Booked a 19.10 appointment on the 6th of Nov 14 using the NHS online booking system. It seemed good that the hospital were offering these appointments to cater for customers who have trouble attending appointments during the day due to work and travel. I received confirmation of my appointment and a number of weeks past. The night before my appointment I received a call from a member of staff who told me I would need to come at 18.30 as the doctor said they (the doctor) would not wait until 19.10 as they had no other appointments in-between to justify them waiting. I informed the person on the phone that, due to work and distance from the hospital, I wouldn’t be able to get there any sooner. The staff member repeated that the doctor would not wait and suggested I ask to leave work earlier because it was a hospital appointment. I reiterated my problem with getting there any sooner. Nothing was agreed and the staff member stated I would get a phone call in the morning and they hung up. The tone of this staff member was condescending from the start; in a manner that seemed to suggest that the hospital was ‘doing me a favour’. On the afternoon of my appointment, I was called by a different member of staff. This member of staff greeted me with a much more approachable tone and stated simply that ‘the doctor would not be able to see me later tonight’. This time with no explanation and seemingly unaware that I was informed the actual reason the night previously. Begrudgingly I agreed to visit the hospital on a Saturday morning 2 weeks later albeit my actual appointment being in only a number of hours. I asked the reason why I couldn’t be seen but was told they didn’t know. I explained that I was told the evening before i.e. the doctor didn’t want to stay at work until my appointment, and I wasn’t happy with the hospitals approach to me.
"Proffesionalism"
About: Fairfield General Hospital Fairfield General Hospital Bury BL9 7TD
Posted via nhs.uk
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