The myth of patient choice
To avoid trouble Dr Grumble is trying not to blog. But it's hard. It's ten past eight. There's a busy day ahead but sometimes something happens that makes you so angry your wrath has to be vented. Dr Grumble has just finished his work in the Call Centre. He has to prioritise referrals and allocate them to the right clinics. While he was there the phone rang. Although it was before 8 o'clock there was a charming girl there to answer it. She was full of how can I help yous and no problems. But there was a problem. As dates were being discussed for the patient's appointment the clerk explained to the patient that the appointment she wanted would not be possible. It was too far ahead. We have targets to meet. Patients have to be seen within a certain time whether they like it or not. There is no patient choice in this whatsoever. Now isn't that just mad?
2 comments:
It's a disgrace.
The whole management of the NHS is a huge corrupt disgrace.
I've been reading a bit about 'World Class Commissioning' and it makes my blood boil.
PCTs are competely dysfunctional organisations made up of mostly idiots which have been given far too much power.
Local services are being starved of cash, as the PCTs fritters away money on their own schemes that have no evidence behind them. They have people with no knowledge of medicine and health care deciding where money would be best spent! Public Health experts won't be part of the team at the PCT, that would mean that they may have a chance of being vaguely efficient.
This Kafkaesque nightmare is hard to get one's head round, it just never stops.
Yes, bad.
Now how about all the GPs who won't let patients book appointments more than 12-24 hours in advance?
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