[WillowTheWhisp]

.......... in practice I usually end up tearing my hair out.

Take yesterday for example. All I had on the agenda for yesterday, in theory, was an appointment at the docs and a request for a replacement prescription which I would collect from Lloyds pharmacy before popping back on the bus to come home. Simple? Well, it should have been.

In reality my life is never that simple!

The doctor's appointment was one I made in December, in response to a letter I'd received from Peel House following a blood test - the letter had said to have another fasting blood test, then make appointment to see doc in January and another appointment in 8 weeks from the letter to have a liver function test. So when I'd got the letter I made two appointments, one for the fasting blood test and one to see the doc in January - I couldn't make the February (8 week) one for the liver functions because they didn't have the February diary.

So far so (reasonably) good - I had the fbt and ordered a repeat prescription for my normal medication (various assorted cocktail of asthma treatments) which I collected a couple of days later as normal - but then when I went to get the things from the chemist they couldn't give me one item because the manufacturer could no longer produce it. OK I still had enought to last me to the date of the doctor's appointment so I thought I can ask for an alternative when I go.

Meanwhile I had a letter from PH asking me to make an appointment to see the doc following my fbt but as I'd already made one for yesterday I didn't make another - we can incorporate it in that one I concluded. So, yesterday I went to discuss the two letters, get a replacement prescription and make that appointment for February.

Well, I suppose one out of three is better than nothing. I did manage to see the doctor, considerably later than my appointment time but I can live with that, and give him his due he did discuss both blood tests and he did give me a replacement alternative prescription and refer me to the hospital for yet more tests.

From there on it went downhill.

I went to the reception desk to make my February appointment and guess what - they still haven't got the February diary on computer. Then the receptionist told me that I shouldn't have seen the doctor until after this liver test in spite of the fact that the letter quite clearly states see the doc in January and make a lft appointment in 8 weeks time - 8 weeks from the date of the letter being mid February! Eventually she cottoned on that I had two seperate types of investigation ongoing but she still couldn't make me the appointment - I just hope I don't forget that I still need to do that.

Then off I went to get my replacement prescription.

Can you leave it and pop back in half an hour or so she says. OK, I didn't have any shopping to do but I mooched about town for half an hour (thinking of all the time I was wasting when I could have been doing something else) and then called back at the chemists. They didn't have it! Not only did they not have it but the assistant told me that they couldn't get it because the manufacturer couldn't supply it!! So I asked if they could tell me what was available as this was the second attempt and I need this stuff on a regular daily basis. All she could suggest was to pop back to my doctor and ask for another alternative and they would see if they could get that.

Now anybody who is registered with Peel House knows that 'popping back' is not feasable. Getting an appointment is like trying to plait sawdust at times. The reception staff have no authority to ask for changes to prescriptions, you have to see the doc which I knew wouldn't be all that simple. So I asked if the pharmacist could check what was available and then I could present the doctor with some alternative choices that I'd at least stand a chance of getting instead of a hit and miss affair where he might prescribe something else that I couldn't get and then I could end up without anything.

No she says, we're not able to do that. You'll just have to keep trying she says! So then I asked if I could have the prescription back so I could try somewhere else to see if they happened to have one in stock - that happened once with an inhaler that Lloyds couldn't get but Boots had. No she says, we can't give you a prescription back she says when we've actioned some of it! But you haven't actioned anything I complain. You haven't given me the stuff! Then she brings out the prescription to show me that they've already given me two items! It's only the flippin original one from the previous week isn't it?!? Not the replacement! I point this out to her and off she toddles to look for the one I handed in that morning - finds it and guess what? They have none left! They've just given the last one to someone else!!! Can I come back tomorrow!

OK. That was yesterday. A new day dawns and all I need to do this morning is make a few phone calls. That should be simple enough, shouldn't it? First phone call - after pressing button this that and the other and finally getting the correct department I get "Our computers are all down at the moment so we are unable to respond to your call. Please call back later. click! Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. " Grrr!