TheaterFire

How do I stop NHS-noreply text messages?

Posted by Panda-Head@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 22 comments

I keep telling hospitals and GP to stop but they keep coming through anyway.

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22 Comments

TheShakyHandsMan@reddit

Why would you block them?  They usually give you information that you need to know like when you need to pick up a prescription or when you have an appointment due. 
View on Reddit #26511200

Techy_Ben@reddit

Other services use them. Don't ask how I know of this insanity.
View on Reddit #42777347

Panda-Head@reddit (OP)

I have never had one be useful. If I have an appointment, I'll have a letter stuck to the wall. I don't need 3 text reminders for each one. I'm not doing a brain training app trial for long covid (which I don't have). I don't need information about prescriptions since the POD has closed, I never used the POD, I didn't know they HAD a POD till I got a text about it closing.
View on Reddit #26673256

quenishi@reddit

Those can be useful, but my surgery will also send the occasional message that there's issues with the phoneline or they've got limited appointments due to lack of staff. But they're not often enough to be bothersome. Like one every few months. I can see those being kind of annoying if you basically never go to the doctor's.
View on Reddit #26520188

Few_Owl_8689@reddit

Go into your GP surgery and ask them
View on Reddit #39310837

alinktothefish@reddit

My partner wanted to do this after a traumatic experience, but no matter how many times she asked they wouldn't stop them (despite promising her they had multiple times) so she ended up having to block the sender in her texting app. Pretty annoying.
View on Reddit #26565982

some_learner@reddit

The same has happened to me. There are several sources, though, which maybe I was conflating but I don't agree to any of them spamming me. There's a local hospital, my GP surgery and then also some generalised NHS ones. I don't want any of them and find them really upsetting.
View on Reddit #26726945

alinktothefish@reddit

Yeah it's really frustrating, and unfortunately if you block the number it's possible you could miss an important message at some point in the future. But in general my partner's had better peace of mind since she blocked them.
View on Reddit #26814290

Panda-Head@reddit (OP)

How did they block it? I don't have any options on it at all other than to delete individual messages.
View on Reddit #26673574

alinktothefish@reddit

Long press then select block - this is in messages from Google
View on Reddit #26674536

Panda-Head@reddit (OP)

I'm on Android, and it doesn't do the same thing.
View on Reddit #26674762

alinktothefish@reddit

This is in Google Messages - you could try installing it from the Play Store and setting it as your default text message app, and then use the blocking feature it has
View on Reddit #26678806

alinktothefish@reddit

https://preview.redd.it/s3ok9jwnj11d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bdf38df6e0968c62b025ec710b71aa41c9e8fe9c
View on Reddit #26674474

Ok_Blueberry_3139@reddit

Block them
View on Reddit #26509811

Panda-Head@reddit (OP)

I can't. The option is absent.
View on Reddit #26673539

Tech1ePro@reddit

Just replying STOP to the message should sort it.
View on Reddit #26506382

Panda-Head@reddit (OP)

NO-REPLY. The text box is absent. I am physically unable to reply.
View on Reddit #26673367

retrolental_morose@reddit

can you reply to messages that don't come from a number?
View on Reddit #26510681

Adorable_Syrup4746@reddit

Nope!
View on Reddit #26570884

Al-Calavicci@reddit

Can’t you just block them? You can on a iPhone, no idea about android though.
View on Reddit #26507507

allen_jb@reddit

If you know what hospital / trust / organization they're coming from / related to, I would try to find contact details for the data protection officer. You'll often find these in privacy policies, or some (NHS related) websites have a dedicated data protection section. Failing that you could try the general country level DPO contact (eg. for NHS england: https://www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/privacy-notice/nhs-england-as-a-data-controller/ ) Data protection laws mean organizations have a responsibility to update / fix inaccurate details, and this will apply even more so if the messages are related to patient specific information such as medications or appointments.
View on Reddit #26506548

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