You can not be serious

Tuesday 25th May 2010

Yesterday I received a letter from the hospital to say that my appointment to see a consultant about my back on the 15th July had been cancelled, but they had given me an alternative date and time of 22nd June at 2.20pm.

As I would have preferred a morning appointment I rang the clinic earlier today and asked if there were any available.

“I’ve cancelled your June appointment”, said the receptionist, as I could hear her typing away on her computer, “the next available appointment I have is 27th July at 2.20pm”.
“I would prefer a morning appointment”, I repeated to her, “the July one was early morning, do you have any thing like that”.

She tapped away on her keyboard, “There isn’t any morning clinic’s for that consultant”, she said.
“Ok, no problem”, I said, “can I have the June appointment back”.
“No”, she replied.
“Why not”, I asked, “as you’ve just cancelled it a minute ago”.

“Because you are a new patient for that consultant”, she said, “and have refused the appointment in June, you’re going to have to go back on his waiting list”.
I knew it would be pointless arguing with her so asked, “when will I get another appointment”.
“When you get to the front of queue again. An appointment time will then be sent to you”.

To say I was not happy was an understatement !!!! The Patient from Hell was going to make an appearance.

I went straight onto the internet and found telephone number for the hospitals complaints department.

“Hello, hospital complaints. Shirley speaking. How may I help”.
I explained what had happened, “I think it’s extremely unfair to be put back on the waiting list when it was them who cancelled my appointment in the first place.

I also pointed out that it was a bit rich to put in the letter that if the new appointment time wasn’t convenient, I had to let them know and they would arrange a new one.

Shirley agreed and said she would look into it and get back to me in the next couple of days.

The Patient from Hell 1 – The NHS 0 ….