My husband has been travelling for weeks it seems. Last week he was in town so I made a doctors appointment, finally, for him to see a skin specialist the GP had recommended he see some 6 weeks prior.
The GP gave us the contact name and number; I called that contact number only to find out we needed to go to the specialist’s rooms in town. Not a problem I made the contact with this doctor who we shall call Wang. I explained to the receptionist the booking was for my travelling husband. Fine so we made the booking for the week he would be back.
Husband was relieved to be finally seeing someone about what looks like a touch of skin cancer. I too was relieved husband was in town long enough to make time to see a doctor, let alone us.
So the Thursday after his return he went to Doc Wang. About ten minutes after the designated appointment he called to let me know that I had sent him to the wrong Wang. Not to worry this Dr Wang new the other Dr Wang and even gave husband the address and contact details.
I have made a new appointment for husband with the write Wang but due to weather conditions here in Hong Kong he hasn’t seen him yet and is now as I write on his way to Shanghai for a week.
I felt for sure when I had called directory for the phone number that I had said the right Wang – on finding the original card the GP had given us for the referral I discovered it was they who had given us the wrong Wang.
Given the original doctor said to husband that it happened all the time, I would have thought his receptionist would have asked some more probing questions. Perhaps like the Banks here they are not quite sure which wife you might be, the first or the other wife!
In any event I have learnt when getting referrals just check you are going to the right place. Next time we might end up with a limb missing that never needed to be gone! But I guess it’s one better than the guy who wasn’t put under sufficiently during his operation to then overhear his surgeon ‘buying a car’ on his mobile while operating on him. I have an image of a surgeon scalpel in one hand phone in the other – shivers.
I think that case is still in court!
