"Missed Telephone Appointment"

After waiting for weeks, I was expecting a telephone appointment at 12.30 pm. When I was in the bathroom at 12.15 pm the consultant had tried to phone me presumably, as there was a missed call from the withheld number. 

After no further calls were received I contacted the appointments office, I was recorded as a DNA/did not attend. And I was told it looked like I’d been discharged. Having waited since last August for a review appointment, finding out my original consultant had left & having to get my GP to do another referral, I feel absolutely devastated. I have a very painful chronic condition. The person I spoke to in appointments was so kind to me when I was upset, they said they were sending an email & gave me the secretary’s number. So at least that was something positive. 

I’d previously spoken to a manager and had emailed the appointments office yesterday inquiring if I could have a face to face meeting. Hopefully perhaps a cancellation had become available etc. On both occasions I was advised that a telephone appointment was the only option.

Doctors who are marking patients as DNA are bound to be well aware of the struggles for patients to be seen in the NHS & private sector. I think there should be a more professional and certainly more humane way of treating people who are unwell and vulnerable. I hope this leads to a change for other patients.