Even after all this time you can still send me a fax

[venta]

Aww. When large institutions try to engage with the modern world, it's quite cute.

This morning I rang the doctors' surgery. "Hello," I said, "I want to order a repeat prescription, which I think you now prefer me to do over email. How do I register for this service?"

The receptionist who'd answered ummed and erred for a bit. Then she ahhed. Then she asked me to wait a moment. Then she came back on the line and ummed a bit more, and asked me to hold again.

Eventually she came back on the line and asked: "Do you have a fax number?"

I said no, I didn't. She erred some more. Eventually, she took my phone number so she could call me back to explain the prodecure to me.

She just phoned back. I was braced for a fairly intricate registration process. It turns out that what I have to do is send them an email them stating which prescription I require.

She's now given me the "email number" and I'm all good to go.

Comments

[valkyriekaren.livejournal.com]

My surgery has an online booking system, but you have to physically go into the surgery and get them to set you up on the system - you can't just register. Apparently this is so they can ensure that only genuine patients register, but why they can't just check your NHS number and DOB against their records I have no idea.

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

Thing is, their system is a significant inconvenience to you whereas what you propose would be a minor inconvenience to them.

[valkyriekaren.livejournal.com]

It could almost certainly be automated so it would not be any inconvenience at all once the integration work had been done!

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

This is true... but then the automation in question would cost money. (Probably quite a lot of money given that they'd be linking a database full of confidential info with a web front end.)

[snow-leopard.livejournal.com]

I am quite surprised with that.
I would expect them to register an email address on your account so they could verify that requests are coming from you rather than anyone emailing them and saying "Hi I'm Venta please can I have my X, Y and Z"!

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

Ours will send out a PIN by post to your registered address if you ring and ask them for one, which seems a reasonable compromise. Unfortunately since I set this up I've never actually used it, because the booking system won't allow 1) same day appointments or 2) anything beyond two weeks ahead, which for my purposes renders it completely useless, but that's just me. And they haven't yet set up prescription requests via the online service, which would be useful.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Well, yes! I was a bit surprised. I presume that they'll check they've got a Venta on their records, and when I go to get the prescription from the pharmacy they'll probably do their usual numpty check of "what's your name and address" (which would be a perfectly reasonable check if they didn't usually hold the name/address label where I can see it while asking!)

Either that or the receptionist I spoke to didn't understand the system, and I'm about to get an email response telling me that I'm not registered! I'd probably give odds of 2:1 of that happening...

[venta.livejournal.com]

Actually, on second thoughts - I used to request prescription repeats by dropping a handwritten note signed by me through their letterbox out of hours. Since I don't think they've ever asked for a specimen signature from me, this email method isn't significantly worse!

[snow-leopard.livejournal.com]

Lets just hope you don't get any exciting drugs that someone may want to steal!
As there are clearly flaws in the system!

[venta.livejournal.com]

Well, if you hear of a surplus of prescription-only antihistamines on the streets, let me know!

[marjory.livejournal.com]

At our surgery one must now either go to the place in person or use their bespoke on-line system. I have a username and password which they gave to me when I rang. Luckily for me, the receptionist knew what I was talking about and called me back so I wouldn't have to stagger in, the callback letting them check numbers that I was who I said I was. Not that anything I'm prescribed could remotely be anything anyone would want to take recreationally, but then it is a strange world and I am innocent in its ways. I suppose with your antihistamines at least, there might be a meth lab somewhere, but that's a slim possibility.

Our new system is all a bit unfair on the old folk, methinks, unless all of them are committed silver surfers and/or have someone who will drive them/go for them if they are unable to make the trip. It's fine for me as I don't much like talking on the phone and have a House Mitch.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Last time I interacted with the surgery (and they expressed surprise that I hadn't emailed them my prescription - er, that's because 6 months ago you told me I absolutely couldn't get a prescription via email, and I haven't spoken to you since) they actually let me order one over the phone.

So I suspect that - being a fairly small practice - they probably know their regulars and may be willing to cut house-bound non-internet savvy pensioners a bit of slack. Even so, such things shouldn't really be reliant on the whim of the receptionist :(

[lnr]

Ours just has a form on the web:

http://www.shelfordmedicalpractice.nhs.uk/default.asp?id=38

Which also feels somewhat retro - since there's no form of login there either.