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Health

Missed appointments

(15 Posts)
Soutra Tue 14-Apr-15 11:16:17

Bl**dy h*ll! My own fault I know, but with trailing up and down to London every day except Friday last week, oh and yesterday for his "gastroscopy and colonoscopy", plus A&E on Friday evening, I forgot to check the time of my physio appointment today. I had 2pm n the back of my mind but was too tired to check texts from the Health Centre last night, and yes, it was 9 this morning sad I rang, grovelled, apologised etc etc but they have a DNA(does not attend) policy so I don't get offered an alternative, but am discharged and will have to go back via the doctor. I do know missed appointments cost the NHS billions so please nobody preach but the last 10 days the very last thing on my mind was anything to do with myself. So I will order repeat prescriptions of Naproxen, try to get an appointment this millennium and write it it letters 6 feet high all round the house. Just hope DH isn't in the middle of one of his crises when it eventually comes round. angry

NotTooOld Tue 14-Apr-15 11:21:48

Bad luck, Soutra. That sort of thing an so easily happen. Hope you get another appointment soon. Could you try approaching the practice manager (or similar) and explaining your current difficulties? S/he might be sympathetic if you lay it on a bit thick.

harrigran Tue 14-Apr-15 11:24:26

You would think they would be sympathetic given the reason you missed your appointment. A great inconvenience for you flowers

Soutra Tue 14-Apr-15 11:26:11

Mea culpa (bu**er though)!!

annsixty Tue 14-Apr-15 11:33:53

I think that is very unfeeling Soutra no allowances are made and it turns into a faceless system. My DD was given a date for Gall Bladder surgery for the 23rd of December two years ago.When she declined it, as she has children she was taken off the list altogether. Fair enough I suppose but they dug into their pockets and paid for her to go privately. Yours is a different matter.

AshTree Tue 14-Apr-15 11:55:43

That is rotten luck Soutra - you'd think they'd have something like a 2 step system - e.g. warning, then discharged. Our dentist has that, and has signs everywhere to that effect.
I use an iPhone and I always put every appointment in the calendar and programme in an alert, usually for the day before, so I never forget. Might be worth trying? Or if you have Microsoft Outlook, complete with diary, you could use that to remind you.
What always worries me is that sometimes I have to cancel at the last minute because I have colonic problems which mean my performance in that area is very erratic! I never know until the day dawns whether or not I will be able to leave the house. I once had to rush from the waiting room at my mammogram appointment - I was in the loo for so long and felt so terribly scared that I wouldn't be able to get through the screening, that I left the unit and made a dash for my car.
It is hard as we get older - I remember how we used to laugh (not unkindly) that DH's parents' social life consisted exclusively of hospital, doctor and clinic appointments. Now this is us hmm

Soutra Tue 14-Apr-15 12:03:22

So true Ash Tree!

Tegan Tue 14-Apr-15 12:24:20

I agree with Not Too Old; I think your GP might pull a few strings in the circumstances. I'd phone the surgery and ask to speak to someone in the office. Worth a try at least.

Tegan Tue 14-Apr-15 12:26:19

Just a thought but, given your husbands health problems are you registered as his 'carer'.

crun Tue 14-Apr-15 13:31:05

My electrophysiology clinic is a two hour train ride away. On two or three occasions there have been cancelled trains, so I have rung from the platform and asked whether they want me to turn up late or cancel and re-book. They always ask me to turn up anyway.

loopylou Tue 14-Apr-15 13:50:09

Cles very unsympathetic people, ours is the same......

loopylou Tue 14-Apr-15 13:51:28

Cles! sad, meant 'clearly'!
Cles is the village we stayed in in the Italian Alps!!

Charleygirl Tue 14-Apr-15 13:59:32

Very unfair when your brain is obviously otherwise occupied and not on yourself!

Nelliemoser Tue 14-Apr-15 14:29:43

Oh Soutra to do that on one missed appointment is very unfair.

I missed a GP appointment by having got it into my head it was the next day and I turned up on time. I made a similar mistake with the pain clinic Dr who was doing my back injections.
I phoned and apologised profusely to his secretary and he was really nice about it. if you missed a couple of appointments I could understand it but missing just one is unfair.

It's a good point of Tegans about you being a carer. Had you been rushing about on his behalf in an emergency it would be very difficult to think about your own appointments.

Iam64 Tue 14-Apr-15 17:33:50

What a B Soutra. As Nelliemosers says above, Tegan raises and important issue about your caring responsibilities. If you aren't registered as a carer, I'd suggest you consider whether this would help.

I empathise with not checking the diary because you're so tired. Physio appointments are becoming like gold dust, vanishingly rare, hope you get another soon.