'Scuse the comment from a totally random stranger (and fellow-NHS med sec), but this post bears an uncanny resemblance to so much of my working week that it's quite spooky - the only thing being that I'm not temping/floating anymore, so I'm stuck with the insanity in here long-term. People who don't work in the NHS never believe half the stuff that goes on around here, oddly enough.
But, gawd, I do feel your pain - Majorly, trying to get any doctor to return a call. I have developed the weary feeling that even at gunpoint (and/or nailed to the floor), they'd still rather have a strop about patients harrassing them then actually call them back. And somehow the patients never wise up to this: the clinicians are God and the secretaries are evil minions trying to come between them and their beloved doctor. (note to patients: be extra-nice to consultants' secretaries and we appreciate the rarity of it so much that we can actually work miracles for you occasionally.)
Gah, the never-ending radio wars - we did Heart versus Magic for a while; Heart upped the game and expanded their playlist to include stuff other than endless 70s disco so are slightly more bearable than Magic these days (I'm still mourning the long-ago days when we were allowed XFM occasionally *sigh*). There is still much singing along though... I also can't for the life of me deal with the endless revolving conversation about reality TV that only varies according to whether TOWIE is currently showing new eps or not. I wish to god I didn't know what TOWIE stood for, but that knowledge is burned into my brain and cannot be erased now.
One thing I will say has improved the insanity of clinic typing has been digital dictation... the doctors are now forced to type the patient name at least onto the sound file *all by themselves*, and we can see what date it was dictated if nothing else (also: no tapes getting kicked under the photocopier anymore. I don't miss that at all.).
Sorry for the essay ;o) It is reassuring though to know that it's not just me who finds working this way a tad *ahem* frustrating...
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But, gawd, I do feel your pain -
Majorly, trying to get any doctor to return a call. I have developed the weary feeling that even at gunpoint (and/or nailed to the floor), they'd still rather have a strop about patients harrassing them then actually call them back. And somehow the patients never wise up to this: the clinicians are God and the secretaries are evil minions trying to come between them and their beloved doctor. (note to patients: be extra-nice to consultants' secretaries and we appreciate the rarity of it so much that we can actually work miracles for you occasionally.)
Gah, the never-ending radio wars - we did Heart versus Magic for a while; Heart upped the game and expanded their playlist to include stuff other than endless 70s disco so are slightly more bearable than Magic these days (I'm still mourning the long-ago days when we were allowed XFM occasionally *sigh*). There is still much singing along though... I also can't for the life of me deal with the endless revolving conversation about reality TV that only varies according to whether TOWIE is currently showing new eps or not. I wish to god I didn't know what TOWIE stood for, but that knowledge is burned into my brain and cannot be erased now.
One thing I will say has improved the insanity of clinic typing has been digital dictation... the doctors are now forced to type the patient name at least onto the sound file *all by themselves*, and we can see what date it was dictated if nothing else (also: no tapes getting kicked under the photocopier anymore. I don't miss that at all.).
Sorry for the essay ;o) It is reassuring though to know that it's not just me who finds working this way a tad *ahem* frustrating...