I'm mortified

SNAP!!!! I did the exact same thing in December and another appointment attended in January but I still got a shot across my boughs! A quite rude letter from practice " manager" ( needs to manage her people skills more dear) warning me that- if I did it again I'd be struck off!!!!! I was incandescent with indignation!! ( A two words situation here) after over 40 years and hardly any visits , just let them ask my opinion in their next back patting survey.......

Maggiemaybe

I'd booked a breast screening appointment for tomorrow. When I checked the confirmation letter today it seems the mobile unit isn't in the usual place, where I'd blithely assumed it would be (my fault entirely), and would have been difficult to get to. I hadn't even checked the confirmation details till today. I rang up with an apology to see if I could change the venue and date and they couldn't have been nicer. I did get a "bless you" though, which always makes me feel very, very old.

Hmm... Don't knock it!! I find that to act the dithery old bat has molto benfitio!! If I feel I'm going to get a ticking off or whatever and I'm not up for a face to face I'll put on my ' forgetful yet still beautiful old lady who's just lost the plot ' act....always comes up trumps!!

Really not such a big thing.
Phone apologise for missing app and ask for another. Happens so often.

I am not criticising anyone that has missed an appointment but am surprised at how many there are in a small group of people.

I do not understand why people are upset or annoyed at being reprimanded, the practice managers do not know if you forgot or couldn’t be bothered.

As an ex practice manager a courtesy call to say sorry was always appreciated. We all forget things at times and it will not be held against you 😂😂

I had a call from the hospital saying ‘Are you coming to your appointment today? You’re already late!’

What appointment? If they want me to be there they could have the courtesy to let me know the day, time and place!

Without that I’m a bit stuck…

Minimoon-😁

Supergran1946- you obvs havent met our dr's receptionist😅😂

B9exchange 👍 excellent points you made.

I would apologise and explain that you got the day mixed up. You might then avoid getting a warning letter from the surgery.

I expect lots of people have forgotten a doctor's appointment at least once in their lives (I have, once) but it is reasonable, I think, for surgeries to give a bit of a telling-off, otherwise people may think it's no big deal.

biglouis

Last time I spoke to my GP she said I had two "missed appointments". I told her no you are wrong because I dont come into the surgery. I only have home visits. She then went on to say that the health visitor had twice called to take a blood test but got no reply.

No these are not APPOINTMENTS unless confirmed with me beforehand. An appointment is made by two parties who agree on a mutually convenient time, not by one calling at random on the other without confirmation.

I imagine the assumption is that if you can't go out to go to the surgery, you are at home. Perhaps?

Some years ago my brother missed a dental appointment and received an invoice for the dentist’s time which he promptly paid. The appointment was rescheduled and when he arrived on time was kept waiting for over an hour. My brother,who is self employed, invoiced the dentist for his time and the dentist promptly paid!

Our surgery sends a stern letter to say if we don’t turn up a second time we will be renoved from their list. I think it is utterley unreasonable when appointments are six weeks ahead they don’t send a reminder. The message when phoning tries to direct you any which way but the surgery :999, 111, the pharmacist, then after half an hour of listening to inane music you speak to a receptionist who will either tell you there are no appointments and to phone up when the next batch are released. Even if you have asked for a GP appointment you might end up with a nurse practitioner - who says you need to see a GP. Ours is a three location concern. One I can see from my back garden, but receptionists always try to push you to one or the other locations wich are not reasonably accessible by public transport (three buses and a one mile walk)

LOL I am surprised, dentistry or medicine cannot be timed accurately. Sometimes things turn out to be more complicated than expected, a patient can faint, etc, etc. When we go for an appointment and things turn out to be 'not so simple' we are all very grateful time is made to deal with the issue.

Exactly. As someone who has worked in primary care, the times a patient would ring for a home appointment and when the health care worker arrived, the patient had gone out !

I completely understand that sometimes appointments do get forgotten and I’m sure an apologetic phone call would be appreciated by the surgery. I was horrified to learn that in January our local surgery had 44 hrs of wasted clinicians time by people missing their appointments, apparently this was better than in December! No wonder it’s so difficult to make an appointment.

Phone, apologize. Ask if they do have a system for reminders on your mobile or email and make sure they have the information they need.

At home put it on a wall calendar or in your diary. When you are looking at the weekend at your next weeks appointments etc. When you notice the appointment put an alarm on your mobile phone for the day with an hour before or what ever it takes to get ready and go.

Good luck.

A bit harsh!

Please just ring and be honest. I'm a receptionist at a hospital and we always appreciate someone who says "I honestly just forgot" and apologises rather than try and make up a story

I was a hospital receptionist back in the days when there were no reminders sent out. It was extremely rare to have a clinic where every patient turned up! The notes of the patients who didn't attend would go through to the consultant and he would say whether they should be sent another appointment or discharged. Also it was not unusual to have patients turn up a day or a week late, or even early.

I wonder how many of these people ever ‘forgot’ to go to the airport on the right day for their holiday flight, they are booked even further ahead than doctors or hospital appointments.

I’ve never forgotten a GP surgery appointment but last year I completely forgot to attend for jury service. The letter arrived about two months before I was asked to attend, and I followed the instructions for accepting. I put the letter where I couldn’t possibly fail to see it every day. And then, at some point, put other paperwork down on top of it!
To my horror (and instant panic), I found it three weeks after I should have attended. Sent an email (I found it on a Saturday) and I phoned first thing on the Monday morning. Was told to forget about it, apparently it happens often as the letters are sent out so far ahead.

I once went a week early.for a hospital appointment
I have had hospital reminders but they are n often 5 days before, which is good but also think it would be good to have one the day before, as you can forget with so much notice

I know it can happen to anyone. But ... I think we should all make treble sure to try and not forget. I went for blood tests 2 weeks ago, and the nurse could not give me an appointment with GP until the 28th of Feb. Which means said appointment are so precious, and me not turning-up would deny someone else the chance. A few years back, I went for an operation on my knee- very long waiting list and yet several people did not turn up- for AN OPERATION! I was reall shocked- especially due to very long waiting list. Several people could have had a life-changing op on that day- and the cost for theatre staff and post op, aneasthetist, etc, etc, is enormous and such a waste.

My surgery sends texts to remind us the day before appointment.