Meeting Targets and Failing Patients

Our local general hospital shares with our own primary care trust a DH target of "eighteen weeks from referral to treatment". Laudable? Oh yes.! Achievable? Mostly! But ...

If you make an appointment but then, due to unforeseen circumstances have to change it, you can't! Your referral is cancelled and you have to go back to your GP and start all over again. There is a reason (although "reason" is the last word I would used) as explained in the hospital's standard appointment letter:

"PLEASE NOTE: To avoid delays (sic) you may only be able to re-arrange your appointment once as we aim to complete your treatment in 18 weeks from your referral."

It is reasonable that, if a patient delays their treatment because they have chosen other priorities, the hospital doesn't then suffer the opprobrium of the bean counters. The hospital's way of ducking under the bar is ludicrous.

It is even more ludicrous when the reality is that they do not allow even one change of appointment, even when it was the hospital themsleves that cancelled the original appointment made by the patient and the replacement appointment offered is not suitable.

Where else would "the customer" be treated like this?