We can’t all fit in with ridiculous system
I RECENTLY wrote to Craig Whittaker, the MP for Calder Valley, concerning my difficulties getting an appointment at Todmorden Health Centre.
Along with many other people in Todmorden, I travel some distance to work, leaving home well before 8am and not home until after 6pm. The local people who commute are vital to Todmorden’s economy as here is where they spend their money.
I am a teacher and cannot tell a classroom of teenagers that I might, or might not, be teaching them the next day depending on whether or not I can get through to the health centre at eight-o-clock in the morning.
As previous contributors to the letters page have already mentioned, getting through to the receptionist is no guarantee of an appointment.
I have this year suffered a life-threatening event and continue to take medication without the opportunity to discuss this with a GP. I am left with the decision whether to deny young people an education on the off-chance that I’ll be granted an appointment or to trust to luck that the medication will not do me more harm than good.
Mr Whittaker’s reply merely confirmed the Health Centre’s ridiculous arrangements for making appointments and did not indicate any inclination to challenge the current booking procedure for seeing doctors about which his constituents are clearly unhappy.
Surely there must be a fairer system for making appointments to see doctors that we pay for through tax and National Insurance? I would quite happily accept waiting a couple of weeks for an appointment.
Surely some time should be allocated for those for whom fitting in with the health centre’s procedures is impossible?
If anyone knows, would they please tell me what the health centre’s rationale for the present appointments system is?
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Wednesday 19 June 2013
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