubt bribe the GPs, and incentivise them, and will almost certainly offer and entirely Consultant led service, in nice hospitals, where patients are seen when they are supposed to.... that is of course, unless they get overburdened with referrals, and then, you'll be waiting for appointments, much as we are now....... Lets hope St Elsewhere, your local DGH doesn't close down, when referrals are directed away to the private sector eh? Afterall, when the private hospital becomes too busy to see patients in a timely manner, what will happen to the excess patients?
jimothy said:
I once had a doctors appointment where the doctor was running 45 minutes late.
And I was his first appointment of the day!
Prob an important sales rep come in (one with big tits) that he had to see to get his free pens, sort out the free lunchtime presentation, free xmas dinner and kick-back all-expenses scientific congress meeting in the Bahamas
RossMac said:
I once had a doctors appointment where the doctor was running 45 minutes late.
And I was his first appointment of the day!
Prob an important sales rep come in (one with big tits) that he had to see to get his free pens, sort out the free lunchtime presentation, free xmas dinner and kick-back all-expenses scientific congress meeting in the Bahamas
Either that, or a management meeting, with the incompetant hospital/practice managers, spent 45 minutes trying to explain the basics to them.
BTW such all expenses kick backs are illegal. The best we can hope for is a free pen, some sandwiches and maybe a dinner, with a group of other doctors. Perish the thought that we should be eligible for the same fringe benefits that financial and legal sector workers are able to get.......
I used to manage a busy OPD clinic for several years. Many reasons why the clinic can be experiencing such a delay after just an hour -
Doctors turning up late (not neccessarily always their fault - may have got stuck on a ward round)
Overbookings - the most common one - for some clinics you could have 3 or four patients booked in at just one time - only done at the request of a clinician (or a very pushy pt) and due to the urgency of the pts condition
Nurses and Admin staff late - clinics cannot run without em
Overlong consultations - some patients just love to chat (or are quite mad)
Missing casenotes
Waiting for results
Doctors turning up late (not neccessarily always their fault - may have got stuck on a ward round)
Overbookings - the most common one - for some clinics you could have 3 or four patients booked in at just one time - only done at the request of a clinician (or a very pushy pt) and due to the urgency of the pts condition
Nurses and Admin staff late - clinics cannot run without em
Overlong consultations - some patients just love to chat (or are quite mad)
Missing casenotes
Waiting for results
jared_m said:
My g/f had a doctors appointment the other day at 11:30. She phoned up at 10am and asked if she could have it for 12:30 and was told 'no, the doctor is leaving at 12'.
So she gets there at 11:30, and has to wait an hour in the surgery 'cos the doctor was busy! The GP was in his office but wasn't seeing anyone and no one really knows what he was doing for an hour.
Perhaps he was arranging an emergency admission and having trouble finding the right people to contact - God forbid there might be a valid reason for the delay, which he chose not to broadcast to the waiting room?
jared_m said:
I honestly feel that certain people in public services need a hard kick up the arse. They get paid to do their job regardless, some people have to take time off work to see a doctor so the least they could do is minimise the amount of wasted time.
I appreciate some people regularly miss or turn up late for appointments, in that case they should be refused to see the doctor and should be told to make another appointment.
The really difficult thing when being "paid to do the job regardless" is the sheer weight of completely ignorant knobheads who want to be seen for every trivial illness and complaint. My surgery almost always gives appointments on the same day, or at most the following day. So far this year, there have been 1500 DNAs "did not attend" - i.e. people who couldn't be arsed to turn up, or pick the phone up to cancel. That's about 100 full surgeries, or 3 full weeks of surgery time. Maybe now it's easier to see in part why it takes weeks to get an appointment?
Also, what happens if a doctor takes in the patient before you, at the correct time, and has to spend 40-50 minutes with them, because their spouse has just been diagnosed with cancer, or they have significant depression, or they are terminally ill and need pain relief sorting out. You go in next, have your cold looked at, don't get the miracle cure you think is due to you, and come out all grumpy and frustrated. Is that poor service, or unreasonable demand on the part of the service user, rather than service provider?
Strange though it may seem, doctors do not sit in their surgeries, waiting for poorly people to arrive, because they have nothing better to do. Seeing patients is the easy part of the job!
Still, it's a free service, so that means it's fair game for abuse and unreasonable expectation, so that's O.K. then.
I can accept the complaints about clinics starting at 9 and nothing happens until 9:45, to be fair doctors are late for work too, the central heating boiler blows up, has to do the school run, all the rigours of modern life.
Judging by our GP practice there seems to be a lot of time spent between patient A leaving and patient B being called. I suspect this is due to a lot of time at computer keyboard with HMG induced bureaucracy. I could be wrong of course.
Then again organisation with Ms Hewitt at the helm is....
[Private Fraser]
we're doomed I tell you, doomed!
[/Private Fraser]
Judging by our GP practice there seems to be a lot of time spent between patient A leaving and patient B being called. I suspect this is due to a lot of time at computer keyboard with HMG induced bureaucracy. I could be wrong of course.
Then again organisation with Ms Hewitt at the helm is....
[Private Fraser]
we're doomed I tell you, doomed!
[/Private Fraser]
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