"My wife required the services of a District Nurse"

My wife was diagnosed with a leg ulcer approximately five weeks ago. Our doctor sent her to the local ulcer clinic who dressed the ulcer, we told them that we were going on holiday for three weeks and they said that would not be a problem and gave us dressings for us to use while we were away. Unfortunately the ulcer got worse and we had to have specialist dressings applied while we were on holiday. On returning to the UK we got an emergency appointment to see our doctor to arrange for treatment. As the practise nurse who deals with ulcers was on holiday for another five days and the doctor also wanted a swab taking we were given a tel. no. for the district nurse. The telephone number was for a call centre, we explained the situation and said that it was urgent as the ulcer dressing and swab needed doing asap. We were told the information would be passed on and that the nurse's would contact us with a venue and appointment time. Three days later we have not heard anything so we phone up and are told that the nurse's will be telephoning with a time and place for the following day. The following day no call so we phone up again and are told that are request will be passed on. We have heard nothing, so we have phoned our surgery and made an appointment with the surgery nurse on the day they return from holiday.

It is a non NHS call center that takes the call and possibly supplies the district nurse's or in our case does not provide the nurse's. This is the second time in two years we have tried to use this service with the same outcome on both occasions.