How to get past the receptionist...

clairec79

What I ended up doing when getting fobbed off again was to ask the secretary (at the end of the same phone call) what the contact details were for complaints, which was met with 'would you like an appointment tomorrow at 4pm?'

victory

belfastgirl23 wrote: »

I'm so sorry for calling again and I appreciate that I'm hounding you and there isn't much more you can do about this but I'm really worried about x and the implications for my child's health. Do you have any advice for me on alternative routes to get to talk to the consultant? I really don't want to end up bombarding you with calls but I'm so worried about my child that I don't really have much choice right now.

That way you give her fair warning you're going to torture her and give her a get out route. If there's a possible health implication from your query not being dealt with in a timely way it's worth saying that politely too:

Of course if my child has a seizure (or what consequence is relevant) I will be asking questions about why the consultant didn't have time to call me back over a 5 day period...

And then follow up as you say.

I rang a moment ago, said more or less the above, secretary said 'well yes, I see that, I understand that, I know what you are saying but she is not in her office, she has not been seen today, I have past on the message, that is all I can do'

I asked to go up there and see her, wait in the reception, she said no because I may not be seen, no because she may not be in the clinic and no there is nothing else she can do apart from she has past on the message...

Never got anywhere really did I ?

victory

Oh I also asked if x had a direct line which she said 'I have passed on the message that you rang....' I asked if I could leave my mobile number as I am not going to be in tomorrow and she said ' no, the messages have been passed on and x will contact you'

victory

Rachylou1981 wrote: »

I was unsure if you had just said "can I speak to consultant about my son" and have been waiting since or you had said "can I pass on some information to consultant" and then gave it.

Obviously if the secretary told you that you'd receive a phone call back then that is of course her responsibility to get back to you with an update if the consultant doesn't do that and of course she should expect you to follow her up on this if no-one does.

I meant that if the secretary gave the message then they (consultant) may have just left it at that and do not intend acknowledging or getting back to you - something which you need to find out.

I would ring again and said that you have waited X amount of days for a phone call and can she clarify what is happening and why the delay.

She said she had not seen x today, that she had passed the message on, that x knows that I would like to speak to her, that no there is nothing else she can do, that no there is no one else I can speak to, that yes I will have to wait for x to return my phone calls, that x has the messages and no she did not know if I would get seen if I went up there and waited...

victory

clairec79 wrote: »

What I ended up doing when getting fobbed off again was to ask the secretary (at the end of the same phone call) what the contact details were for complaints, which was met with 'would you like an appointment tomorrow at 4pm?'

I just spoke to my OH and he says tomorrow go up there, ring first, ask to speak to x, if x is not available try to get the secretary to be more specific about what times x is there (which she seems not to know exactly) and try to see if I can go up there and sit and wait.

itsanne

You've waited a full working week and tried Belfast123's excellent script. Time to up the ante. Do as your OH suggests, but if not any further forward during the phone call say that although you don't really want to make an official complaint you are being left with no choice and ask for the contact details (even if you already know them).

Good luck. It's ridiculous that it's needed :cool:.

fluffnutter

Enlist your GP's help, victory. OH had a similar problem. A quick call to the GP's surgery, they pulled some strings and someone from the consultant's team called him back later that day with the info he needed. I can't say it will always work but it might.

FBaby

I'm confused why you are so insistant that he calls you back? Is it because you absolutely need to talk to her about the information the GP told you to pass on? Because the secretary said she would call you back?

She would have said this as a standard response, but if the consultant doesn't consider there is anything to be discussed, they are not going to bother. Saying that, she should tell her secretary that there is no need for her to phone you rather than leaving you waiting for a call.

warwicktiger

Tell receptionist you have just found a picture and letter from him/her to your husband/wife in your oh wallet/handbag and you want to talk to him/her about it

teddysmum

victory wrote: »

I don't know what PALS is? I feel if it is an escalation process it is not necessary yet, rang the GP and but closed until 2pm...

PALS is the Patient Advice and Liason Service.