"The patient and customer-service focus is just not there"

I had a miscarriage in 2024 and attended the Early Pregnancy Unit at Ninewells to be checked. I phoned numerous times and struggled to get beyond an answer phone. On attending, I observed a group of midwives chatting to each other and eating biscuits whilst letting the phone ring out - presumably what had been happening to my calls.

The person who dealt with me in the end was compassionate and clear and so this was, medically, a good experience, but from a patient care perspective, I got a sense that the patient and customer-service focus is just not there. I can't understand how people would leave phonecalls from miscarrying mothers to go unanswered. It would have made a difference to me to have had my call answered promptly.