Coronavirus outbreak

[Ming the Merciless]

I only had to book in if I want bloods drawn at the village surgery. I used to be able to walk in to the phlebotomy area at the hospital with blood forms in hand and have it collected within 10 minutes. I suspect I'd be asked to go for a walk in the grounds and return at a given time now, but I've not heard of booking being needed even during lockdown. For obvious reasons, I preferred not to travel to the town hospital for it this year.

If anywhere has worse services, it may not be entirely covid-caused...

Oh our hospital was walk in but you still needed a GP referral. The referral is the bit I was referencing when saying booked in. At done paperless and results available online to me within 24 hours.

 

[BoldonLad]

Can you get your GP to book you in for blood tests at your local hospital pathology department? My GP had a 6 week waiting list for blood work but said if I didn’t mind going to the hospital, they could do it the following week. I got my bloods done three days later.

That IS at the. local Hospital (Phlebotomy Dept)!

The GP no longer does blood tests at the surgery.

 

[BoldonLad]

Oh our hospital was walk in but you still needed a GP referral. The referral is the bit I was referencing when saying booked in. At done paperless and results available online to me within 24 hours.

Yes, ours too, pre-covid.

There were often long queues, but, never waited more than 30 minutes.

Now, it is all appointment, but, it would appear the person who is supposed to answer the phone has gone AWOL.

 

[BoldonLad]

I only had to book in if I want bloods drawn at the village surgery. I used to be able to walk in to the phlebotomy area at the hospital with blood forms in hand and have it collected within 10 minutes. I suspect I'd be asked to go for a walk in the grounds and return at a given time now, but I've not heard of booking being needed even during lockdown. For obvious reasons, I preferred not to travel to the town hospital for it this year.

If anywhere has worse services, it may not be entirely covid-caused...

Yes, that is exactly what we were able to do, pre-covid (our GP Surgery no longer does blood samples onsite).

But, since Covid, GP gives you a phone number to make an appointment at Phlebotomy Department. Problem is, phone never seems to get answered. Quite why the multi billion £ NHS IT system does not allow the GP (or one of his minions) to make an appointment on-line is anyones guess.

 

[kingrollo]

Yes, that is exactly what we were able to do, pre-covid (our GP Surgery no longer does blood samples onsite).

But, since Covid, GP gives you a phone number to make an appointment at Phlebotomy Department. Problem is, phone never seems to get answered. Quite why the multi billion £ NHS IT system does not allow the GP (or one of his minions) to make an appointment on-line is anyones guess.

To what multi billion NHS IT system do you refer ?

I work in the NHS and there isn't one.

 

[BoldonLad]

To what multi billion NHS IT system do you refer ?

I work in the NHS and there isn't one.

Yes, I know, I was being facetious. There was a major IT system development project, a number of years ago, I have been retired for 14 years, and, it was on-going before I retired. It is so long ago, I cannot remember the details, it may have started in the Blair years.

It would appear to have disappeared without trace, after huge expenditure on it.

As a retired IT person, the inept IT/Communications within the NHS is a real irritation. I know we may all hate them, but, Amazon, Hermes, even Royal Mail can allow clients to track their parcel with remarkable accuracy, NHS seem unable to even communicate between departments.

 

[DCLane]

I'm guessing it's SystmOne - which has ever only partly worked.

 

[kingrollo]

Yes, I know, I was being facetious. There was a major IT system development project, a number of years ago, I have been retired for 14 years, and, it was on-going before I retired. It is so long ago, I cannot remember the details, it may have started in the Blair years.

It would appear to have disappeared without trace, after huge expenditure on it.

As a retired IT person, the inept IT/Communications within the NHS is a real irritation. I know we may all hate them, but, Amazon, Hermes, even Royal Mail can allow clients to track their parcel with remarkable accuracy, NHS seem unable to even communicate between departments.

The national programme was scrapped shortly after the Tories won the 2010 (I think ) election.

 

[BoldonLad]

The national programme was scrapped shortly after the Tories won the 2010 (I think ) election.

Considering the programme must have been going for at least ten years before 2010, it probably makes Cross-Rail and HS2 look successful.

 

[kingrollo]

Considering the programme must have been going for at least ten years before 2010, it probably makes Cross-Rail and HS2 look successful.

Well it would have given you the systems - that you moaned weren't there a couple of posts back # irony.

 

[IaninSheffield]

Yes, that is exactly what we were able to do, pre-covid (our GP Surgery no longer does blood samples onsite).

But, since Covid, GP gives you a phone number to make an appointment at Phlebotomy Department. Problem is, phone never seems to get answered. Quite why the multi billion £ NHS IT system does not allow the GP (or one of his minions) to make an appointment on-line is anyones guess.

I'd give the hospital main switchboard a ring, explain the situation and see whether they can help.
Phoned our Pleb. Dept. to make my appt. a couple of weeks ago, got straight through and sorted in a couple of mins. They've moved blood testing to one of the smaller hospital wings elsewhere in the town, so tomorrow I guess I'll find out how that's working.
From recent response in the thread, it would seem that the level of service we experience is somewhat variable. Perhaps that's understandable, if not highly distressing for those suffering from that variability.

 

[BoldonLad]

Well it would have given you the systems - that you moaned weren't there a couple of posts back # irony.

After 10+ years "work in progress" and, not finished .... hmmm

I did at one stage know the chap in charge, cannot recall his surname now, Bernard something, I think

 

[BoldonLad]

I'd give the hospital main switchboard a ring, explain the situation and see whether they can help.
Phoned our Pleb. Dept. to make my appt. a couple of weeks ago, got straight through and sorted in a couple of mins. They've moved blood testing to one of the smaller hospital wings elsewhere in the town, so tomorrow I guess I'll find out how that's working.
From recent response in the thread, it would seem that the level of service we experience is somewhat variable. Perhaps that's understandable, if not highly distressing for those suffering from that variability.

Indeed, time for some "postcode lottery" headlines in the media

 

[mjr]

From recent response in the thread, it would seem that the level of service we experience is somewhat variable. Perhaps that's understandable, if not highly distressing for those suffering from that variability.

Indeed. Sympathy to those suffering but I feel this goes back far longer than covid. "Localism" has turned out to be mainly a successful rebranded "postcode lottery". Before complaining, remember this was the will of the people

 

[MarkF]

She follows the science and expert recommendations, which were for a 'circuit breaker' four weeks ago.
Early days yet, but seems to be having an effect on the rolling 7 day average.
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It's seasonal (I did not move virus patients from early June until very recently) there was an up and now there is a down, there''ll be another up in later winter as there always is, then there'll be another down. But by far the largest % of deaths will be from care homes and hospital acquired infections......so how would a societal circuit breaker reduce these deaths?