Dentist not passing on info about hosp appointment.

jasper27

Fork86 wrote: »

Have you explained to the dentist that you have contacted the hospital department and been told that your referral has been declined/put on hold due to an inappropriate referral?

There's nothing your dentist can do until they know the full picture.

Believe it or not, hospitals can be very disorganised, and if they have failed to send a discharge notice to the referring dentist, there is no way of us knowing what is going on. Further more, the hospital can delay a referral unneccesarily for lack of information such as not ticking a gender box, even though you have written the title mrs/mr... Of course the referral could be declined in the manner that Brook2jack described (not difficult enough to warrant referral to hospital).

If it is due to lack of information, don't waste anytime here, go back to your dentist so they can chase it up. Just bare in mind they may not have received a letter, as has happened to me in the past with several referrals. I've even had letters meant for other dental surgeries sent to me!

I'd also like to point out that the private oral surgeon or his surgery should have informed 'you' after your second failed appointment that that you would need to be referred somewhere else as they will not see you anymore. What if the letter that the oral surgeon sent out did not get delivered back to your original dentist?

If you were armed with this information, you could have gone directly back to your dentist the moment you missed your second appointment.

I agree with Toothsmith. If your turn up to the dentist and practically accuse them of failing to re-refer you without actually asking them if they know about your situation, I am not surprised the receptionist responded in the manner she did.

Thank you Fork86 for your response.

I'm really not a confrontational person or a 'Pain in the !!!!' as I presumed the PITA in Toothsmith's post meant.

It seems it all boils down to a lack of communications, and probably ignorance on my part as I'm not fully aware of the procedure.

I will contact my dentist again and will be polite and courteous, as I always try to be even if the receptionist isn't.

Thanks again for your polite and helpful response.