The whole scenario is very frustrating. There are definitely people who use "lost in the post" as an excuse for forgetting/not bothering about appointments. They may even be the majority, I don't know.
But there are also many patients who genuinely do not receive their appointment letters. I know because I am one of them! A dentist (private), a consultant clinic (public) and a billing department (private hospital) all claimed to have sent me letters that I 100% never received. When the billing department rang I asked them to confirm my address and they had it completely incorrect, not even resembling my current or any previous address.
I have had many motivated patients call to ask when their appointment will be, only to become upset when we tell them they had one but missed it. They are either genuine or Oscar-worthy actors. We then have to squeeze them in to an already full clinic at short notice, which makes clinics even longer, but we can't penalise them for an error caused by us or An Post.
In one hospital we booked return appointments by giving patients a slip to book in themselves at reception (it would say something like "Dr. Arbitron's Thursday morning clinic in 6 months") plus I would write it in a book plus I would note it on our computer system... and yet we still had patients not receiving appointments.
When you look at how complicated the process is, there is a lot that can go wrong. Maybe human error puts in the wrong contact details, the wrong date is booked, the letters are not printed, maybe they are printed and not posted in time (or at all), sometimes they are posted to the wrong address, maybe they are posted to the right address but never arrive... Many opportunities for error.
As both a HSE employee and a patient, I feel that letters alone are not enough. Appointments are finite and valuable resources, which deserve to be managed carefully. It is unacceptable in 2018 that we do not have a national appointment booking system that could be accessed 24/7 online or by automated phone lines, just like banks. We should also have phone lines with humans and of course printed letters, although these are more expensive, but you do have to offer multiple methods as some people have vision/hearing loss or are not online, etc. As a patient I would really like to able to see my appointment schedule and link it to my own Google calendar, so it's all integrated. If I could also cancel/re-book my own appointments that would be great, but baby steps.
Actually my #1 worry is not about the money/time wasted because someone doesn't bother to turn up; rather, I'm concerned that patients with chronic conditions do not get their appointments or forget about them or are taken off a list, only for them to pitch up in the Emergency Department weeks or months later in crisis adding to the trolley problem and costing themselves and the state many multiples more time/money. The cost of missed appointments over time is huge and ultimately you and I pay, both financially and socially.
But there are also many patients who genuinely do not receive their appointment letters. I know because I am one of them! A dentist (private), a consultant clinic (public) and a billing department (private hospital) all claimed to have sent me letters that I 100% never received. When the billing department rang I asked them to confirm my address and they had it completely incorrect, not even resembling my current or any previous address.
I have had many motivated patients call to ask when their appointment will be, only to become upset when we tell them they had one but missed it. They are either genuine or Oscar-worthy actors. We then have to squeeze them in to an already full clinic at short notice, which makes clinics even longer, but we can't penalise them for an error caused by us or An Post.
In one hospital we booked return appointments by giving patients a slip to book in themselves at reception (it would say something like "Dr. Arbitron's Thursday morning clinic in 6 months") plus I would write it in a book plus I would note it on our computer system... and yet we still had patients not receiving appointments.
When you look at how complicated the process is, there is a lot that can go wrong. Maybe human error puts in the wrong contact details, the wrong date is booked, the letters are not printed, maybe they are printed and not posted in time (or at all), sometimes they are posted to the wrong address, maybe they are posted to the right address but never arrive... Many opportunities for error.
As both a HSE employee and a patient, I feel that letters alone are not enough. Appointments are finite and valuable resources, which deserve to be managed carefully. It is unacceptable in 2018 that we do not have a national appointment booking system that could be accessed 24/7 online or by automated phone lines, just like banks. We should also have phone lines with humans and of course printed letters, although these are more expensive, but you do have to offer multiple methods as some people have vision/hearing loss or are not online, etc. As a patient I would really like to able to see my appointment schedule and link it to my own Google calendar, so it's all integrated. If I could also cancel/re-book my own appointments that would be great, but baby steps.
Actually my #1 worry is not about the money/time wasted because someone doesn't bother to turn up; rather, I'm concerned that patients with chronic conditions do not get their appointments or forget about them or are taken off a list, only for them to pitch up in the Emergency Department weeks or months later in crisis adding to the trolley problem and costing themselves and the state many multiples more time/money. The cost of missed appointments over time is huge and ultimately you and I pay, both financially and socially.
