"Being told a facility is unavailable that is available"

My grandson who is on a year's university work placement came home for a few days. Sadly whilst home he developed a problem. He went to the drop in centre at Burmantoffs, Leeds and was seen by a wonderful doctor, who diagnosed a couple of possible problems. He sent my grandson immediately to St James's for a scan. My grandson was admitted and underwent emergency surgery that evening. Care was exemplary.

He was discharged the next day to his mum, in Leeds but who works out of Leeds.  She had come home to look after him.

On Monday we felt my grandson needed a medical professional to look at his wound in the next few days to see if it is healing. And before he goes back to his work placement.  He called the hospital ward where he had been to ask if they could have a look, and they said they couldn’t help as he had been discharged. 

We felt that the best way to get someone to see him was to register as a temporary patient at AMC his old practice. As he was no longer living in Leeds he is registered with a GP at his university town.

The family has been at AMC for well over 50 years including my husband, daughter, and grandchildren. On Monday morning I went to AMC with my grandson's Mum and we requested that he be temporarily registered.

The receptionist went upstairs to ask what could be done. Receptionist came down and informed us that the facility to register as a temporary patient no longer existed and if he needs to see someone he needs to go either to a minor injuries unit or a drop in centre. We explained that all we wanted was for a nurse to have a look at the wound, a task that would take no longer than 5 minutes. We were told that even if they could have registered him, which was not possible, there were no appointments at all this week with anyone.

I later searched this and discovered that what we had been told was simply not true. That there is a form to be completed and you can be registered to up to 3 months.

My daughter called the practice, gave that information was told to go to Westfield to collect the form and it would have to be signed by the patient.

We dutifully went to Westfield, collected the form, took it home, and then discovered on the form there is nowhere to sign. It simply did not need to be signed.

Another trip was made to Westfield to return the completed form.

3 trips were made to the practice that day.

1. - to AMC to be given misinformation

2 - to Westfield to collect a form to be signed which didn't have anywhere to sign on it.

3- back to Westfield to deliver the completed form

Then what happened?  The very next day the practice contacted my grandson, and offered him an appointment with a nurse on the Friday, which was perfect.