Doctor's Appointments

I am a coeliac and need to have regular appointments with my doctor and/or nurse every three months for B12 injections and check-ups.

My current surgery allows me to book appointments days and sometimes weeks in advance, which means that I can have my injections at the proper times.

If I had to ring up on the day to get an appointment as many do, it would be a total nightmare and my health would suffer. I would not hesitate to go private. Luckily I can afford to do that, but I get good service where I am, so why change.

Incidentally, one of my areas of expertise is scheduling. In fact, I’m proud that most of the large projects in the world were built using my software. One of the best ways to increase capacity in a system, is to fix jobs and appointments some time in the future, as this takes the load of present. Some of the appointment systems being proposed like ringing each day, will actually decrease system capacity.

Appointments are better kept using text messages. I use a desk-based text messaging system to contact clients and children. Works well and you know if the message has been delivered. It can also be automated so that the surgery doesn’t even have to take any action.

The trouble with the NHS is that it’s driven by politics rather than scientific correctness.