Stop Trying To Save The NHS Money With Your New Fangled Technology….

We’ll have none of that hocus pocus technology around here.

I actually did a full on Patrick Steward faceplant in response to a perfectly polite email I sent to my GP surgery this morning asking about PoTS.

I happened to have the email of our practice manager and thought that rather than wasting an appointment as I’d literally seen my GP last week and I just needed to forward some readings in, I’d pop it in a quick email.

I asked for an extra referral and if they could pass on some heart rate readings just for reassurance as the chest pain I’d mentioned was still around.

From the response, you’d have thought I’d emailed her a picture of my genitals! I was given a thorough telling off via an email which told me not to use email to converse with the surgery (irony anyone?) and that it was highly inappropriate to send her medical details… because you don’t get to see those working in a health centre?

Then a phone call at 6pm.

Perhaps I’d got it wrong? Maybe the Dr had taken a look…. nope. A receptionist passing on a message that the referral was made but they wouldn’t look at my other information unless it was through “normal channels” – an appointment,  phone call, or letter.

Hang on… a letter? What you mean like a printed version of the electronic letter (That’s what email stands for you know) which takes more than 24 hours to reach you and can be opened by anyone? Or a phone call…. like the one we’re having right now? Ffs (I didn’t say it, but I THOUGHT it really loudly).

I explained in words of one syllable  (6pm…. I’m too tired and in too much pain for this crap) that their appointments are only bookable between 8am – 8.30am (if you’re lucky) which is during my commute to work. She suggested I used the Internet at this time to book an appointment. I asked if she made a habit of using the Internet whilst she was driving. Ok, I may have been a bit tetchy by then.

Final suggestion. Find another Dr as we won’t make this any easier. Nice.

I’m totally feeling the love right now.

And so, people of the Internet, does this look a bit potsy to you? (I’ve been vaguely dizzy on and off since Feb when I mentioned a weird ‘bra too tight’ sort of pain feeling which is still hanging around in and off). These screenies were laying down then just standing up. No jumping jacks, or exciting moves (ha! As if.)

(I will, rather than just asking the wisdom of the internet, apparently be wasting another GP appointment tomorrow to ask what could’ve been sorted by a quick phonecall… grumble grumble… but could do with a bit of reassurance )