To not want to disclose a further reason

[SquarePegRoundHole]

.... for requesting change of day of hospital appointment.

Consultant referred me to another department for tests. Received an automated phone call asking if I could attend on a particular day. Press 1 for yes, press 2 for no. I pressed 2. The automated service then said it wasn't actually cancelled and I would need to ring the number on my letter.

The said letter arrived 2 days later detailing the appointment which I had already said I could not attend. I rang the number on the letter and I spoke to a real person.

I said I was unable to attend that day and could I please have another appointment. I was asked what the reason was I could not attend. I said I was unable to get there that day. This led to being asked a further 2 times.

The operative then stated I will cancel it but I can't make you another one as the person whose job that it is isn't here. He sounded stroppy. I let it go, said ok and bye etc.

9:00 am this morning same person telephoned me and reiterated that I had cancelled an appointment and was I sure that I could not make it. Yes I said I was sure. He said there wasn't any other appointments available for the foreseeable further so was I SURE I could not attend. WTAF.

I remained calm and unruffled and said I was a 'fellow professional' and be assured if I could attend on said day I would but I couldn't. They then offered me 1 of 3 other appointment times/days.

I'm perturbed on several levels. Their continual need to keep asking why I was unable attend, asking me on two separate occasions several times 'if I was sure I was unable to attend', them with holding appointments and brow beating me to attend etc.

AIBU or where they?

[SquarePegRoundHole]

diddl I did say I could not get there.

[WorraLiberty]

Oh turn it in OP.

You're making yourself sound more ridiculous with every post - and yes pretty difficult too.

Your job does not make you any more trustworthy and honest than the next person.

[NinonDeLanclos]

That could mean anything though - you didn't fancy it, you were having your nails done etc...

[Sirzy]

Did you say "I can't get there" or did you say "the timing makes it awkward because of the lack of transport and my partner being in work"

"Can't get there" could mean anything!

[SquarePegRoundHole]

stopfuckingshoutingatme I don't think I'm special.

[alltouchedout]

So are we supposed to have our reasons for not being able to attend judged by the person on the phone who can decide whether or not it's a 'good enough' reason and act accordingly?

I don't think you're the one sounding ridiculous here, OP.

[WateryTart]

I really can't understand why you didn't just tell them your reason. Talk about much ado about nothing. You wasted their time.

[PidgeyfinderGeneral]

I don't think she sounds difficult at all. They do though.

When I couldn't make a hospital appointment because I was actually out of the country on the date they gave me, they made it nigh on impossible to change. The phone number was never answered and there was no voicemail. The text number specifically given to change appointments was apparently ignored and even the hospital switchboard said they couldn't help. There was no reply to an email either. What really pissed me off though was the shitty letter they sent me immediately afterwards having a go at me for not trying to reschedule my appointment and discharging me as a punishment.

[crunchermuncher]

I don't understand why you wouldn't just say that it was impossible for you to get there.

Secretaries can spend half their time frantically trying to shuffle patients around ot make the best of the limited resources available because people want to cancel for all sorts of ridiculous reasons. He may have been more likely to try and spend his limited time helping you to rearrange if the reason was genuine rather than 'i realised it clashed with my hair appointment'. Most clinics will only let you rearrange once or twice as they dont have the resources required to keep rebooking peoples appointments, which is why the reasons need to be recorded.

All these things are in place to deliver the best service to you, free at the point of use. Its a bit unreasonable to make this more difficult for no good reason because of some inexplicable concerns about confidentiality.

[Beachedwh4le]

I would have just explained the transport difficulty and probably if I had been desperate for the appointment would have asked if my husband could take the day off or swop shifts or whatever so he could take me.

I worked in a doctors surgery as an undergrad and when you told people the next available appointment was x weeks away they were often able to rearrange themselves to make the earlier time, so I think it's pretty common to question.

[WorraLiberty]

So are we supposed to have our reasons for not being able to attend judged by the person on the phone who can decide whether or not it's a 'good enough' reason and act accordingly?

If the OP said her DH wouldn't/couldn't take the night off work, she can't afford a taxi and there's no public transport, they could well have a solution to that, like some sort of hospital transport.

But we'll never know.

[icanteven]

I don't think YWBU at all. If you can't make the X date, then you can't make it. The NHS is free, not a charity that we go to, cap in hand, begging for whatever treatment they can spare. Or if there really is only one date EVER for this test, then they shouldn't have given you the option to turn it down in the first place.

It mostly comes down to NHS software, though. You should be able to log on to your NHS account, see what tests (or whatever) you have been referred to and select your appointment from pretty much the other side of the same interface that NHS staff have. Pick your day, pick your time slot, click book, just like you do for trains, hairdressers or any other booking you have to do. You can buy this sort of scheduling software off the shelf for about $19 USD.

