This Country Is So Frustrating.
I’ve been trying to find a doctor forever. The process here is so ridiculous and tedious that I might just start screaming. Here’s what’s happened so far:
Back in December, I got really sick with the flu. I called the Find A Doctor service and they gave me a list of three doctors that were assigned to my postcode. I then called the one closest to my house and asked them how to register as a new patient. They told me that I had to come in with two forms of ID that confirm my address. I said, “Any time?” And they assured me that yes, I could come in to register any time they were open.
So I’m really sick, I call off work and head to the doctor to register as a new patient. I’m pretty sure that I’d have to register and then make an appointment to come back at a later date, but at least I’d be registered, and who know? Maybe I could make an appointment for later that day or maybe even the next day? When I arrive, the receptionist informs me that they only register new patients on Fridays, and they were all booked up this coming Friday. Would I like to make an appointment to register the following Friday?
Well, the following Friday I’d be back in America, so that wasn’t going to work. Even when I told the receptionist that someone informed me on the phone that I could come in any time, she said, “No, only Fridays.” So I left and went to the hospital, because that was my only option.
Flash forward to last Monday. I decided that I was going to register and get it out of the way. I’d called the practice again to confirm that I can only register on Fridays, and the woman that answered the phone said, “No, that’s not true. You can come in any time to register as a new patient.” I asked if her she was SURE, and when she confirmed that she was, I got her name, just in case. So Monday morning, I arrived at 10 am, when they opened, with all my paperwork ready to register as a new patient.
“What’s your postcode?”
“E8”
“Oh, sorry, we only take E5.”
What. The. Fuck. She then gave me the Find A Doctor pamphlet so I could call and find out which doctors took me. I told her that I’d called that number before and this is the place they gave me, and she said that they’d recently changed their intake areas, so that was probably why. So then I called the Find A Doctor number FROM THE LOBBY and the first doctor they gave me was the one I was currently standing in. So I told the lady on the phone that I was there right now, and they weren’t taking me, and she said they were supposed to. So I told the lady in the lobby that the Find A Doctor place was giving me their location RIGHT NOW, and she called her manager, who confirmed that no, they only take E5. Sorry.
So I decided, fuck it, I’ll go to the next place on my list. I was already going to be late for work, so why not be even later and just get this taken care of? I walked to the Dalston practice, calling them on my way to confirm that they were A) taking new patients, and B) could register me that morning. They said yes to both, I arrived and registered, and then made an appointment for this morning. YAY! Double bonus, they have WAY better hours than the first place anyway. The first place was only open for 3 hours a day (10-11:30 and 4:30 to 6), and had no weekend hours.
This morning I make the trip over to the doctor’s office for my preliminary check-up and after making me wait about 20 minutes, they call me to the front and tell me that they don’t take Americans or Canadians (“But it’s not racist!”). What? Why not, I ask. The only explanation they could give me was because in America, we pay for health care, but here it’s free. So? I’m a legal resident, working and paying taxes here. What’s the difference? They had no response to that and refused to see me. Frustrated and angry, I finally left and came to work.
All my co-workers (two of which are American), were really surprised to hear what happened and all assured me that it shouldn’t make any difference that I’m American. So I called the Find A Doctor place again and told her my whole sad story. She was also confused as to why the place turned me away this morning for being American and said that she would call both practices I’d been turned away from, figure out what’s going on, and call me back.
She called me back five minutes later and said that the first place does indeed accept a small area of the E8 postcode and they were wrong for turning me away. Frankly, that place was a DUMP and had the worst hours, so I asked her to call the second place and see if she could get that sorted out. I’m currently waiting for her to call me back.
This is so frustrating. I was watching Little Britain USA a few months ago and they had this sketch with a horrible receptionist that was really unhelpful. It was really funny at the time, but now I know that IT’S NOT EVEN EXAGGERATED. So now it’s just sad. This country fucking sucks right now. England, you’re losing points fast.
Back in December, I got really sick with the flu. I called the Find A Doctor service and they gave me a list of three doctors that were assigned to my postcode. I then called the one closest to my house and asked them how to register as a new patient. They told me that I had to come in with two forms of ID that confirm my address. I said, “Any time?” And they assured me that yes, I could come in to register any time they were open.
So I’m really sick, I call off work and head to the doctor to register as a new patient. I’m pretty sure that I’d have to register and then make an appointment to come back at a later date, but at least I’d be registered, and who know? Maybe I could make an appointment for later that day or maybe even the next day? When I arrive, the receptionist informs me that they only register new patients on Fridays, and they were all booked up this coming Friday. Would I like to make an appointment to register the following Friday?
Well, the following Friday I’d be back in America, so that wasn’t going to work. Even when I told the receptionist that someone informed me on the phone that I could come in any time, she said, “No, only Fridays.” So I left and went to the hospital, because that was my only option.
Flash forward to last Monday. I decided that I was going to register and get it out of the way. I’d called the practice again to confirm that I can only register on Fridays, and the woman that answered the phone said, “No, that’s not true. You can come in any time to register as a new patient.” I asked if her she was SURE, and when she confirmed that she was, I got her name, just in case. So Monday morning, I arrived at 10 am, when they opened, with all my paperwork ready to register as a new patient.
“What’s your postcode?”
“E8”
“Oh, sorry, we only take E5.”
What. The. Fuck. She then gave me the Find A Doctor pamphlet so I could call and find out which doctors took me. I told her that I’d called that number before and this is the place they gave me, and she said that they’d recently changed their intake areas, so that was probably why. So then I called the Find A Doctor number FROM THE LOBBY and the first doctor they gave me was the one I was currently standing in. So I told the lady on the phone that I was there right now, and they weren’t taking me, and she said they were supposed to. So I told the lady in the lobby that the Find A Doctor place was giving me their location RIGHT NOW, and she called her manager, who confirmed that no, they only take E5. Sorry.
So I decided, fuck it, I’ll go to the next place on my list. I was already going to be late for work, so why not be even later and just get this taken care of? I walked to the Dalston practice, calling them on my way to confirm that they were A) taking new patients, and B) could register me that morning. They said yes to both, I arrived and registered, and then made an appointment for this morning. YAY! Double bonus, they have WAY better hours than the first place anyway. The first place was only open for 3 hours a day (10-11:30 and 4:30 to 6), and had no weekend hours.
This morning I make the trip over to the doctor’s office for my preliminary check-up and after making me wait about 20 minutes, they call me to the front and tell me that they don’t take Americans or Canadians (“But it’s not racist!”). What? Why not, I ask. The only explanation they could give me was because in America, we pay for health care, but here it’s free. So? I’m a legal resident, working and paying taxes here. What’s the difference? They had no response to that and refused to see me. Frustrated and angry, I finally left and came to work.
All my co-workers (two of which are American), were really surprised to hear what happened and all assured me that it shouldn’t make any difference that I’m American. So I called the Find A Doctor place again and told her my whole sad story. She was also confused as to why the place turned me away this morning for being American and said that she would call both practices I’d been turned away from, figure out what’s going on, and call me back.
She called me back five minutes later and said that the first place does indeed accept a small area of the E8 postcode and they were wrong for turning me away. Frankly, that place was a DUMP and had the worst hours, so I asked her to call the second place and see if she could get that sorted out. I’m currently waiting for her to call me back.
This is so frustrating. I was watching Little Britain USA a few months ago and they had this sketch with a horrible receptionist that was really unhelpful. It was really funny at the time, but now I know that IT’S NOT EVEN EXAGGERATED. So now it’s just sad. This country fucking sucks right now. England, you’re losing points fast.
Click to view