"Unable to get details of my own appointment over…"

I misplaced a consultant letter that had been sent to me. I called the surgery to get details of the appointment as I was pretty sure it was imminent and wanted to rebook it instead of simply missing it (i.e. wasting NHS time and resources). The surgery said it was their policy that they could not give these details over the phone and that I would have to make the journey to the surgery to collect the details! Firstly operator said she could not access the system, I asked to be put through to someone that did, she messaged there person that could access the system, they repeated the same, but were willing the give me the date and time, but not the Dr the appointment was with. That person repeated the same, that I would have to make the journey to the surgery to collect details of my appointment. I was unable to drive on this day, due to have a local anaesthetic, and it was not worth the expense of taking a taxi to the surgery just to collect details of my own appointment. Everyone else around me was at work, which is where most people are during the day. I queried what details they would ask me in person that were any different from what they would ask over the phone. The response was silence. The operator kept referring to their policy. If this is a policy it is nonsensical. At a time when the NHS is pushed I am forced into a position of potentially wasting an appointment that someone else could have rather than just being able to get details of who it is with so I can rebook.

Just because something is written down as a policy, it doesn't mean it makes any sense, is practical or logical. This is one such case of it not making any sense. What if I was a disabled person unable to travel without prior planning, or a mom with young children unable to make quick journeys out of the house, or on universal credit and not able to afford to take random journeys to the doctors because my money is already stretched.

This policy just wastes everyones precious time. I was subsequently able to contact the hospital and get these details by giving the same details my own Dr's surgery would have asked me, name date of birth and address. I was able to rebook the appointment and not waste NHS resources.

I asked to speak to the person who deals with complaints but she was unavailable, hence writing a review here.

Please reconsider this policy, for the sake of precious resources.