"Telephone Appointment at Edgware Community..."

Anything else?

I tried to get an appointment by phone for a blood test. The GP Blood Test Form explicitly indicates that Appointments are to be made by phone betweeen 9.00am - 4.45pm. I commenced phoning at 9.01am am and on a continual basis with no response. The recorded message is that there is a high volume of call following having not been answered for about 2- 3 minutes. This is not credible and may well be a less than true representation of how things really are.

I am strongly of a mind that patients being at the wrong end of this type of practice are being treated with disrespect and with no empathy about how they may be feeling at a vulnerable time of their life. People who are requesting blood test at the request of their GP are not well people. Their resources are being extended due to their health condition and they should not be placed in further stressful situations because a service that should be available is non-existent.

I strongly feel that this situation should be rectified as a matter of urgency.

I will write to Angela Heins, General Manager,Pathology, Barnet Hospital about this state of affairs.