Tuesday 29 May 2007

Anticipatory Cheeriness

I felt a little glum. You could tell, couldn't you. I have taken myself in hand and booked a train ticket to London for the day - you know I said, ages ago, that I always intend to come up for minor yet highly cultural jollities, but I rarely get around to it. I have found a chink in the diary on 11th June.

What fun I will have.

I don't know what I'll be doing yet. I'll probably go the Surrealism exhibition at the V&A and shudder at the disturbing fur cup and saucer, and I am sure to walk a lot. But I have no plans.

Last time I looked on the train company booking website, I found there was a fee to book online, so I didn't and, having found the trains and prices I wanted, I phoned instead. Now it's a new system and there's no charge. How sensible.

That reminds me, when the Sage came back from the surgery, he said that there is a new checking-in system, with a touch-screen. First you put in whether you are male or female, then enter your date of birth. Then it tells you who you are (how useful! I always wondered) and lets the doctor or, in this case the nurse, know you've arrived.

You still have to watch the screen high on the wall to know when it's your turn, though. There are no announcements. I wonder how you manage if you can't see. Or can't read. Or are really unobservant. None of these problems applies to the Sage, so it may be some time before I find out.

15 comments:

The Boy said...

Hmm, surguries without receptionists. I'd have to try it to decide if that is a good or a bad thing.

Now, given that there is a statistically good chance that there will be two people there with the same birthday, this seems a bit of a chancy way to log people in.

Z said...

The receptionists are still there, it's only for checking in. We debated the chances of two people having the same birthday, but it would have to be year as well as date, with an appointment at about the same time, so it probably isn't that likely.

I've got a friend with twin daughters, maybe they should both book in and see what happens.

Pat said...

We have the touch screen also. I quite enjoy using it and showing old dears how to use it. Gives me a spurious sense of competency. However then the nurse or doctor comes to collect you. I think they do it to burn calories.

Z said...

Good point, Pat. I can think of a few people who would be quite taxed by it.

Al just came in to say there's a frost warning for tonight. We've been out covering over all the vegetables. Good grief, it's nearly June!

Greg said...

We have the touch screens too, although nothing as high-tec as screens to tell you when you're due. We have to make do with barely intelligible announcements.

Monozygote said...

I thought he was an auctioneer?

I saw the touch-screens on the Holby A&E. I think they call it AAU. Accident & Automaton Unit, I guess.

I miss you, z. If you were a boy, you'd be a dude. I've been drinking, can you tell?

Z said...

I know who the Sage is, but who am I?

xx

Only me said...

Have fun in London. Hey, I have to ask - I'm in Brisbane, Australia now, but I used to live in Norfolk - (And I'm visiting in July - yey!) Where are you? Or is that private info?

Z said...

Hello Only Me, welcome.

I live in south Norfolk, as close to the border as you can get without dropping right off the edge into Suffolk. In Mahsrae, just outside Yagnub (please reverse carefully)

Anonymous said...

I'm a medical secretary and we could never use the monitor idea. Medical privacy laws-someone other than the patient could see name on monitor. We can't even call patients by their full names when walking them to the exam room from waiting room.

Z said...

When you're queueing to see the receptionist (and there are always several waiting) you're asked to wait a yard or so back to give some privacy, but names seem to be considered all right.

How you you find the right patient though, if it's someone you don't know and you can't call them by name? You could have two patients with the same surname on the same day, surely?

We're very open about our ailments in this country. Check out Katy's experience...

http://everythingiselectric.blogspot.com/2007/05/too-much-information.html

(sorry, Blogger doesn't allow link)

Z said...

how do you, of course. pah!

How do we know said...

This was funny Zoe!

How do we know said...

This was funny Zoe!

Z said...

Doubly funny, HDWK!