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?

How do you know that she did have some for a rainy day but there have been many rainy days recently? ‘By hook or by crook’ are you seriously suggesting she raids a charity donation box or something? Given the ridiculous assumptions on here from some, I’m not sure anymore.

Glad you got it sorted op. Appointments get rescheduled for a lot less. Ignore the absolute batshit folk that have said you will literally crumble the nhs if you don’t make it.

That only works if you have £100.

OP surely someone you know will take you back tomorrow?

Or will work pay the return train and deduct the amount from your wages for the return? Remember often a return isn't double the single price.

Think you should just be £100 out of pocket to be honest. My dad's been waiting 11 months to have a tumor removed on the NHS. Now paying 8k to have it done privately, money they don't especially have spare but health is more important. Would love to just be £100 out of pocket.

Holy shit this has been awful to read , what the fuck is wrong with some of you ? a lot of people can't lay there hands on cash at a moment's notice . Do some of you even know what an overdraft is .
FFS.

Hire a car or get a taxi. Do not miss your surgery slot.

(And no food/water after midnight!)

I realise the OP can't lay her hands on the £100.

But, this was a work trip. And therefore I would have expected her work to sort out her return home, and then a trip back to collect her car. At the very least they could have advanced her the extra train fare on top of the fare home.

If I was going to have a medical procedure and was going to miss it because of a work trip, I'd expect work to sort me out. Yes I know it was the OP's car but she was using it for work.

Anyway, you've sorted it out.

This thread is insane! God some people on MN really try and find any reason to lay into someone these days

You have cancelled a minor procedure because your car broke down. That's absolutely fine. These things happen. People are allowed to cancel procedures for valid reasons and it won't cost the NHS thousands.

As for being a fool if you don't have a rainy day fund, what if you've had a rainy day recently? How obtuse do you have to be in this current climate to say stupid things like that? I am a surgeon in the NHS and I do not want anyone spending their last £100 to come see me for a minor procedure that can be rebooked. I do not want anyone eating half a can of beans everyday because their car broke down and they have to spend their rainy day fund. No one should have to make themselves broke or take out a payday loan to access healthcare. I'm sorry you've had such a hard time OP

Anyway, I got through by phoning about 10 different numbers and managed to speak to the person who was fitting the device. She was lovely and told me absolutely not to spend money I don't have because they can fit me in another time during the week, and they have other things that they can do in that time so it's no cost to anyone. Panic over.
Im so pleased you've had this outcome, sleep easier tonight knowing you're not having to overspend and get the operation. Hopefully the car is a minor fault and nothing serious

On the other point about not being able to get through to cancel, this is a common issue.

Last year my DH had a cold and didn't really want to go to an appointment. But he couldn't get through to cancel, so went anyway. He was fine, it wasn't covid or anything but it was ridiculous he couldn't cancel. It's time the NHS had an online system to cancel.

It's time the NHS had an online system to cancel.

that would save thousands of pounds a year

It’s too late for this situation but I get full breakdown cover including home start for less than £30. You can get them through groupon but I tend to renew every year now. Emergency Assist are really good and they actually use AA, RAC etc for their calls. With regards to this situation, glad you’re sorted. Some people on here are brain dead!

I can’t believe what I’m reading, why are some posters so angry and attacking the op putting angry little faces on , shouting and exclamation marks.

fuck me, you couldn’t make it up , hurling abuse ar someone in trouble

op, I’m glad you got it sorted, hopefully the surgery goes well and the car is easily fixed.

If you don’t have even £100 spare in a rainy day fine then you are extremely foolish and naive.

Wow!

I never knew anyone could be so vile!

You literally have no idea what the real world is like for the majority of people do you?

The majority live pay cheque to pay cheque barely covering their rent and other bills, yet you think they are foolish and naive not to have a rainy day fund.
Where does that money come from?

And what if she had a rainy day fund of a few hundred even but had an unexpected bill like the dentist and garage bill.

I cannot people some people are so ignorant that they don’t realise that there are people worse off than them.

What is the point in food banks if everyone’s got a few hundred in a rainy day fund!

Wow. I'm shocked at the amount of posters who have absolutely no idea what having no money actually means, and instead of offering advice or support they try to make OP feel like shit! Why?!! Arseholes.

Glad it's all sorted, OP.

This thread is insane! God some people on MN really try and find any reason to lay into someone these days

This is one of the worst threads I’ve read on here.

OP has had an extremely rubbish day - cars broken down, had to cancel an appointment that she’s probably been waiting on for months and has no money.

How anyone can attack her over any of it is absolutely vile.

Not going to read past OP's good news that she finally got to speak to someone at the hospital, and it's sorted. Just wanted to send best wishes to her and hope things look up for her..

It's not a case of being £100 out of pocket - the OP has said she physically can't afford it!

Fucking hell, there are a lot of really odd, rude people on here. The worst of mumsnet has outdone itself on this thread.

Glad you got it sorted OP. I would have been in the same situation for what it’s worth. I had a look and as of this second, the maximum I could get my hands on £3.37 seeing as it’s payday tomorrow, and even then, it would be very difficult to magic £100 out of my arse on a moments notice.

And shock horror, I am a working adult and a parent! 🙄

That's so good OP. Now relax in the hotel and enjoy!

@BlooberryBiskits · Today 18:08

This is an aside but I actually DON’T understand how anyone (who has been living somewhere a while) would not be able to access cash for an emergency: friends, family, sell something, payday loan etc … and if you can’t it’s pretty worrying.
When people are sitting in freeing homes and using food banks, you don't understand how they don't have £100 to dish out to friends and family at the drop of a hst? What if they did but they already lent it to someone else, should everyone have unlimited funds to lend people?? And sell something from Yorkshire where she's in a random hotel from a works do? Short of her body, what do you propose?? And anyone advocating a pay day loan to someone who's skint for anything other than a LITERAL life and death emergency is an idiot.

Hi OP, glad you got the appt sorted. Sorry your car broke down, that’s the worst feeling in the world. Sorry a lot of the posters here are being shitty, I’m sure that’s exactly what you needed today.

I'm sorry your Dad has is ill, but that doesn't magically put £100 in OPs bank account. She doesn't have it. Its not there. No one to lend it her. Only thing she could sell right now is her body 🙄. I actually think some posters would be OK with that as long as she got him to drive her home as part payment.

This thread has some of the most inflammatory responses I’ve seen for a while, sorry it added to your stress OP.

Absolute batshit

OP, I hope everything goes smoothly from now on with both the car and your rescheduled procedure!

It is possible that the AA didn't mention upgrading coverage to get your car home because it wouldn't have been cost effective. About a year ago we had a timing belt go just over 50 miles from home. I was given a couple of different options and did go with upgrading our cover (I think it was been cheaper than the return train ticket plus we could see it wasn't a quick sort out problem anyway). Because we were upgrading for immediate use, there was a surcharge of so much per mile over some minimum - which might have been 40 or 50 miles, so the extra wasn't much. If you're 4.5 hours from home then the mileage surcharge for a long tow could have been more expensive than any alternatives and not realistic.