Cancer admin?

Tuesday am
I've been pro-active & emailed the Gynaecologists secretary asking her to send Friday's appointment details by email as I never got a letter about Monday's appointment - just a telephone call. (The letter arrived this morning).

I also emailed my surgery to ask them to check that the appointment had been made. It hadn't! The practice secretary has now made one, but it's in the same place as yesterdays, so I'm not convinced that it's right. The consultant I saw yesterday said the Gynaecologists Friday clinic is at one of the other Oxford hospitals. So another phone call to try to clarify whether this is right - Just an answerphone.

Wednesday pm
No response to the phone calls or emails. No confirmation letter or email. I'll just have to turn up & hope that it's the right clinic if nothing arrives. It's all just so time consuming, frustrating & wearing.

Thursday am
Finally got through to a person, the consultants medical secretary, who was very helpful. I have got an appointment tomorrow & it is in the same place as the one last Monday. She said that a confirmation letter will have been issued, but may not actually be sent in time before the appointment. Given that when the letter about Mondays appointment arrived it included a medical history questionnaire which was 2 sides of A4, that seems to be an avoidable failure. Why don't they send the confirmation & questionnaire electronically? Most people have an email or mobile now.

Also I haven't had text reminders for any of these oncology appointments either. Every other medical appointment I have I do get a reminder.

I think once you get to see a medic they are very professional, if busy. The problem seems to me to be that there aren't enough admin staff & some are only part time. Additionally the communication between clinics / departments isn't efficient. So you get the sort of cock ups I'm trying to deal with. It seems unbelievable in the 21st century that communication isn't electronic & therefor fairly immediate. The last attempt at a unified NHS computer system failed & wasted loads of money, but that is what they need & they will have to do it sooner rather than later.

Still optimistic all will be well. It might b.....up my holiday in the Hebrides though. How on earth do people who are working, or not computer literate, or who still think doctors are Gods, manage in situations like this?

Patients really don't need the added stress.