"The Booking System"

Mt story starts with a late-night visit to ED after confirmation, from an MRI earlier that evening, that I had a lesion on my brain.

Two subsequent appointments to Neurosurgery followed, one before the brain biopsy was taken and one after.

My experience with the booking system started with two posted letters, for the 2 appointments, arriving after the actual appointments. 

Numerous texts messages from SCGH, phone calls from SCGH and to SCGH, letters delivered by Aust Post and use of the Manage My Care app finally resulted in appointments being confirmed. I say confirmed, but one appointment changed from 9:10am to 8:40am to 9am and back to 8:40am.

And I was not aware that patients "should allow 2 - 3 hours for your appointment". Maybe that is compounded by Neurosurgery booking, as I understand it, 3 patients at 8:30, 3 more at 9:00 and 3 more at 10am. That's 10 min to discuss an often serious, if not life-threatening, case.

After being confirmed with a Grade 4 cancer, I am now under the care of Oncology. And what a breath of fresh air this Dept is. The appointment system is first-rate and I've never had to chase around trying to get details of an appointment.

On raising my concerns about bookings with various departments, I have seemingly been ignored by the department or, in my opinion, fobbed off to Customer Liaison representatives who I feel regurgitate policy, and make excuses for the inaction at all levels.

I have raised my issues with a particular Director and they were very responsive to my concerns, but I believe they are new to the job and still trying to understand the fragmented and seemingly disjointed beast of a booking system they have inherited. And even then, I believe departments themselves make appointment lists with the above-mentioned chaos.

Neurosurgery is the only department, besides Oncology, I have dealt with. Maybe other departments can also do with a review of their appointment booking system.