[Pseudonym99]

Hospitals should not send out pre-arranged appointments. They should invite people to ring up, or to book them online. Of course it will be difficult for a hospital to rearrange appointments, if they are already booked up. People will not attend if hospitals keep up with this attitude, and then those hospitals will whinge that people fail to attend. Hospitals should stop being all high and mighty and learn some customer service skills. Then they may become more efficient. Hospitals round here learnt long ago to not give out pre-arranged appointments.

[Verbena37]

OP none of that was your fault.
People have been unreasonable saying you're being difficult.
When hospital appointments come through from outpatient departments, they always come with a note saying please call this number if you cannot attend the given appointment and you rearrange for a more suitable date.

You did absolutely nothing wrong in calling to say you can't attend and they should have just said ok, when would be a good time/these are the other options etc.

I get that you said you were a fellow professional for them to see you weren't just gobbling off their first appointment. ....letting them know you're taking it seriously....not that you can't be arsed etc.

You could have had numerous proper reasons why you couldn't attend, none of which you had to explain. The phone operative should have said something like "we don't have many appointments I'm afraid but if there's definitely no way of you making it on this date, the only other dates are ....".
He didn't have to be so jobsworth and rude.
No NHS appointment line has ever been like that when I've had to change appointments.

[SquarePegRoundHole]

waterytart I did not waste their time. I told them I was unable to get there from my first point of contact. I don't know how many times I have to state that on this thread.

Worrel' it doesn't really, but clearly it did make a difference to him as he offered a choice of 3 appointments, although that wasn't my intention.

Ok let's call time on this. Clearly IABU. Next time rather than just say I can't get there on that day, I will waft and weave a flowery story as to why I can't attend, so ridiculous that it must be true .

[harderandharder2breathe]

Working in customer service anyone who said they were a fellow professional would get my back up. I'd still be polite but I'd think they were a twat.

The person was being unreasonable to be rude, but surely you just could've said "no transport on that day" every time they asked.

[diddl]

"diddl I did say I could not get there."

So you did give the reason, but maybe they just took it as a generic answer rather than understanding it was lack of transport?

[Miserylovescompany2]

Every letter I've received has given information regarding patient transport. Usually arranged/done through your GP. Had you stated transport was the problem? Then I'd imagine they'd of pointed you in the direction of your GP...

With regard to your comment of being a "fellow professional" ...does that somehow make you better than others?

Folk are waiting ages for appointments. Personally, I shift everything around to make sure I can attend. I'm grateful for being seen. If that means getting a taxi to the bus station, then so be it.

It sounds like you put obstacles in your own way!

[SquarePegRoundHole]

Verbena' Thank you for being the voice of reason.

[Silentplikebath]

I don't understand why you didn't just explain the reason that you couldn't attend. Unless they were prepared to help towards costs or provide transport it was a perfectly valid thing to tell them.

I thought you were going to say you were being so secretive because you were having your piles examined or attending an incontinance clinic or something similarly personal!

[MrsWhiteWash]

I'd have probably have given a reason - like can't physically get there but you may have found they argued about that.

DH had that with phyico at the hospital - bus - well two busses - from us didn't get there till afterwards - person argued then demanded he get a lift - which obviously we'd looked at before rang and hadn't been able to arrange - a taxi too expensive combination of area with high fares and considerable distance wasn't local hospital but one in nearby city. They did eventually change it to later in the same day.

I've had similar with HCP and children - that there must be someone who can other than me - when I've already looked at every option and it's not been possible.

They don't want to change the appointment - I do get that but sometime you just can't make things.

[SquarePegRoundHole]

harderandharder' To use your terminology, I said I was a fellow professional to him as he was being very twatish in not accepting me saying I could not get there on that day. He had also been manipulate, he had lied, and he kept brow beating me to attend on said day when I clearly and concisely told him I could not get there that day. On saying what I said his tone of voice changed from stroppy and rude to polite and lighter in tone. That is not right.

As a point of contact that is the way he should address all patients irrespective of their demeanour and circumstances. You nest of vipers are all failing to see how wrong his whole approach was.

[SquarePegRoundHole]

Just how many times do I have to say I DID tell the person on the phone that I was unable to get there that day.

Can someone point me to a lovely big wall in which to bash my head on.

[ExConstance]

There is no point in them taking that stance. if you were the sort of person who would expect a hospital appointment to be rearranged because of a hair appointment you would also be the sort of person who would lie about the reason. Or, if you are the sort of person who hates officialdom being nosy but have a good reason not to attend you would also give a different reason.