📚💚Kate💚📚

My daughter has a long-standing medical condition. A blood test before Christmas flagged a problem. She can see the abnormal results on the NHS app. It took three weeks to get a GP phone appointment - to be told what she already knows (including the treatment ‘next steps’). The appointment window was “any time that day.” The call came during a university lecture. She stepped outside. It rang off before she could answer. She immediately tried to call back. No answer. No option to leave a voicemail. No option to email either - according to the website. But miss three telephone calls and you get struck off. This is also the GP surgery that gave her a blood test form with another patient’s full name, date of birth and address - and then asked her to walk 25 minutes in the dark to return it. Luckily, she has me - and I’m persistent. Many wouldn’t be - or don’t have anyone to help them navigate the system. This is what access to healthcare now looks like.