CHEC Reviews 117

Very unprofessional, extremely rude, the lack talking manners.
I went to my appointment and they wanted to change my procedure to something I was not comfortable with, something they should have informed me about prior to getting there, and I had to get it rescheduled (wasting my time and money including the person that I came along with.
As a process, one must go with someone to these appointments, and mine cancelled the last minute and I immediately called to notify them. The person that I spoke with first, said they were going to cancel the referral apparently I cancelled 3 times. I turned up to my appointment and these people wanted to do my procedure without sedation which we had previously agreed. The woman spoke to me in an inquisitive manner whilst skipping and avoiding to address the day I attended my appointment and they wanted to change. I asked to speak to the manager or supervisor and this person said they were not around and I cannot speak to someone else.
I hung up and called to speak to someone else. This person was something else. She told me that "you had 2 months to find someone to come with me" that if I was so desperate for the appointment I can get someone else". I asked if she knows about my life like that? and she could not answer the question.
I decided to hang the phone up and try and call someone else, the same person answered and this person was really looking for a fight. Something is terribly wrong with the people they hire to be in the position to speak with people.

Avoid this company. Ask your GP to refer you somewhere else. And believe the reviews.

Awful service, unhelpful, rude and obstructive. Impossible to get the phone answered, so went to online chat. This was just to rearrange an appointment. I was asked if I was going to attend or not, because they can just close off the appointment and give it to someone else. No courtesy, nothing resembling customer service at all. They are crafty and book 2, 1 to see you and another for the results. Absolute nonsense, they're just draining funds from the NHS. I shall go back to my optician and look for another company.

I had an appointment at CHEC Stockport earlier today that lasted under 2 minutes. In that time, the person I saw read a long letter about a previous appointment,looked at the medication I'm taking and somehow managed to establish the current health of my eyes without actually examining them. He absolutely couldn't be bothered and had an awful attitude. The nurses and reception team are amazing so I'm sad to write this but I feel very let down by today's appointment.

Pity there isn't a minus star score facility. Even 1 star is too much. CHEC used to be good but recently I'm finding it pretty appalling to deal with. The medical side is fine, no problems. It's the aftermath and administration and reporting to patients that is abysmal. The complaints procedure ( an oxymoron if ever ) takes ages, no one can ever be contacted properly and in person, the webchat service and telephone enquiries system are so limited in scope as to what they can deal with, it's not worth the effort even trying. A letter of complaint to the CEO delivered by hand to their HQ is so so so slowly proceeding I think through CHEC processes. I warned them I would make a post like this. I am actively seeking referral to another body that can do the periodic screening for an eye condition.

The service offered by Chec is in theroy brilliant, but in reality fails to meet patient needs due to slow, inaccurate and vague communication. Using their chat function with their customer service team is not helpful and the people you converse with are unable to give any detail at all so you are fobbed off with very vague responses. It seems like a check box excerise rathr than a tool to add value.

I was given an appointment over the phone for Chec eye clinic Basingstoke. I was told to get a taxi there as my minor opp proceedure would be done on the same day and i would not be able to drive my car. On the day of my appointment today i phoned Chec on their main phone number and asked again do i need a taxi to go to this appointment their answer was again yes and the procedure would be today. My taxi came and took me to Chec in Basingstoke. The lady on reception told me no procedure of a minor opp would be done today and that their doctor will only have a look at my eye. So as a poor unemployed person i had wasted a lot of money on a taxi there and back home. Now eating beans on toast again for another 4 days. At the appointment i was given the new appointment for the minor opp which was good. Then Chec sent a text to my phone offering me 4 different days to book my minor opp none of which were the date i was already given at the appointment. I had to ask the taxi driver to turn round and go back there lucky for me we were only 300 yards away. He took me back. I explained to the reception lady i just got a text from chec offering me 4 different days for a appointment and they are all different to the day and time you have just given to me. She said don,t worry about the text appointments text to me just stick with the appointment that she had given to me. Ok i said your admin services are beyound a joke. I then left to get back in my taxi to be taken home.
The whole service has been beyound a joke and expensive to me and my minor opp procedure has not even been done. Unfortunatly i have to go back in a few weeks for the minor opp. Disgusting service the left hand does not know what the right hands doing. I think the place needs re managing. Terrible service.

Shocking service. This company should be struck off. They made me an appointment for an endoscopy, sent over all the paperwork by email then 2 hours later cancelled saying it was a system error. Was told no appointments available and will contact me when one becomes available. Received a letter the next day saying they couldn’t get in touch with me and unless I contact them in 14 days, my appointment is no longer needed. I would feel embarrassed working for this company. Incompetence at the highest level.

this company is disgusting, i wrote a review on google and it was deleted less than 24 hours later, so ill write it on here, my mother who attends all her appointments on time is always waiting at least an hour to be seen, she is told this is because the doctor train is delayed but as my mother sees this same doctor majority of her appointments its the same excuse, i then attended a few appointments with her and it was the same excuse, dont the staff know i can check the train delays, so im aware that this excuse is a lie. My poor elderly mother is made to wait on the most uncomfortable chairs we have ever sat on for a long period of time, the shortest waiting time she has ever waited is 40 minutes and the longest has been 4 hours. The staff do not care at all that majority of patients are all waiting such a long time, what is the point of the appointment time might as well all turn up when we want as we will have to wait anyway. There have been many times my mother has left and rescheduled. It's such a shame our NHS dont realise what they are paying for!!!

