Do NHS hospitals save certain numbers in a list of dipshits?

Posted by ZewZa@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 49 comments

This event happened a few months ago. I had a text message telling me the date of an appointment (which would be the day after) and while it was nice that the text message included the date, it didn't include the time. So I had to contact the hospital at 10am the next day to ask for the time. Luckily even though I missed my appointment the operator just said to come in as soon as I can and they'll likely still see me.

I then asked the operator why the text message didn't include the time, even though every other text message I received in the past included the time. She then said something like "sorry, but we cannot do something like text messages, as we are severely shortstaffed". I responded to this with "What do you mean you can't do it? You already do send text messages, and isn't it done by a machine anyways?" The lady started hesitating and said "sorry, but we cannot send text messages to every single person as we lack the manpower to do something like that." I responded again with "but you already do it and it's done by a machine right-" She then cuts me off and tells me to hurry my ass up to my appointment.

Every phone call I make to the hospital after that event the operators give me a lot of sass and try to end the call as soon as possible. I don't think I make enough phonecalls for my voice to be remembered and I only really had one bad exchange with that one lady. I can only imagine that my number must have been coloured red or something so they know they're dealing with a dipshit. They used to be very nice to before I asked about their automated text messages

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DisastrousTurnip3553@reddit

Don't know about the NHS but when I was in the police, we had the facility to make notes against numbers and names. I wouldn't be surprised if the NHS had the same ability.

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BlueFlowerWallpaper@reddit

So if someone you disliked were in danger, you simply wouldn't assist them?

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DisastrousTurnip3553@reddit

Don't talk shite.

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BlueFlowerWallpaper@reddit

I'll talk whatever I want?

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DisastrousTurnip3553@reddit

Ok. Carry on talking shite.

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Smiilley@reddit

It's not as simple as "dislike", for example at 111 patients may have special notes which indicate they're a high frequency caller, doesn't give context, it could be that they have severe chronic illnesses or it could mean they've called an ambulance for an earache, that's how broad the it can get. The front end call handler won't discriminate but may bave access to notes which document factually, not subjectively, that the caller has a history of being abusive, which they use to cater the approach to achieve a desirable outcome. I imagine it's similar for the police.

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BlueFlowerWallpaper@reddit

I'm asking in the context of the post. OP is asking if the NHS keeps a list of dipshits, and the above comment makes it look like the police do the same.

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Smiilley@reddit

The short answer, I believe, is yes, but I can't imagine they would in the context of OPs example. The long answer was my original comment, my bad lol :)

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losingfocus2015@reddit

i know of this admin staff that quite often mark someone as 'rude' or whatever - she is a condesending idiot with nothing to back it up with so i usually assume it simply means the other person won't take her shit lol

JeffSergeant@reddit

I swear this is an NHS conspiracy. The Blood Donation people have stopped putting the appointment time on letters too; they put your name and the date of the appointment, but are adamant that putting the time on is somehow beyond the wit of man.

Ok_Adhesiveness_8637@reddit

Bulk vs individual texts.

If they were to introduce ai to do it people would moan.

How is it a 'bulk text' they're sending texts to each person, knowing the date and time of the appointment, it's a mail merge not 'AI'

Gent415@reddit

TLDR: I missed a medical appointment and now I'm trying to play the victim because they're being short with me 😆

Defiant_Put_7542@reddit

This is why it's best to read before commenting. The person was not informed of the time of the appointment.

Nice_Back_9977@reddit

The text sounds like it was a reminder for an appointment they should have already been well aware of.

Feel free to establish with OP whether that's the case.

Am I saying I don't believe OP got only one text as notification of said appointment, less than 24 hours before, with no time indicated? Yes. Yes, I am.

Do you keep up with the news at all? You certainly have time to. The issue of NHS appointment letters failing to arrive until weeks later is quite prominent.

jessiejayhw@reddit

I work in the NHS, the text service we use is a general message to remind of day but we can't put individual times in as its a bulk send.

ZewZa@reddit (OP)

I did used to get the time tho. And do you know if the nhs uses naughty lists?

How about just dont be a dick to people and it wont be an issue?

Don't think I was being a dick, tad annoying maybe.

She was just trying to do her job, and you being annoying and ringing up multiple times also means you make it hard for people who actually NEED them wait longer.

Go get cross at a cat that doesnt have a job and waste their time... Not the bloody NHS's time.

What? I rang her once to get my time and asked a question at the same time. Don't waste my time

Could be a different system, no naughty list unless you were being verbally abusive. I wouldn't stress about it too much.

