11 February 2022
THE TRAIN HAS LEFT THE STATION
If a patient arrives 10-15 minutes late for their appointment we are to NEVER tell them straight away that they must be rebooked.
It is our policy to put the onus on the patient to decide if they would like to wait and be fitted in, or if they would like to rebook.
Never tell a patient they are "late", instead say they have "missed their appointment" - when you miss the train, you have no chance of catching it! You are to give them the option of being fitted in without an appointment, which will then mean a wait of up to three hours (or whatever the wait time is for that day), or they can rebook for another time.
When making an appointment, explain to the patient that if they run late they will need to call ahead and inform us, and that there is every chance when they arrive they will have missed their appointment and will then have the option of waiting or rebooking.
If a patient calls ahead of time and says they are running late, please inform them of the same. If they miss their appointment but still wish to go ahead with the examination, there will be a wait of up to three hours, or they can rebook.
For ultrasounds that require a longer appointment, e.g. morphology, third trimester, arterial doppler, the same will apply. Inform the patient they have missed their appointment and have the option of waiting or rebooking. If they decide to wait, there is the possibility of the study being split into 10 minute increments as we are trying to keep to our appointment times and fitting in a lengthy examination with cause issues with the schedule. Please make them fully aware that their time in the practice could be extensive.
THIS IS ALL ABOUT PERCEPTION, AS LONG AS A PATIENT CAN UNDERSTAND WE ARE NOT SAYING NO AND WE ARE STILL OFFERING THEM SERVICE, THEY SHOULD BE PLACATED.
And yes, unfortunately there will still be the select few who feel entitled and cannot understand that their actions impact other patients - please remain calm when dealing with a patient like this; if possible take them away from the waiting room to explain the situation. Sometimes a person cannot be reasoned with, and if this is the case, please have a senior staff member step in to help.
We understand that not everyone listens, others say "that's not what I was told", and others just like to yell, however you may also be dealing with someone who thinks they have cancer, or is miscarrying, so they are already stressed. Dealing with people is not easy and can be fatiguing mentally (especially for front desk staff who are often treated very poorly and cop the brunt of any abuse). As long as you take a breath and remain calm you can deal with the situation. Remember, it is all about perception. Just as much for the patient you are dealing with, as well as the patients in the waiting room witnessing any interaction.
We must however all remember that it is not "us against them", we are in the service industry not just the health industry, so we are here to help our patients to the best of our ability.