CHEC Basingstoke -
- 2 appointment letter sent for 2 different appointments, all in separate envelopes.
- No way to speak by phone to someone as the options don't match this query and phone cuts out
- via online chat and a call back, found out I didn't need 2 appointments but had missed an earlier one that I was never told about.
- the person with whom I spoke didn't know if the appointment was for a problem in my left eye post-surgery or re surgery on my right eye
- I pushed for an online consultation with a Dr which I got. I needed to be seen in person so one of the appointments sent was confirmed, the other cancelled
- I was then sent another appointment with no explanation. I ignored it. I was then texted to remind me to book it
- without acting on my own initiative, I would be holding 3 appointments unnecessarily.
What a shambles - a costly, frustrating shambles.

CHEC Worcester. I have been seen by CHEC since early this year, 3 monthly appointments for possible glaucoma.
The first two went ok although I got the impression most of the staff don't want to be there. The real problems arose when I tried to book two follow up appointments, one to se a technician for photos and peripheral vision tests followed by seeing the doctor for pressure tests and further discussion. Apparently CHEC will not allow the receptionists to book 2 consecutive appointments. I have been given various reasons for this which don't stack up and when queried with the doctor they just shrugged their shoulders.
After my last visits, which involve two journeys of 28 mile round trips due to not being able to have consecutive appointments, the dooctor asked me to book for another three month appointment. The receptionist told me that are not taking bookings that far in advance! I explained the doctor had asked me to do this and was still told no. I commented that this was unacceptable and CHEC needed to sort their appointment system out, the receptioniost then accused me of being rude so I left with out an appointment.
From previous experience it is impossible to get through to book appointments by phone, I sat there for 30 minutes the last time I tried and resorted to the chat facility to make the appointment. I was till unable to book consecutive appointments, the person on the end of the line insisting I had a photo and periferal vision test and a follow up phone call. This I did as I had no other choice, I attended the first part and whenn the phone call came through I was asked by the doctor why I had asked for a phone call! I explained the situation and was told I had to attend the clinic anyway.
There seems to be no official route to get out of this endless mess with CHEC, there is no obvious way to complain to the NHS so I have asked my original referring optician what to do and await his answer.

I had a follow up appointment booked after the initial appointment to do preliminary tests. I had asked for a phone call for follow up as I have care responsibilities and have to pay to get someone in to look after my mother together with the cost of a taxi there and back. After tests the ophthalmologist stated he needed me to come in so I paid the £35 for a carer plus the £30 there and back taxi - however there was a slight delay of 10 minutes getting there so I did a courtesy call to let them know I’d be a few minutes late. They spoke to the ophthalmologist said he couldn’t see me and I’d have to rearrange as clinic was full. I said surely if it’s so full someone whose already waiting can step into my spot and I’d take there’s one or two appointments later. But they said no. So now I have to book yet again at a cost of another £65. I am a pensioner and just don’t have that sort of money any longer to throw away. Total cost £130 for a 10 minute appointment.
Very very disappointed because up till now this company had been quite good. I’m also struggling to get a follow up appointment as they’ve reduced opening hours on the central no and I was 30 in the queue. Then I tried chat and got the initial hello I’m Diane please bear with me but then nothing for over 30 minutes.

Using NHS optician I was referred to my local hospital and a surgical appointment allocated.

ALL prior to this CHEC company getting involved.

I have had similar work done without hitch previously (CHEC were NOT involved) - So I know the process and what will happen
1) Who ARE THEY & WHY ARE THEY INVOLVED. As a consequence of my enquiries I suggest that they are a pointless intermediary

Communicating with CHEC is PAINFULLY SLOW. By phone 0344 2644 160 impossible for me to get through on several attempts, I wont queue for more than 30 minutes! Perhaps others can get through. So I switched to their Chat EXPECTING SPEEDY responses. AMY B dealt with my inquiry. She was initially juggling 10 chats which could explain the HOUR long chat. This is one hour of life I wont get back!

All I needed to know:
Is my appoinment for 22/11/24 still valid?
Confirmation of destination at the NHS facility that I'm required to attend.
Eventually Amy found a letter that confirmed I had an appoinment 22/11. That letter does not state the "internal hospital location"

She also had information that I was DNA on a 26/924 appointment. I was not aware of a "visit" appt. Turns out it was a phone call - I dont have a record of a phone call. Mobile service in my house is crap. Did they try? Try once, or more? I dont know.

Then as the chat was coming to a close I suddenly get 2 texts asking me to book appointments with CHEC to cover my DNA. Querying them on the chat I was told I could ignore them. if thats so WHAT WAS THE POINT OF SENDING THEM. I feel that CHEC is some private company ripping off our NHS with poor process and practice.

Eventually I call my hospital to find out the location I should attend. Apparently IF the letter had come directly from NHS it would have had that information. BUT the CHEC system doing multiple hospitals DOES NOT INCLUDE internal office location in their addresses. THUS WHAT IS THE POINT OF CHEC

A nice little surgery that I visited to have cataract surgery in Nottingham.

Receptionists were all nice, the doctors were all nice - a pity that the surgeons let the side down with their butchering, un-anesthetised skills.

I'm now on 'secondary care' to have my cataracts removed, though the doctor should have said that I was being moved to 'premier care' and away from these awful surgeons.

A horrible experience that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy!