We're cancelling your appt. To the back of the queue you go!

[SarahG]

Posting on behalf of a good friend who has finally got a referral to CX after over 10 years of being screwed around by the NHS.

She originally had an appointment in May, but recently they called up and offered her an appointment in 5 days time, due to a cancellation. Naturally she jumped at the chance and took the offer.

We both took a day off work so that I could drive her to London. This is because the only viable public transport route from where we live to CX is not wheelchair accessible. We also made adjustments to the planned weekend away we were doing, which cost us £50.

On the day of the appointment, with just 3 hours notice, they called and cancelled it. We were already on the road at this point.

To make matters worse, they can't even give her back her original appointment date now, all they can do is put her at the back of the queue!


So basically as a result of their incompetence we've had:

1) To wait an additional six months on top of her original appointment date
2) Two days holiday taken unnecessarily
3) 60 miles worth of pointless driving, causing petrol and wear+tear costs
4) £6 Severn Bridge toll
5) £50 in fees for adjusting our hotel bookings for this weekend

That's several hundred pounds in costs, not to mention the distress this has caused.

Is there anything we can do about this?

[Ice Maiden]

Get evidence of this in writing and speak to the DSS you can claim back travel expenses, it maybe possible to take information along with a petrol receipt to the cashier at CX but they rarely have time to debate this.

If they called you and you had no actual paper to prove this then simply write to CX Gender clinic. Explain the situation, ask if they can provide the short notice appointment as evidence in writing so you can approach the DSS for some compensation.

It will not be much I am not sure what the mileage paid is as I have always taken trains, but you may get 'something'.

I have never tried it but you could call the hospital and ask to be put through to the cashier and see if they can add anything.

This is deeply distressing I well understand the stress of finding the money to travel to CX and then hope you get it back, as often the money comes out of food and leccy, to then discover you do not have that back can be terrifying and actually make you ill with stress.

[Ice Maiden]

Do let me know how you get on.

[SarahG]

DSS?

Both of us are full-time employed and therefore not eligible to claim back travelling expenses from the DSS. We would not have been attempting to claim back this journey had it been a successful journey. I'm just somewhat annoyed at incurring these costs for no gain, due to incompetent administration.

But no-where near as annoyed as I am that my friend has to wait another six months through no fault of her own, and I'd rather find some way to fix that first!

Oh, and the claim for mileage would typically be 45p per mile as that is HMRC's approved rate

[Ice Maiden]

Sorry you mentioned "This is because the only viable public transport route from where we live to CX is not wheelchair accessible."

I naturally assumed there maybe some disability living allowance or something similar that you maybe entitled to.

If you are both working and getting no benefits whatsoever there is not a lot you can do in regards to claiming back expenses, to get expenses and traveling costs you must be on a 'qualifying benefit'. Are you sure your friend does not have anything like this?

All you can do is write to the hospital/clinic explain the trouble this has put you to and to give you fair warning in future.

Perhaps somebody else here can make a suggestion?

That said you have raised the issue here and many people read this.