"Referral management centre"

Yesterday I was awaiting and ENT consultant telephone clinic appointment. The letter states that they will endeavour to call you within the morning or afternoon of your appointment. I waited all day and there was no call.

So this morning I called the referral management centre to find out what happened. The person I got acted very abrupt. They told me that they had tried to contact me and that I was now a non attender and would not be offered any further appointments. They told me that I should have contacted them before the appointment to confirm my telephone numbers were up to date. I said they had been updated with the GP who made the referral but they said no, it's different systems. I haven't changed my home telephone number in 12 years. The hospital has been able to contact me on that number before in those 12 years!  

I asked to get the appointment rearranged. This person asked me who my consultant was and I said I didn't know. They asked who did I see when I last attended. I explained my last appointment was with an audiologist and I never met a consultant on that visit. This staff member said they would contact them and sort it themselves and put me on hold.

They came back and said they had cleared it for me to have another appointment, I felt as if they were doing me a favour by offering this. I now have to wait over a month for another appointment. This telephone conversation has left me upset. Not for missing the appointment or having to wait. But for the way the call handler spoke to me. I have been struggling with a new illness since December and would not have intentionally missed an appointment. I was left feeling small and stupid. There was no need for someone to speak to me the way this person did.