Tracking Potential Patients
The proposed system for tracking patients is really good. I can see why it can help people avoid being late whilst being in the wrong part of the hospital.
Simply Signs
Hospitals could also simplify signs at the entrance. The average person, plus a speaker of a foreign languages, has no idea where to go for their 'blood test' because when you reach hospital you are faced with technical signs such as 'pathology department' and 'haematology. In each department you have to queue for ten minutes just to ask the way.
Register Deaths In All Departments
They could also monitor dead bodies. Then cancel outpatients appointments for dead people.
I know about this because of my experience after the death of my beloved uncle who you can see in the hospital bed in this photo.
My Dead Uncle's Appointments
I can tell you what happened to me. After my uncle died, I picked up a letter berating my beloved uncle for failing to attend an eye check-up. He had just died.
I should have written back asking for a home visit as he was in the mortuary.
When I phoned the hospital, the only line not giving recorded messages was the pregnancy department. I declined to tell them my date of birth and expected delivery date.
By the time I had explained my uncle was dead, three times, I was sobbing.
At this point, fortunately a helpful and sympathetic staff member managed to divert me around an internal switchboard.
When I finally reached the right department, I was, by now, recovered, polite, and succinct.
The lady who answered was most apologetic. She said, 'I'm so sorry, my dear. This keeps happening. We can't do anything about it. Nobody tells us.'
She cancelled the appointment. but she needed a notification of death. Well, death certificates were costing me ten pounds each. Every organization I spoke to wanted three, for the appointments department, for accounts, etc. I told her to check with the hospital as I did not yet have the paperwork. I had not even identified the body.
You can imagine my surprise when I received another follow-up computer generated message asking me to re-book the cancelled appointment.
To See Dead Bodies - This Way >
When we went to see my uncle's dead body, we could not find the mortuary. It was at the far end of the hospital and not signposted.
Tracking patients is really good. Hospitals could also simplify signs. The average person, plus a speaker of a foreign languages, has no idea where to go for their 'blood test' because when you reach hospital you are faced with technical signs such as 'pathology department' and 'haematology.
As you zig zig around the hospital maze, in each hospital department you have to queue for ten minutes just to ask the way.
They could also monitor dead bodies and cancel outpatients appointments for dead people. I picked up a letter berating my beloved uncle for failing to attend an eye check-up. He had just died. I should have written back asking for a home visit as he was in the mortuary. When I phoned the hospital, the only line not giving recorded messages was the pregnancy department. I declined to tell them my date of birth and expected delivery date.
By the time I had explained my uncle was dead, three times, I was sobbing. At this point, fortunately a helpful and sympathetic staff member managed to divert me around an internal switchboard.
When I finally reached the right department, I was, by now, recovered, polite, and succinct. The lady who answered was most apologetic. She said, 'I'm so sorry, my dear. This keeps happening. We can't do anything about it. Nobody tells us.' it is on the left as you drive into the hospital, but on the right if you are driving out of the car park exit, having driven to the entrance to ask the way.
We drove back to the entrance. Still no sign. Why no sign at the start? The hospital found that patients entering the hospital were discouraged by signs pointing to the mortuary. Visitors were alarmed. People about to decide whether to agree to an operation were alarmed. Staff were depressed. So, no clear signs.
We made two failed attempts to find the place. We got there on the third attempt.
Now, before each trip to a hospital, I check all around in advance. We even did a dummy run, driving their the night before. Which way do you drive in? Which way do you drive out?
When my husband asked me to drive him to the hospital for the test, I checked the hospital map in advance.
My checklist
1 Which hospital?
2 Which Department?
3 Which Entrance? Are taxis allowed to drop you off and pick you up? (Is the porter allowed to carry your bags to the car park outside the hotel main entrance?)
4 What is the patient's official name (usually the same as passport, or as registered with doctor)?
5 What is the patient's doctor's name, surgery name, surgery address?
6 What is the patient's date of birth?
7 Who is the next of kin?
8 What time is the appointment?
9 How much time do I need to allow in advance for form filling and walking from the car park to the department and queuing to register
10 Is a family member of friend permitted, required. For example, after a hernia operation, my husband was not allowed to drive home. Therefore he needed me or a taxi to take him home. But he also could not drive himself to the hospital, because he would not be able to collect the car later.
11 Is the hospital car park free and are there spaces? If not free, how do you pay? Do you need to key in a patient number to gain admission?
12 What is the patient's number?
13 What is the name of the patient's consultant?
14 If traffic makes you late, should you give up and go home and re-book? If you re-book is there a charge? Or go to the hospital and expect to be seen later, or at the end of the morning or day?
15 Can you arrive early and wait? Or does Covid-19 mean you must wait to be summoned? In our quarantine hotel in Singapore, we were told to wait for a phone call for both the covid test and for check-out to prevent crowding.
16 If you are in a quarantine hotel, you may find you are in a cordon and must use the lift (elevator) one by one.
I am delighted that hospitals are improving tracking of patients.
Useful Websites
https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/index.htm
https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hospital_information_system
https://www.myheritage.com/research/category-2030/death-burial-cemetery-obituaries
About the Author
Angela Lansbury teacher of English (advanced and English as a Second Language or English as a Foreign Language, French and other languages, aspiring polyglot.
