A thread: Having health problems is like having a second job - not just because of time spent feeling unwell, but because of how time-consuming (and sometimes downright exhausting) it is to navigate NHS services.

We know about the impact of high patient demand and do-not-attends on NHS services, but what about the impact of long waiting times and bad admin on patients & wider society/economy? Has anyone done any work on this?

eg Time spent waiting for over-running clinics, on under-staffed phone lines, cancelled appointments, avoidable travel for things which could be done in moments over the phone, countless poor processes that are poorly administered.

I cherish the NHS. I& #39;ve worked in and around it from my first job as a hospital healthcare assistant age of 18. But there& #39;s many (often v simple) ways NHS services & NHS admin could be improved. It would make life better for patients & more rewarding for staff.

Just one small example: already spent an hour before work this morning trying to order a repeat prescription of essential meds. But my GP practice no longer allows this over the phone or online. I must attend in person. My GP is only open during working hours. I work full-time.