"Unnecessary anxiety"

I received a text from Leyland surgery the day before pacemaker implant surgery asking me to "book an appointment with one of our practice nurses for COPD management". I had been in A & E earlier in the week with symptoms of heart failure and had a chest x-ray so I was very worried at what the x-ray had found. No diagnosis nor symptoms of COPD had been discussed with me.

Because of the timing of the text, operation and then weekend, I had no opportunity to contact the surgery. I also suffer from acute anxiety. This concern about a diagnosis of COPD weighed heavily on my mind after a rather traumatic surgery which was far from straight forward.

I called at the earliest opportunity (13 times before I was connected) and was told a completely different reason for making an appointment. The COPD text was meant for someone else!!! The receptionist laughed it off - I did not. It caused added anxiety at a difficult time and surely someone is out there not having their COPD managed.

Totally unprofessional and unnecessarily stressful.

Martin Ellison