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Care Opinion

Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Rheumatology Administration

Posted By Bobby78

"Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Rheumatology Administration"

About: Glasgow Royal Infirmary / Rheumatology (wards 15/28 & 20/21)

(as the patient),

After attending a clinic in early December 2015, the Doctor requested that I come back in 4 months. The administrator advised that she didn't know how to make a follow up appointment and that I should wait until the next week and a letter would come through. Nothing had arrived by Christmas and I followed this up at a visit to the day ward in early January. I received a letter for my next appointment at the end of April (5. 5 months after last appointment). Today, I received a cancellation letter and a date for the end of May (6. 5 months after last appointment). It is unacceptable that when a Doctor wants to see a patient in 16 weeks, the patient is given an appointment in 26 weeks. Living with pain is difficult enough without unnecessary delays. I wish to make it clear that the clinical staff have always been superb but the general administration could definitely be better.

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Responses

Response from Lorna Fairlie, Patient Experience, Public Involvement Project Manager, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde 8 years ago
Lorna Fairlie
Patient Experience, Public Involvement Project Manager,
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

I work in a small team in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde which seeks to involve patients and carers in the work of the NHS. The biggest part of my role is in managing feedback projects across the Board area, one of which is Patient Opinion. It is my job to give our patients and carers the opportunity to give us feedback, and to make sure that this is passed to the right people to help us improve the services we provide.

Submitted on 05/03/2016 at 12:04
Published on Care Opinion at 16:55

Dear Bobby78,

I appreciate the frustration you will be feeling with your appointments and particularly when you are experiencing pain, this will be exacerbated even more. There are many reasons that clinic appointments may be cancelled, the majority of which are completely unavoidable. It is absolutely not what we would want to do, because of the impact it can have on patients as you have described here and I am really sorry for that.

You had mentioned that you attended the day hospital, and without knowing how often you attend, they should be able provide some support to manage your symptoms and pain on an ongoing basis, between your appointments. Similarly, your GP will also be able to provide additional support.

Your comments have also been passed on to the management team for this service to help us monitor incidences like this and see if there is a way to better manage their impact. I'll also ask them for any additional information they could add here.

With best wishes,

Lorna

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