"Chelsea and Westminster Appointments line"

I received a letter giving me less than a week's notice of a hospital appointment. As a busy professional and some one who a number of chronic health issues, I must balance work commitments with many hospital and other medical appointments.

Since I already have 2 medical appointments booked next week - and this letter left me with 3 working days' notice, I called to reschedule.

I was told by the operator in a patronising tone that they would only allow the appointment to be moved once for a social reason and once for a medical reason.

What about professional reasons? For example, the fact that one is trying to hold down a demanding career despite being ill, and cannot manage 3 absences from the office in 1 week for medical appointments?

The NHS has lost sight of the fact it has a statutory obligation to provide a service to the tax payers who fund it.

I may well need to reschedule the next appointment - who knows - and based on this policy, I will then be denied care by the NHS.

It never ceases to amaze me how the NHS pays no regard to the fact that we have lives and jobs - some one needs to keep things running when we spend hours travelling to and then waiting for NHS appointments that invariably run late! Even without my pre-existing 2 medical appointments, less than a week's notice is not workable for a busy professional.

The operator spoke to me as if I was a child. On the plus side, albeit patronising, she was more articulate than some of the others I've dealt with - I couldn't understand a word one was saying due to a poor command of the English language