Vocal Voices

Received texts on the mobile this morning from the local medical practice calling us for our Covid booster and flu jabs.

Followed the link to book the jabs using the mobile phone app. It took 4 attempts to get past the first hurdle, date of birth, as it didn't indicate what format it wanted and didn't like anything I attempted to put in. When I'd eventually got past that one, it told me no appointments were available before 2023 at the earliest.

Tried the surgery website. That gave me a page to book the appointments, but having put in personal details, it asked me if I had any needs or disabilities; choose from a long list. I ticked the "No Needs" box, and the next page told me it didn't have any location that met my requirements! Out of interest, I paged back and invented a few disabilities. It then gave me a choice of Marnhull or Salisbury as a location!

Tried phoning the surgery. Got through all the relevant "Press Button 1" type options, only to be told that it couldn't connect me at this time and terminated the call. Not even a queueing system! Tried 8 times and gave up.

Drove up to the surgery, went into reception, and got everything sorted for Mrs O and myself inside two minutes. Both jabs together, 8th October.

There's a moral in that somewhere .......

That is called use your brain ossie
Not according to technology

TheOstrich wrote:There's a moral in that somewhere .......

Yes the morale of that story is that your GP practise doesn't want to deal with you. So they push you to technology and then wall you off.

When you turn up at the surgery it is much harder for them to fend you off. My surgery uses AskMyGP. In one week I was told, Monday to Friday, that it was closed due to "staff shortages". Tough chukkies, if it becomes serious call 111 or 999 depending on how close you are to dropping dead.

One thing I did learn. The NHS is now monitoring reasons for calling 111. I you say you cannot get an appointment at your practise, they log the practise and the number of people calling 111. Then and only then, do they act.

This whole situation doesn't have so much to do with technology as how the technology is being used to fend off patients. Especially by your GP which is, after all, a private business with a contract with the NHS to provide service. For instance some practises enable the calendar for selecting available appointments. Some (most?), do not.

In other words pass the buck

Mick got a similar text this morning, Ossie, but I didn't Odd, as we're the same age, same GP......

You're lucky they agreed to talk to you when you turned up, Os.
Our GP practice might have got stroppy at such a liberty.
Then again, GP's get "incentivised" for certain things and the Covid jab is one of them.

Depends on your GP....

Mine has been open throughout, so long as you sanitise and wear a mask. Phones get answered, except on training days, when there is a recorded message. Website is always up and you can do most things on there - appointments, prescriptions, results - but it does seem to be hit and miss depending upon where you are... and the technology used.

I can't complain, though many can.