The NHS is not one organisation, it is many and they all use different systems.

But I've worked for 5 different trusts and none of them do what you are suggesting. Maybe its just your manner?

FilthyYankauer@reddit

Not all texts are sent by automation. It is possible your text was sent by a real person who simply had a brain fart and forgot to put the time.

deletedprincess@reddit

Having worked in various areas of a hospital and a GP surgery, taking lots of calls.... No, we don't have any kind of function to 'mark' numbers.

bopeepsheep@reddit

My local hospital trust clearly do something different (and well):

Oxford University Hospitals: [department]] Reminder: you have an appointment on Thursday 4 December at 09:18 AM at [specific location] If you cannot make this or do not know about this appointment call 01865 xxxxxxx or e-mail xxxxxxxxxxxxxx@ouh.nhs.uk to rearrange. PLEASE BE AWARE OF THE OXFORD CONGESTION CHARGE. https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/transport-and-travel/oxfords-temporary-congestion-charge-cars

FloofyRaptor@reddit

I'm an admin in a hospital, and no we can't really, or at least my health board.

Our system has a "notes" second in electronic patient files but it's buried under multiple menus and is not user friendly at all so no-one bothers with it. More than likely they are either working in a switchboard, so the numbers of calls they answer are monitored, or like me are general department admin so are trying to juggle emails/doctor and nurse queries, a front desk with patients, bookings and probably waiting calls.

PracticeNo8733@reddit

Why not try making a GDPR request to see if they have any such records on you/your number.

BrutalOnTheKnees@reddit

None of this would be releasable under a subject access request as it's procedural information about a standard process they have (assuming they have it). An FOI might provide some insight into how they manage phone numbers and patient lists though, although the OP won't find any information out about whether they're on one of the lists.

If there's a note saying "this guy is a timewaster" then that seems like it would be in scope, and GDPR requests have uncovered similar things in the past.

Oh yeah you'd probably get something like that, although opinions are a tricky one and a judgement needs to be made about whose personal data they actually are, the person who holds that view or the person it's about. I just think they'd have better luck and waste less NHS resources by trying the FOI route, which is designed to ensure transparency in public sector bodies' processes.

I guess it's a matter of what question you're trying to answer. The literal question in the subject line is a matter of process but I suspect what OP really cares about is what might be leading to him specifically being treated differently (if they are).

Now I need to know what being shortstaffed has to do with not including the time in the text.

They may have to put them in manually for each person - you are assuming that the text system is linked to the appointing system. For us its separate so we just send a reminder of date text.

Then it should be done manually?

Note OP didn't receive a reminder, it was the one text informing them of the appointment. It doesn't make sense to say they're shortstaffed to send the time and then putting more pressure on the staff having to answer calls from people who don't know the time of their appointment.

Or are people supposed to just show up at 8am and just wait for their appointment which may be at 3pm?

Yeh they were saying they were too short staffed to do that

the 'system' is probably under a different team or some random dude

i don't understand the whole setup as i have never seen the control panel for it - but giving someone an appointment with 36-48hrs time frame should be done over phone really

Ok_Broccoli4894@reddit

No but you have to remember the general population have a below average IQ.

Half the population have a below average IQ. That's how averages work 😂

logicalGOOSE_@reddit

Isn't this the median?

I thought averages can sway either way depending on the dataset and quantity/outliers.

Happy to be corrected on this

zoosmo@reddit

Median and mean are both descriptors of the central tendency of a dataset, and are both kinds of averages

robjamez72@reddit

It depends on which average. If Elon Musk goes to a Taylor Swift concert, the average audience member is a multimillionaire. But not half of them.

televised_mind@reddit

Of course they don't, you're being paranoid.

They move on to the next call as quick as possible because that's what telephone operators on a busy switchboard do, they are not there for a chat about the limitations of their text messaging system that they cannot do anything about.

NecroVelcro@reddit

You were in no way a dipshit. A stupid system didn't give you the information you required (which would have also reduced inconvenience for the NHS as you would have been able to attend your appointment on time had you known) and it's obscene if you're being penalised for pointing that damaging idiocy out.

catmadwoman@reddit

Whereas with me I get so many messages for one thing. One giving time and date, then message from GP surgery, then another via the NHS app then a reminder from both - then another reminder (but these reminders I don't get direct instead I have to log into both the GP surgery website and/or the NHS app just to find out what the actual message is - another effing reminder).

The other day I arrived at the surgery for a jab. Wrong day they say. I showed my text message as proof. They say it's a mistake. Can you fit me in? No chance. I tell ya......

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