New rules for wheelchair users

[Selbourne]

1 minute ago, david63 said:

@Selbourne have you tried contacting the consultant's secretary? They seem to be the only ones that know what is going on and can get things moving when there is a hold up.

Yes I have and they said it could take up to 4 weeks for the letter (which apparently is dictated within 24 hours of the appointment) to arrive. That time has now passed. 

[Megabear2]

2 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

I’ve been checking it daily but nothing so far. I think I’m going to make a formal complaint about it, as I don’t think there’s any excuse for leaving people worrying about whether or not they have an issue for so long. 

I believe that uploading of test results is the responsibility of your GP surgery so perhaps a conversation with the practice manager might help finding out where the results are in the system.  Presumably it depends on the type of tests and who carried them out but if you were told they would go back to your GP then they should have long ago arrived there for uploading. On the other hand if the tests are for a hospital doctor's consideration before a report is made they generally won't be available on the NHS app until that letter goes from the hospital and your delay will be with the hospital.  

[Selbourne]

14 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

I believe that uploading of test results is the responsibility of your GP surgery so perhaps a conversation with the practice manager might help finding out where the results are in the system.  Presumably it depends on the type of tests and who carried them out but if you were told they would go back to your GP then they should have long ago arrived there for uploading. On the other hand if the tests are for a hospital doctor's consideration before a report is made they generally won't be available on the NHS app until that letter goes from the hospital and your delay will be with the hospital.  

I’ve spoken to the surgery as well. Whilst I am disheartened with many aspects of the NHS, my GP surgery is brilliant and the staff there could not be more helpful. I’ll try them again tomorrow though, before I commence formal complaint proceedings. The anxiety of not knowing is bad enough, but I need an answer before our insurance renews next month so as to avoid the problems experienced by @sandancer

[Megabear2]

Just now, Selbourne said:

I’ve spoken to the surgery as well. Whilst I am disheartened with many aspects of the NHS, my GP surgery is brilliant and the staff there could not be more helpful. I’ll try them again tomorrow though, before I commence formal complaint proceedings. The anxiety of not knowing is bad enough, but I need an answer before our insurance renews next month so as to avoid the problems experienced by @sandancer

Unfortunately any formal complaint will probably take a long time to be investigated.  I made one for a friend in very similar circumstances to those you describe and it took 5 months to be investigated.

 

As time is of the essence for you it would seem prudent to ask your surgery for help and also to call the hospital again to explain your predicament.  I assume letter you await was to be sent to you and your GP.  Experience says although the consultant's secretary has stated it's been prepared it may not have even been reviewed by the consultant at this stage.  

 

[cruising.mark.uk]

6 hours ago, molecrochip said:

Ask yourself, why is P&O the only brand where you can’t book an accessible cabin online. You can with Cunard and all other brands.

I don't know, but I sense that not allowing booking of these cabins online could benefit all parties.

 

We cruised on Princess in May in a Window Suite.  That could not be booked online.  While booking with a reservation agent, we asked why.  The answer was that they had encountered too many instances where individuals booked this category of cabin and then, notwithstanding the cabin title and website / deckplan descriptions of the cabin, complained on boarding that their suite did not have a balcony and demanded a move to a suite that did / compensation.

 

If that is indicative of the level of research that some customers carry out before booking online, requiring interaction with an agent to book an accessible cabin might have 3 advantages.  First, it would allow the agent to confirm that the customer actually knew they were trying to book an accessible cabin and that they need one, so as to mitigate the risk of them denying its use to someone who really does need it versus someone who had merely found it online and thought they'd like the bigger floorplace / balcony, without realising why the cabin is laid out as it is.  Second, it should help P&O understand the customer's requirements (cabin in which electric wheelchair can be recharged, need for evac chair etc) to ensure that they are booked in an appropriate cabin.  And, third, proactive signposting from the agent / towards the mobility questionnaire and other required documentation / information / gathering of the required info during the call should mitigate the likelihood of guests requiring mobility assistance being denied boarding because they haven't provided sufficient detail / completed all the necessary paperwork.

 

It seems to me that all of these would be beneficial to P&O and the passenger.  Notwithstanding the need for proactive engagement with a human agent, however, I agree with @Selbourne that it would also be useful if the availability of these cabins could be visible online and an effective waitlist system could be established so that those who need them can be informed if / when one becomes available and, even better, for an agent to proactively reach out to them when that happens and they reach the top of the waitlist.

[Dermotsgirl]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

I’ve been checking it daily but nothing so far. I think I’m going to make a formal complaint about it, as I don’t think there’s any excuse for leaving people worrying about whether or not they have an issue for so long. 

You are not alone - my husband had some tests in July that he still has not had results for, despite me chasing on his behalf, and even involving the hospital PALS. Last Thursday, his case was (allegedly) referred to the ‘colorectal multidisciplinary team meeting’, and we are awaiting the outcome…..  I think we’ll end up making a formal complaint about it - but it seems mad to have to complain about something so basic and fundamental.

 

1 hour ago, david63 said:

@Selbourne have you tried contacting the consultant's secretary? They seem to be the only ones that know what is going on and can get things moving when there is a hold up.

l have done this, which results in a brief flurry of activity, then it all goes quiet again 

[purplesea]

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Yes I have and they said it could take up to 4 weeks for the letter (which apparently is dictated within 24 hours of the appointment) to arrive. That time has now passed. 

I found myself in a very similar situation earlier this year. I had a MRI at the end of last year and was chasing my consultant's secretary, was then refered to the oncology department as I had had treatment there, and round and round the houses I went! I finally got the required answers less than a week before our cruise. 

I have got insurance with the bank, but they wouldn't cover me for this.

