STILL HUFFING AND PUFFING

Didn't I do well in the squandering the inheritance stakes this year? I think that I can honestly say "pat that girl on the back - MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!"

And a PS on HUFF THE MAGIC DRAGON. I forgot to mention that the surgery gave me a copy of the letter that we then fax off to the hospital from our office 1st time! Strange that!! And when we arrived at the hospital they said that in total they had received the fax from the surgery five times. But the email the surgery had tried sending had never reach them.

And PPS this is what our friend had to say on the subject:

"I thought your description of getting a fax over to the hospital was brilliant. That's exactly how these things happen and our practice would do it exactly the same way. The idea of faxing seems to un-nerve people who ought to know how to do it. I think that doctors are to blame for not making sure how their offices work, but then they themselves have never had any experience of office work and rely on their practice managers to run an efficient office. If they haven't got a good one, they probably don't know he/she isn't any good! It takes our practice several days to get out a letter dictated by the doctor in one's presence!"

He followed that email up a few days later with this actual experience:

"Is that the MRI centre? Have you received a letter from my doctor? I saw her on 10th October and it's the 18th now"

"No, we've got nothing here - perhaps it's been caught by the postal strike"

"I'll get them to fax a copy to you, then"

"May I speak to the practice manager, please. Has the doctor sent the letter to the MRI centre?"

"Yes, it's dated 11th October"

"It hasn't reached them - will you please fax a copy to them"

"I'll need the fax number ... "

"I have it here - it's xxxx xxxxx"

"Thanks - we'll fax the letter off"

[Half an hour later] "MRI centre here - we have the fax from your surgery. Could you come in at 4.45 pm on Monday, 22nd October?"

"Yes, thanks. What will it cost?"

"Well normally it is £500 for an immediate appointment, but £425 after 7 days, but the letter was dated 11th October, so we'll charge you £295 as if you'd had to wait 14 days"

"Thanks" [Thinks "Thank goodness schools don't teach maths nowadays!"]

Moral of this tale: It seems some offices are efficient and willing.

And PPPS What has been the outcome of my complaining to the HR Manager? Zilch.

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