I received a letter for an appointment for my daughters pre 1 year assessment, As i'm now back at work the date given wasnt convenient as I would be in work so as stated in the letter rang the one point of call number this is where the issues started!
First call found the person quite rude, maybe just their phone manner but wasn't what I would expect from someone who works in a call centre. Explained that I couldn't make the appointment and would like to change it, now I thought this would be a simple process....how wrong was ! They took my details and said someone would call me within a couple of days to rearrange.
1 Week later and still not heard anything so rang back and explained the situation again and gave all the info again. Again explained that someone would call me in the next couple of days to rearrange. The following day the health centre rang to say that they had received message to contact me.
Explained to lady that rang the details when she apologised no one had been in touch but the person who I needed to speak to was not in and wasn't back till following day. I explained that I would be in work the following 2 days so if someone did phone to leave a message as I didn't have access to my phone at work or to phone on the Friday.
On the Friday morning I went to the clinic to have my daughter weighed and while talking to the health visitor she mentioned the pre 12mth check where I explained the situation to which she told me that my health visitor was on not in and would be back next week. 2 hrs later had a missed call and a message from health visitor apologising it had taken so long to get back to me but could I call her back on the number in my daughters red book.
Rang the number which stated was no longer in use for health visitor and to contact this other number - single point of contact number. Rang back I explained that I had a message to ring my health visitor back however the number I had was no longer in service and had directed me back to this number.
I felt the person I spoke to didn't listen to anything I said. They asked why I was phoning so I explained I was trying to get in touch with my health visitor who had left a msg however this was the number. I then explained again why she was ringing me back to which they said they will send me another appointment through the post on a day I could make. I then asked why that couldn't have been done in the first place which there was no answer to and also that they had picked up my call and returned it. I was just trying to return the call. At this point I hung up the phone as they started to explain again that someone would be in touch at a later point.
I have been in a very fortunate positon where I haven't need the help/support that the health visitors provide (which isn't my issue here I have been more than happy with the help/info I have been given when I have taken my daughter to be weighed.)
My biggest concerns now are:
1. How do I get in touch with my health visitor if I need to? I would not be happy in some circumstances about having to explain to the call centre why I need to speak to/want to see her.
2. In the situation where my allocated Health Visitor is absent from work. What would the process be if I needed to see my health visitor in an emergency?
3. Why are the call centre staff not all giving the same info? Why couldn't the appointment be remade via letter for a day when I was able to make as I was told in the 3rd conversation I had 2weeks ago? In this case I wouldn't have thought anything else of this situation!
4. I am still trying to rearrange the appointment 2 weeks later........
"Single Point of Contact"
About: Locala Community Partnerships CIC Locala Community Partnerships CIC Batley WF17 5PW
Posted by lino13879 (as ),
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