NHS appointment line?

Manxman_in_exile

How is this meant to work?


My wife got a letter asking her to ring the line, the letter giving a choice of three hospitals.


She was offered the "earliest" appointment which is at a hospital 25 miles away as opposed to our local hospital about two miles away (where she has previously seen a relevant specialist). My wife turned down the earliest appointment (it's not urgent) and asked for an appointment at our nearest hospital.


The appointment line couldn't give us an appointment there and wouldn't give us a 'phone number either (although we know it from previous appointments). They said they would pass the request on to our local hospital and if we hadn't heard from them in two weeks, then to call them, for which they did give us a number.


Has somebody actually designed this system? (I worked in the NHS for about 25 years and have seen some crap ideas, but this...)