 

 

[Winifred 22]

3 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Interesting. Well hopefully the person who has taken 6 weeks and counting to send out my results letter (who may well be working from home) might find time between walking the dog, taking the kids to and from school and mowing the lawn to send my letter out before our policy falls due for renewal next month 🤔

I work from home, do not walk the dog ( don’t have one !) My children are professional adults and I don’t mow the lawn in company time and yes I work for an arms length body of the NHS. I take offence at the assumption that people possibly working from home may be the reason why your letter has not yet been received ? Have you checked it hasn’t been sent to your G P ? Given medical  secretaries have access to exactly the same facilities as if they were in the hospital it should make no difference. 

[Selbourne]

2 minutes ago, Winifred 22 said:

I work from home, do not walk the dog ( don’t have one !) My children are professional adults and I don’t mow the lawn in company time and yes I work for an arms length body of the NHS. I take offence at the assumption that people possibly working from home may be the reason why your letter has not yet been received ? Have you checked it hasn’t been sent to your G P ? Given medical  secretaries have access to exactly the same facilities as if they were in the hospital it should make no difference. 

I’m sorry if you take offence at a comment not directed at you, but I know from my previous call that some of the admin staff work from home and my comments are based on what I know several neighbours do when ‘working from home’. Not everyone, of course, but it is extremely naive to think that it doesn’t happen. And yes, as previously mentioned, I have already checked with the GP surgery. 

[Winifred 22]

17 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

I’m sorry if you take offence at a comment not directed at you, but I know from my previous call that some of the admin staff work from home and my comments are based on what I know several neighbours do when ‘working from home’. Not everyone, of course, but it is extremely naive to think that it doesn’t happen. And yes, as previously mentioned, I have already checked with the GP surgery. 

I must be extremely naive then.

[grapau27]

10 hours ago, sandancer said:

I’m not a member of said group but have a dilemma which means I may have to look at this. Final payment due this week and awaiting medical test results. I rang our insurer to inform that these tests were going ahead and they now won’t renew our policy which ends this week also. If I make final payment and we then can’t travel, the resale of the cruise maybe our only option. Are P&O ok with this? I could move it and rebook if the tests are negative but then risk the evacuation chair we have been allocated is no longer available. 

I still have the NHS App on my phone and a previous blood test results was on the app very quickly.

The app has all of my vaccinations, medications,blood tests, appointments etc on it.

I would recommend to you and @Selbourne to look at this.

 

 

[Selbourne]

3 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

I still have the NHS App on my phone and a previous blood test results was on the app very quickly.

The app has all of my vaccinations, medications,blood tests, appointments etc on it.

I would recommend to you and @Selbourne to look at this.

 

 

I have (and use) both the NHS app and the Patient Access app Graham and agree it is usually a quick way to get test results. In this case however, neither has the results I am waiting for. 

[sandancer]

Both my husband and I have the app and use it regularly unfortunately in this instance it’s not just blood tests and both GP and consultant are involved. Unlike Selbourne we have not been waiting weeks. It’s just that due to bad timing we have to make final payment and renew the travel insurance this week. 

Edited 2 hours ago by sandancer

[grapau27]

5 minutes ago, sandancer said:

Both my husband and I have the app and use it regularly unfortunately in this instance it’s not just blood tests and both GP and consultant are involved. Unlike Selbourne we have not been waiting weeks. It’s just that due to bad timing we have to make final payment and renew the travel insurance this week. 

When I had my heart attack nearly 5 years ago we rang our travel insurance and they cancelled the insurance immediately.

Pauline was talking to a lady at the hairdresser's last week and the lady's mother broke her leg while in the USA.

The cost was £100.000 and apparently on her medical records was a note she had mild osteoporosis that she had not disclosed to her Travel insurance company.

Insurance finally agreed to pay £10,000 but she had to get a loan to pay the £90.000 remaining.

[terrierjohn]

5 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

I believe that uploading of test results is the responsibility of your GP surgery so perhaps a conversation with the practice manager might help finding out where the results are in the system.  Presumably it depends on the type of tests and who carried them out but if you were told they would go back to your GP then they should have long ago arrived there for uploading. On the other hand if the tests are for a hospital doctor's consideration before a report is made they generally won't be available on the NHS app until that letter goes from the hospital and your delay will be with the hospital.  

I had an Echo done recently, privately because the NHS wait times were 6-8 weeks.

The letter from the private consultant was on my medical record on Systmonline, but the letter had no details in it, it was only when I studied the letter in landscape form that I noticed the tiny paper clip, which when pressed revealed the attached detailed results.

As someone else said recently, you learn something new every day.

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

I have (and use) both the NHS app and the Patient Access app Graham and agree it is usually a quick way to get test results. In this case however, neither has the results I am waiting for. 

A PS to my previous post, I found my Echo results on my Medical record and not on the Test results page.

[Megabear2]

Although not the ideal answer and no doubt a last resort, both Selbourne and Sandancer should be covered for cancellation if they find themselves with no answers about their medical test results or indeed find themselves unable to purchase a policy covering their medical conditions.

 

Whilst disappointing to not be able to take booked holidays the travel insurance Is booked as a "comfort " to prevent financial loss and travel insurance policies are written in such a way as to acknowledge this.

 

As I said elsewhere in this thread, by booking cruises a long way in advance we are effectively taking a gamble that our health and medical conditions remain unchanged or that nothing untoward occurs between the time of booking and the time of travel.  We have to be prepared to accept this and understand we have no divine right to have an insurer put us on cover just because we have a trip booked.  What we do have is a written contract that in the event our circumstances unfortunately change the most financial loss we will incur will be the loss of our insurance policy excess if we have one.

 

It is no one's fault if the timing of a medical investigation is inconvenient for us, the facts will not change and even once the result is received we have to accept that the insurer still has the right to say sorry we do not wish to cover you.