Can't get through to cancel!

[Ellessdee]

Been away for work meeting. About to drive back but my car has broken down. AA can't fix it (they're unable to diagnose the issue) so need to take to local garage tomorrow. Work have put me in a hotel overnight. Have an appointment with cardiology for minor surgery at 7.45 tomorrow morning. Can't get through to hospital to cancel (just rings out) and apparently their phones open at 8. What do I do? Just not show up?

You need to go to the appointment. Yes, you'll be out of pocket by £100, but that's your problem. I'm sorry to sound harsh but your priorities are way off. I have to go to another city for inpatient treatment at least 4 times a year and it costs me at least £100 each time. I can't afford it really and it's massively inconvenient, but it has to be done.

Saying rusty or wouldn't be a missed appointment if they answered the phone is ridiculous. It's too late for them to schedule someone else for that slot

OP I'm glad you got sorted. You don't have to explain your financial situation to anyone on here. It's not your fault they can't understand someone might not have an extra £100.

You need to find the money from somewhere friend,family,work this is important you don't just not turn up to surgery

The woman I spoke to was lovely. I actually mentioned that I was worried I was wasting their time and she said if I didn't turn up and didn't let them know it would be a wasted appointment but because I've let her know, she can cancel and do something else in that appointment as they have a multitude of things they can be doing. She said appointments get cancelled all the time for a number of reasons by patients and by the hospital, it's the no shows that are an issue. Think she could feel my stress!

I think when people think cardiac surgery they think heart transplants and bypasses. It's a minor surgery that takes 10 minutes. It's all sorted now.

@Ellessdee

Wow, that is quite the drip feed

Also Thankfully my car has 2 years warranty even though it was a second hand car.

a 2 year warranty on a second hand car?! Never got more than 6 months myself. Usually 3 months.

As pps have said, this is ridiculous! You must NOT miss this surgery, it is probably going to cost the NHS a couple of thousand pounds if not more! You must need it or you would be bloody having it!. No way is there no-one who could give you a lift, and there MUST be a way to get the taxi fare. Also, how far away is the hospital if it's £100?!

Don't cancel, bloody go to your surgery!

… & this is why charging for missed NHS appointments is not as smart as it may seem.

It is a trial of endurance to cancel an NHS appointment at any period of notice. Even after the infection controls of Covid when we were strongly discouraged to attend if we were unwell on the day.

I have been through this cycle of pain to cancel several times over.
IN my experience, local GPS do not have an alternative set of contact numbers, they go through the same grist as the rest of us to get through.

I suggest that you try the PALS unit to let them know. The odds are high that they will not answer. But you may drop them an email which will be logged & it should be relayed to the appropriate clinical unit.

You will know that you did your best.

Many people have company cars

Aha, just seen that your situation has been resolved.

Well done for your persistence in getting through.
Hope all goes well for you.

No, it's not a drip feed. I only gave this information when people started questioning how irresponsible I must be with money to not have £100 handy. And yes, I have a 2 year warranty on my second hand car. It has 2 months left. No idea if this is the norm or not it is just the warranty the company I bought it from offered.

Oh, so you HAVE cancelled it.

Also, FGS what surgery - even a MINOR one takes 10 minutes?! None that I know of!

You're obviously not a cardiologist then are you. Yes, it takes 10 minutes. Just because you haven't heart of it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. People are just trying to argue with everything I say now.

Yes I cancelled it after I started the thread. Is that OK with you?

Glad you’re sorted OP! Must be a relief.

Things like cars breaking down always happen at the most inconvenient times!

Really not sure what is going on with hospital switchboards nowadays- I was due a blood test and my car broke down. It was around school pick up time and I couldn't get a cab anywhere. The bus would have got me there too late. I rang for 30 minutes in an effort to cancel - no answer.
Also happened on half a dozen occasions with the v large hospital I go to often.

If you have access to the hospital paperwork there might be a direct line for the cardio department or an email address.

@Ellessdee you are getting a seriously hard time here, people need to back off a bit.
I got a 3 year warranty with a 2nd hand car once
I couldn’t lay my hands on £100 just like that either
Anyone who isn’t a qualified cardiologist should sit down and stfu quite honestly.
Hope you get another appointment soon op.

You really are tone deaf aren't you 😡

I very much doubt you really know poverty. Ffs

If you had bothered to read OPs updates before you spewed out that post akin to arse gravy, then you would have seen she had gotten through to cancel it. The pissy little face should be at yourself.

So car warranties and heart surgery huh, what else are you an expert in? Strange career path.

Why didn’t you get the AA to just tow you to a garage local to your home , that would have solved all the problems .

I don’t think you have any excuse for not getting to your appointment - take the train home and keep the appointment. Yes, it might cost you to get back to your car, if it’s working after the appointment but missing the appointment will cost the nhs far more.

I'm not having heart surgery!!

OP I completely understand this and I know what it's like not to have £5 in my bank account, never mind £100.

Is it at all possible for you to ring the bank and ask them to extend your overdraft?