"Missed appointments- always the patients fault?"

I was due to attend a post surgical follow up appointment at Macclesfield Hospital. My period started in the morning of the day I was due to attend, and as it was of a gynaecological nature, phoned to cancel the appointment. I spoke to the consultant's secretary and arranged another appointment at the hospital for Friday 24 July, adding that it was a shame I couldn't be seen at my local surgery where the initial consultation had taken place.

I then arranged time off work and childcare provision for this date, so it was a surprise to get home from work on Monday to find a letter saying that an appointment had been successfully made for me on that very Monday, which by that time I'd already missed, and a text message to say don't forget your appointment. If they had my telephone number, why didn't they just phone me when they rearranged the date and location?

I've now got to apologise for missing it, apologise to the person who changed their arrangements in order to have my 2 year old and 5 year old children, and have lost a days annual leave just before the school holidays.