Even when not ill the NHS still gives you hassle

Had a stroppy letter from the NHS choose and book mafia today

Complaining that I have not been responding to their calls and letters (mainly cos I'd never had a call or letter prior to today)

Telling me to ring urgently to make an appointment

Well...

I was fascinated, what wonderful Star Trek style diagnosis and referral technology the NHS must be using, and how great that they can tell I need to see a consultant when I have not actually seen an NHS GP or doctor (about myself) for what 4 or 5 years now. When I've been ill it's always been impossible to use the NHS even for a simple GP appointment so I've gone private in recent history. And I don't think I've seen a private GP for ages now.

So I rang up, confirmed my ID, oh how funny. They think I have a whole bunch of illness and have been referred by my GP. Sadly for them I don't, and the useless "too many tweets" NHS GP has never seen me, as a patient, so quite where such a magical diagnosis came from I have no idea.

So I pointed this out to the lady wasting my time and phone bill from choose and book, and of course she blamed the GP.

I feel sorry for the real patient who really does need to see a consultant who this useless bunch of idiots have let down. No doubt they will lie about events if the patient complains about his late referral.

More crap from GPs

What the NHS web site says:

Medical Exemption Application Process

How To Apply
If you suffer from one of the specified conditions ask for an application form FP92A, available from your doctor's surgery. You need to fill in parts 1 and 2 and your doctor (or an authorised member of the practice staff) will sign to confirm the information youve given is correct.

The surgery will arrange to send completed application forms to our office, using pre-paid envelope PPAEXENV, at:

NHS Business Services Authority
Help With Health Costs
Medical Exemption
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE2 1DB

What the local GP says:

Sorry we dont post these forms, happy to sign it but you will have to post it yourself.

Forcing the patient to take more time off work to queue up to collect the form from the surgery. They clearly think they are saving the cost of the stamp.

Useless GPs as per usual.

Do GPs really think patients would put up with crap like this if there was any choice of GP at all?

well worth a read

http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2009/07/26/a-not-very-healthy-budget/

Loosing your sight the NHS way

So you are pregnant

You are also diabetic

You have had the routine retinal scans

You've been called in to see the consultant because they were very concerned about the retinal scan

The consultant says "you must come back in three weeks, do not miss the appointment, this is very important, you are in danger of loosing your sight" and writes in big letters on the appointment form for his admin staff "DO NOT POSTPONE THIS APPOINTMENT, IT MUST TAKE PLACE ON GIVEN DATE", he also verbally complains that mostly his appointments get cancelled and postponed a long time into the future

A few days later you receive a letter from the NHS, "We are sorry we are cancelling your appointment, we have made a new appointment at X" where X in long way in the future

Absolute disgrace