How come Consultants letters are sent by snail mail?

fortuna

Hello everyone,
I was hoping to have my regime started today. Appointment made with GP for this afternoon. I know I had to wait for my chest xray result and the GP had them via internet last Friday. I was then told that the consultant's letter had not been received. Rang again on Monday - nothing. So today's appointment cancelled and I have to ring every day to see if it has arrived.
So I'm just wondering - if they can download Xray results why on earth does the letter have to be posted? Anybody know?
Fortuna

barbara12

Hello Fortuna
This is a grievance of mine...with all the technology we have to wait sometime weeks for results..my thinking is if they speed up the results the GPs wouldn't cope ...not good for us...hope they get them soon..then you can start your treatment..

fortuna

Thanks Barbara, it is so frustrating. They tell you how important it is to start treatment as soon as possible and there you are all psyched up and they let you down. Patience is a virtue and at least my hand is a lot less painful today without any drugs!
Fortuna

barbara12

Fortuna I am glad your hand isn't has painful.....what are you expecting from the results I did answer your post in the hello section ..but my brain goes dead...x

dreamdaisy

I suspect it's done this way because it's always been done this way, my hospital still uses paper files for patients. I've learned over the years that my version of immediate and urgent etc. differs to my consultants because they have to follow procedures and protocols which take time. DD

fortuna

This being ill is a bundle of fun!
Have just rung Gp no they still don't have my letter until I say how difficult sorting all this out is and suddenly the letter appears from nowhere. and I can get an app. with my preferred GP if I ring at 8.00am. tomorrow.

On to the next step to get an appointment with the hand therapy people. I ring and am told that they have to see the form before they can book an app. An hour and a half round trip by bus! But I can post it! :x
As far as our hospitals are concerned I am sure the Post office will have work for years.

Next trying to get somewhere with OT local hospital for Occupational Therapy.
Would you believe their phones are down!

Barbara, The letter from the consultant saying I have RA of both hands and so that she (GP) can write out the script. I already have the Pred Med script.
That's a point I may getting confused but I thought hospital wrote up the scripts for DMARDS I'm probably wrong.
Fortuna

Mat48

When I was diagnosed two years ago my consultant just wrote a note for me to give my GP as he knew I wouldn't get the letter before Christmas otherwise. And that has been shown because my last consultation letter still hasn't arrived with my GP and I saw him on the 20th November :shock:

The reason that they come electronically/via snail mail is because of confidentiality. But my GP now phones or emails my rheumy to find out about changes in meds if it is urgent. The other problem that many hospitals have now is that health authorities and trusts have cut back on their secretarial staff so as a consequence many rheumatology departments have a huge backlog of letters to type up. I found this out through my GP - although he says even so over two months takes the biscuit! :roll: Perhaps you could ask your GP to phone the rheumy's secretary and get him to email him directly with instructions for your new meds?

fortuna

Hi Mat,
That wait is ridiculous!

Further to my last input I phoned the Gp Just Before and then dead on 8am. And then about 15 times between 8 and 8.20 only to be told all her appointments had gone. The surgery used to have a system where you could hang on and wait and they also told you where you were in the queue. Frustrating but a better solution I think.

My other moan was having to post my physio card (for hand therapy) before they will book an appointment. I really didn't want to do that as it could end up anywhere. Yesterday I phoned my local small hospital for which I had another Physio card and a really nice lady said to bring in both cards for her to see. This I did this morning (a 5 minute bus ride) and she put me on their waiting list. She also took the other card and said she would send it with their stuff that goes every day.

Does help to feel a little better when someone is helpful. Good day today Index finger left looks like a pork sausage but doesn't hurt too much. All digits on right hand except the ring finger are good But the ring finger is very very painful - but no swelling! Doesn't make sense to me except that it generally a lot better than before.

as regards the new drugs I am now seeing GP on Monday and will then have to pick a day to start. Not looking forward to it!
Cheers Fortuna

dreamdaisy

I know that rheumatology is one of the fastest-growing hospital departments in my neck of the woods. As the knowledge and understanding (I resisted the quotation marks for that last word. ) of this malarkey grows, and because we have an increasing population, demand for their services far exceeds medical supplies (as it were). I know I am a VIP (very important patient) but so is everyone else who sees my consultant and GP. The doctors are under a different set of pressures but even so . . . . medical slang for rheumatology is 'rheumaholiday' - that perception needs to be altered. My lot don't help themselves on that front by shutting up shop every Friday at 1pm. :? DD