Robert Fisk, who has been fighting incurable bowel cancer for three years, has said NHS chiefs need to realise that the strength of the system lies in its people, not in expensive equipment.
Writing in an opinion piece, Fisk described how a recent call to his hospital almost gave him a heart attack, but for an unexpected reason: someone actually picked up the phone and helped him.
A rare experience
Fisk, who was running 15 minutes late for a dermatology appointment, phoned the number listed on his diary invite on the hospital's app. The person who answered said "Dermatology", found him in the computer system, and knew who his appointment was with. As requested, they contacted the nurse to let them know he was delayed.
This was a stark contrast to his usual experience. Over the three years of his treatment, he has often found that the phone rings and rings with no one picking up, or that the number from the hospital website is out of service. On one occasion, he left a voicemail and later got through to someone five hours later, who admitted they had heard his message but hadn't thought to call him back.
Common sense needed
Fisk said it was great that the system worked for him that one time, but noted that someone working for the NHS picking up the phone and helping a patient should not be extraordinary. He said it happens so rarely that it has become news.
He highlighted that thousands of people call NHS services every week, from the 8am rush on Monday morning to simple hospital enquiries, and far too often they don't get the answers they seek because of issues getting through to someone who knows what they are talking about.
While Labour is hoping all health issues can be resolved on the NHS app with a little AI, Fisk said he hopes hospital managers realise that all they really need is a piece of paper with the numbers of all the departments they need to transfer calls to, stuck to their desk, and someone to teach them how to transfer a call without cutting off a patient. He concluded: "It's not brain surgery, nor is it rocket science. It's common sense, and much more of it is needed in the NHS."
