Kathleen

While I bow to the wonders of a telephone system with rapid response I'm
afraid you cannot have it all your own way.  Having been to the Florida Keys
I can only say that while you win on telephones you lose on sewage systems
and I know which worries me more! :-)

Andy

-----Original Message-----
From: Kathleen Spencer [mailto:kspencer@utmem.edu]
Sent: 09 May 2002 18:05
To: Andrew.Shand@north-bristol.swest.nhs.uk
Subject: Re: OT Hospital Telephone Switchboards


Andy,
I am not sure I understand what you mean but here we have direct lines 
or numbers that go directly to the patients room or a lab or whatever. 
You may have to wait while they go and fetch the particular person you 
are calling, but not for long. If you call the main switchboard you are 
quickly routed to where you want to go. Personally I have never had a 
problem. Everything is very modern here, don't you know? that is why the 
UK is so appealing for travel, the quaintness of it. But I am sure if I 
had to live there and deal with everyday problems I would go crazy! 
Americans are spoiled rotten.

Kathleen Spencer
LCM Supervisor
Univ. of Tennessee, Memphis

On Thursday, May 9, 2002, at 10:47 AM, Andrew.Shand@north-
bristol.swest.nhs.uk wrote:

> Having just spent far to long waiting for an answer from a hospital
> switchboard and being aware of the lousy response times from my own 
> hospital
> I wondered if the same situation applies in the USA.  Do you have to 
> wait
> inordinate amounts of time to speak to a human  on your telephone
> switchboard (exchanges or whatever you call them)?  In the UK the 
> situation
> hasn't improved in 30 years!
>
> Andy Shand
>