Educa Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 Snaefell Surgery. I'm with them too, and find this service ideal. The amount of appointments that are made by people in advance, who then subsequently don't turn up or cancel, rendered it difficult to get appointments I always find them so very helpful at that surgery, I too have to work and have left the house by 8.30 and ok the lines are busy but you can normally get through by 9.10 and isnt that early enough in the day to tell you boss you have an appointment some time later that day (which again I have found they have always been able to give me appointments after 4). I've been with a few surgerys on the Island, and the friendliness of service at this particular surgery has been second to none. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gladys Posted January 21, 2006 Author Share Posted January 21, 2006 Educa This was not a personal attack on the staff at Snaefell, but the daft system they are operating. I keep coming back to the point that this only to wipe out appointment waiting lists. At 9.10, my time is normally involved in work, not trying to get through to the GP's surgery to find that the only available appointment is, say, 9.30! Of course, if the need IS urgent then that kind of scrabbling about is perfectly acceptable. But, it just seems sense that if someone does not have an urgent need for an appointment, they can make one at a convenient time a few days in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumble Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 What you're all missing - the hard knowledge I've acquired recently with doctor, dentist and A&E at Nobles - is that the health service is run for the benefit of the healthcare professionals, and not the customers. That's why YOU are expected to fit in with THEM. Doesn't matter that you may lose pay and patience chasing around trying to get appointments, then waiting for hours to be seen, as long as you're in the system they'll make you waste as much time as possible. Even if you know EXACTLY what is wrong with you, and how to fix it, you'll be passed from pillar to post while the 'experts' reassess your situation and bugger you about - usually without fixing you up. At the moment it's non-critical bits of my OS that are playing up, so I have no option but to be a pawn in their gameplan. If/when ever I get a bluescreen crash I'll pull the bloody plug before submitting to their nonsense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caringwife Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 A bit o/t but im starting to find out now that doctors cant be bothered to make referrals to specialists, have already complained to the practise manager about it, who told me to switch to another surgery but i dont see how that will help. I am going to write a letter to try and sort it out but i know i wont get anywhere, they only cover their own backs but i wonder if it will cost a life one day? About pharmacists, i was given another persons script once, everything is done on computer, apparently they cant read them and gave me someone elses with the same name as me. The pharmacist refused to apoligise to me for the mix up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 I don't often go to the doctors and haven't had any particular problems with making appointments.....until about 6 weeks ago when I clashed with the receptionist. My son was just getting over a mild cold when he told me one morning that he'd been coughing up blood so I rang to make an appointment stright away (half 8 that morning). I explained to the receptionist what had happened and told her briefly that he was in remission from leukaemia.....she gave me an appointment for half past four! I explained again and asked if we could be seen any earlier given the symptoms and his medical history only to be told there was no earlier appointments available. I realise the receptionists don't and can't possibly have the medical knowledge that doctors have but to me this was totally unacceptable to have to wait that long, surely anybody coughing up blood should be treated as an urgent case? I ended up taking him to Children's Ward where they dealt with him straight away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahc Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 Please don't take this the wrong way Minnie, but I would have gone to the hospital straight away. Having said that if I had called the doctor with that worry I would expect a receptionist to get a doctor on the phone to you at the very least. Hope everything's OK now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 No offence taken, sarah, but if you'd experienced what we have with doctors and hospitals over the last 4 years you'd understand why I didn't take him straight to the hospital. Suffice to say that turning up at the hospital with a child who appears to be very unwell and displaying unexplained, worrying symptoms doesn't always get the attention or treatment you believe is required and you can often be turned away and told to see your GP first. I have huge gripes with many medical personnel over here, but that's another story. The receptionists are the main hurdle to overcome in my experience with GPs. Edited to add: Everything is fine now, thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finlo Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 Mate of mine phoned for appointment on 9th of Jan got appointment for 30th of Jan could be dead by then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Flynn Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 It is obvious that many of the problems are because we are dealing with stressed people - doctors, receptionists, pharmacists and particularly patients are all under considerable pressure. The NHS service does have problems. It is about time on this Island that the patients started to have more clout and sent their complaints direct to the Health Minister for him to set up a forum between the parties to sort this out. Of course with pressure now being put on resources he will probably not want this to happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galen Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 What is so disappointing about all of this is that GPs, Pharmacists, Dentists and Opticians are all (with the exception of some of the dentists who are salaried employees of the IOM DHSS) contractors who have a contract with the DHSS to provide services. As independent contractors their role in life appears to be to make money first and provide care second. When challenged they hold up their contract and claim they are only doing as their contract requires of them. The fact that many lack social skills and / or empathy is only an indictement to the society we live in where we expect "professionals" to act appropriately to their profession rules and codes of ethics etc and not as petulant children. Granted there are some good people around (including some GPs receptionists I am told) but regretfully they are few and far between. The position is not helped by our weak political system which ultimately could sanction such actions (albeit through a bureaucratic complaints process) but regretfully I understand from those that have tried to get some of the more undesirable individuals disciplined or sanctioned, the yellow streak that is characteristically prominent with many of our great and noble politicians, kicks in and attributes the blame on the complainant and not the perpetrators - who are empathised with. I believe, bar a few individuals, our health services here on Island could be wonderful but are compromised by a few who the others either cannot be bothered to sort out or are fearful of. Wave a few quid in front of these people (aka private health care) and I understand they are falling over themselves to get the dosh and provide a service that the majority of us expect the state system to provide. The fact that many of the medical professionals can "bury" their mistakes, only adds to the dilema. The sooner these individuals who provide inadequate and inappropriate services are publicly named and shamed, the better for us all! Perhaps running in tandem with views on politicians there should be a similar one with views on our medical friends! A couple of hundred people moving from say a particularly poor GP practice to a better one, and taking their prescriptions away from a pharmacy who gives poor service to one that values their clients, make make the DHSS and the politicians sit and think! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempus Fugit Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 Be a dog ! I phoned the vet at 4pm thursday and got an appointment for 4.45pm Howzat ! ( is it correct that vets can treat people but doctors can't treat animals ?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galen Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 Perhaps your vet is more receptive than the GPs etc are to the rest of us? - well done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Flynn Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 What is so disappointing about all of this is that GPs, Pharmacists, Dentists and Opticians are all (with the exception of some of the dentists who are salaried employees of the IOM DHSS) contractors who have a contract with the DHSS to provide services. As independent contractors their role in life appears to be to make money first and provide care second. When challenged they hold up their contract and claim they are only doing as their contract requires of them. The fact that many lack social skills and / or empathy is only an indictement to the society we live in where we expect "professionals" to act appropriately to their profession rules and codes of ethics etc and not as petulant children. Granted there are some good people around (including some GPs receptionists I am told) but regretfully they are few and far between. The position is not helped by our weak political system which ultimately could sanction such actions (albeit through a bureaucratic complaints process) but regretfully I understand from those that have tried to get some of the more undesirable individuals disciplined or sanctioned, the yellow streak that is characteristically prominent with many of our great and noble politicians, kicks in and attributes the blame on the complainant and not the perpetrators - who are empathised with. I believe, bar a few individuals, our health services here on Island could be wonderful but are compromised by a few who the others either cannot be bothered to sort out or are fearful of. Wave a few quid in front of these people (aka private health care) and I understand they are falling over themselves to get the dosh and provide a service that the majority of us expect the state system to provide. The fact that many of the medical professionals can "bury" their mistakes, only adds to the dilema. The sooner these individuals who provide inadequate and inappropriate services are publicly named and shamed, the better for us all! Perhaps running in tandem with views on politicians there should be a similar one with views on our medical friends! A couple of hundred people moving from say a particularly poor GP practice to a better one, and taking their prescriptions away from a pharmacy who gives poor service to one that values their clients, make make the DHSS and the politicians sit and think! I will not defend poor service or unprofessional conduct in any way but I do have to say that the professionals I have worked with over many years are decent individuals who put their patients interests first. I also think I can put a good word in for pharmacists. Most of the pharmacists you now meet are not working for themselves. The NHS contact is with a plc who they work for. Most are employees and simply get the same salary whether they are busy or not. In my meetings it is rare for them to talk about their salaries - the vast majority are obsessively concerned with providing the best professional service they can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galen Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 It is obvious that many of the problems are because we are dealing with stressed people - doctors, receptionists, pharmacists and particularly patients are all under considerable pressure. The NHS service does have problems. It is about time on this Island that the patients started to have more clout and sent their complaints direct to the Health Minister for him to set up a forum between the parties to sort this out. Of course with pressure now being put on resources he will probably not want this to happen. I think the issue is more the Health Minister has to come clean with his Tynwald colleagues and say "£x is the sum of money that the DHSS needs to deliver all the services that the public want and if £Y is all that Tynwald is able (or prepared) to give to the DHSS then here is list of services that can be provided for this sum and the list of those we cannot" At least it would be more honest than the way than it appears at present and we would all know what we were getting rather than at present which is becoming increasingly difficult to ascertain. The UK has moved to "patient centric care" which gives greater input from lay people and focuses on "customer needs", encouraging their involvement, but the implications here are probably too worrying (particularly in an election year) to give us a say - Goodneess, that would be democracy and we can't be having that can we Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galen Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 What is so disappointing about all of this is that GPs, Pharmacists, Dentists and Opticians are all (with the exception of some of the dentists who are salaried employees of the IOM DHSS) contractors who have a contract with the DHSS to provide services. As independent contractors their role in life appears to be to make money first and provide care second. When challenged they hold up their contract and claim they are only doing as their contract requires of them. The fact that many lack social skills and / or empathy is only an indictement to the society we live in where we expect "professionals" to act appropriately to their profession rules and codes of ethics etc and not as petulant children. Granted there are some good people around (including some GPs receptionists I am told) but regretfully they are few and far between. The position is not helped by our weak political system which ultimately could sanction such actions (albeit through a bureaucratic complaints process) but regretfully I understand from those that have tried to get some of the more undesirable individuals disciplined or sanctioned, the yellow streak that is characteristically prominent with many of our great and noble politicians, kicks in and attributes the blame on the complainant and not the perpetrators - who are empathised with. I believe, bar a few individuals, our health services here on Island could be wonderful but are compromised by a few who the others either cannot be bothered to sort out or are fearful of. Wave a few quid in front of these people (aka private health care) and I understand they are falling over themselves to get the dosh and provide a service that the majority of us expect the state system to provide. The fact that many of the medical professionals can "bury" their mistakes, only adds to the dilema. The sooner these individuals who provide inadequate and inappropriate services are publicly named and shamed, the better for us all! Perhaps running in tandem with views on politicians there should be a similar one with views on our medical friends! A couple of hundred people moving from say a particularly poor GP practice to a better one, and taking their prescriptions away from a pharmacy who gives poor service to one that values their clients, make make the DHSS and the politicians sit and think! I will not defend poor service or unprofessional conduct in any way but I do have to say that the professionals I have worked with over many years are decent individuals who put their patients interests first. I also think I can put a good word in for pharmacists. Most of the pharmacists you now meet are not working for themselves. The NHS contact is with a plc who they work for. Most are employees and simply get the same salary whether they are busy or not. In my meetings it is rare for them to talk about their salaries - the vast majority are obsessively concerned with providing the best professional service they can. It is reassuring to note some Pharmacists appear to continue to "dispense" with accuracy" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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