I would like to formally express my frustration regarding my ultrasound appointment today.
I had a scheduled ultrasound appointment, and I made a significant effort to attend. I am currently pregnant and had a very difficult night and was unable to sleep well because of my pregnancy. I also do not have my own transportation, so I depend on someone else to take me to my appointments. The clinic is normally about 30 minutes away, but because of traffic, the trip took approximately one hour today.
When I arrived at the clinic, I was informed at the front desk that the person performing my ultrasound was sick and would not be there. I completely understand that people get sick, and I am not upset with the employee for being ill. What I am upset about is that the clinic did not notify me before my appointment.
If the clinic knew that the ultrasound provider was unavailable, I should have been contacted so that I would not have to arrange transportation, spend an hour traveling to the clinic, and go through all of that physical effort while pregnant, only to find out when I arrived that my appointment could not take place.
I also find this especially frustrating because patients are charged a $30 fee if they miss an appointment without providing sufficient notice. I understand the importance of keeping appointments and notifying the clinic when we cannot attend. However, I believe that the same consideration and responsibility should be expected from the clinic. Patients should be notified as soon as possible when an appointment is cancelled or cannot be fulfilled.
Patients have their own circumstances, transportation difficulties, work schedules, health issues, and personal sacrifices that the clinic may not see. In my case, getting to this appointment required considerable effort and coordination, especially because I am in the later stages of pregnancy and do not have reliable personal transportation.
I am asking that the clinic please review what happened today and consider improving its communication system so that patients are notified promptly when an appointment is cancelled or a provider is unavailable.
Thank you for taking the time to review my complaint. Beside that
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