This week my Word of the Week is:
The girls had their first check up at the dentist in just over 2 years thanks to the pandemic and every day this week I have had dealings with our dentist. It has been a bit of a drama but not because of my girls teeth but because of admin. Ugh.
On Monday to remind me I had 2 texts, 2 emails and a phone call which I thought was a bit excessive. The text messages sent links to fill in online forms about medical history and things like that and I filled the forms in for Becky and added her email and mobile number so she could deal with her appointments in the future and when I went to use the 2nd link for Ellie it said the link had already been used. It hadn't. I then had another phone call reminding me to fill in the forms for Ellie, I explained the link wouldn't work and she did the forms over the phone.
On Tuesday the girls went to the dentist and had their check up. Becky's teeth were fine and Ellie needs a small filling. They were both in and out within 8 minutes which I thought was pretty quick but thought nothing about it until we got home and I got a phone call saying Becky hadn't paid her bill and they need to book Ellie in for her filling. The receptionist forgot to do it when we left.
I always thought that teens in full time education when I am still claiming child benefit had free dental check ups and treatment but it turns out once they hit 19 years old they have to pay. If we had known that I would have made a point of the girls not sharing a 10 minute appointment. Surely if Becky was paying she should be entitled to the full 10 minutes, not the 4 minutes that she was sat in the dentist chair.
On Wednesday Becky got an email for Ellie with her appointment for her filling, it should have been sent to me. I told her when she was in the dentist paying her bill she should tell them to change Ellie's contact details back to mine. She did just that and the receptionist said nothing can be done as they are a family unit. Surely that couldn't be right? If someone with parental responsibility has to accompany the child to the dentist surely they should be getting the appointments too, not the sister.
I held off writing an email on Wednesday afternoon when I was still angry and wrote it on the evening when I had calmed down a little. By the time I sent the email I was angry again. They were breaking their own rules, on the bottom of the email they sent it says "This e-mail message is confidential and is intended for use by the addressee only.". Becky was not the addressee. lol
Thankfully it's all sorted now, a different receptionist emailed back yesterday saying sorry for the confusion, the details have been changed for Ellie. What a faff but now Becky will get her own appointments through and I am back in charge of Ellie's appointments.
I hope you have all had a good week?
That was really a faff, wasn't it? Glad it's all sorted and no one needs major dental work despite not going for 2 years! I am way overdue as well so not looking forward to it. I want to just go in for a clean, but they are going to let me come in, do an examination which I'll have to pay for, and then go back for the clean at a different time. Not happy, but ain't nothing I can do. Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nightmare, as if going to the dentist isn't bad enough. My eldest daughter had a painful tooth just before Christmas and they'd taken her off our dentist's register because they have gone solely private now. I tried every single NHS dentist within 10 miles but nowhere could fit her in within 4 months. Even the emergency dental hospital was closed! She ended up going private and paying a small fortune (She'd have to pay at an NHS dentist but it's a lot cheaper.) She was supposed to go back but hasn't bothered because she's not in pain anymore. Anyway, I'm rambling. I'm glad you got it all sorted in the end. xx
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness; it really is a mess sometimes isn't it? In our state children over the age of 14 have their own privacy so we can't see their medical claims but our insurance won't pay until we submit a copy of our medical claims. It took us 2 days and 3 different people before we found a work around. I honestly don't know medical/ dental coverage here for children over 18 that are full time students... I think they're supposed to be covered but it does sound like it can be another one of those days of phone call things. So glad it finally all got sorted but I love how the more "transparent" they claim to be the worse it seems to get.
ReplyDeleteOh wow... that was indeed a major faff! why can't people get it right the first time, especially with things like that!
ReplyDeleteWhat a faff having to get the emails changed back over and that first receptionist sounded very unhelpful. Glad you managed to get it sorted out. #WotW
ReplyDeleteWhat a pain with the admin issue. Glad it got sorted. I think our check ups for N and myself were done in about 5 minutes including an x ray for me! We queued for longer to check in with reception!
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