AIBU to expect not to get an earful when phoning to cancel a doctors appointment

[thereonthestair]

I had an appointment today. Tried to phone to cancel at the beginning of the day when the phones open, but as usual could not get through before I have to leave to go to work. So do the drop off at nursery get to work and phone as soon as I get to work. I thought the doctors wanted you to tell them when you weren't going to make it, but oh no they say it is still a did not attend, and give me an earful for not telling them sooner. Well perhaps if I could get through I might of done. Also if they could guarantee not to be running late I could get there and leave when I need to, but no apparently they can't guarantee anything (fair enough) but would rather I went and ran the risk of not being seen and walking out wasting everyone's time than try to give the appointment to soemone else. AIBU to think that there is no incentive to tell them you aren't going to make it if they just shout at you when do, and tell you to come anyway when they know they reasonably can't make sure everything runs to time. Next time I think I might just as well not show up.

I think I have put it down to experience, I just wondered how if at all I should react if at all. i do however take offence to the comment about people who are really ill. Much more than the comment about my anger, or those posters who do say aibu (which perhaps I am).

I did not want to put too much info in about what the appointment was for as I don't see it was relevant to the question of Aibu. But it was to discuss my disabled, non mobile ds, who has cerebral palsy, and lung issues, been in and out of hospital etc and is being chronically let down by some parts of the system. I am sure you don't mean to imply i shouldn't be able to go to a gp. I think ds health needs are very important, in fact the most important issue in my life but they are not always urgent enough to drop everything for. i also hope you don't think there are any circumstances where because i do still somehow manage to work while juggling appointments for ds (this was the 4th this week, and they have all been on different days of the week) i might not sometimes not be able to do something i thought i would do.

I do wish I had managed to get through earlier. I do accept I should and will still try to contact the GPS if I ever cancel again and as early as possible. I am happy to chalk this up to experience, but I personally think that how someone reacts to someone who doesn't know what is going on and why should always be polite (even if they might personally think I was inconsiderate for not getting through earlier).

Well done for trying to cancel, a lot of people just dont bother to turn up. But the phone line is always busy first thing in the morning as everyon's trying to get appts that day.
If you were feeling better could you have left a message on the answerphone if they have one or phoned up the day before? (sorry not clear why u cancelled, assume you were feeling better).
All this ia hindsight i know - at least you tried, shouldnt have got an earful from the rwceptionists!

Yes, thank you both, it was awful, and it is one of the reasons I now use a different surgery. Which is a shame as the doctor I saw at the old one was very good.

But I think it goes to show you can never assume anything about why a person might cancel an appointment, or not arrive.

I'm not sure why the receptionist could not have been polite. If she informed you of the DNA in a rude manner it is completely unnecessary.

Many people will be visiting the GP with an illness that is unpredictable in nature. Given that this is the case, 24hrs is quite a long time for things to worsen or improve. If you improve, what is the point in sticking to an appointment just to waste the GP's time and not get a DNA- what a ridiculous system. The inflexibility is not compatible with the 'business' of what they are dealing with. FFS, you can't timetable sickness. If the OP had given some notice, even 40 minutes, surely someone could take up the appointment.

Also, why can't someone answer the phone before 8.30, we have the same problem. Or why can't they have an answering machine set up only for cancellations if they won't answer the phone before 8.30. I worked for central government and despite the fairly obvious inefficiencies, we managed to switch on an answering machine!

I very much doubt she "shouted" at you. If she did, you would be perfectly reasonable to report her behaviour to the Practice Manager.

The point is kinkyfuckery, the receptionist shouldn't have even have given her an 'earful', it is a service, why is there a need to give anyone an earful if you have been spoken to politely?

YANBU. If you can't make it, its best to let them know. Yes plenty of notice is better but any notice is an improvement on just not turning up

I needed an appointment for DS recently. I phoned and was told that they'd just had a cancellation and if I could get him there in 20 minutes he could have the appointment. If that person hadn't cancelled even at short notice, we'd probably not have seen a doctor until the next day

YANBU. If you can't make it, its best to let them know. Yes plenty of notice is better but any notice is an improvement on just not turning up

I needed an appointment for DS recently. I phoned and was told that they'd just had a cancellation and if I could get him there in 20 minutes he could have the appointment. If that person hadn't cancelled even at short notice, we'd probably not have seen a doctor until the next day