UPDATE: The receptionist called us this morning 2.5 hours before our appointment. She was quite brusque on the telephone -- even in my groggy state of mind, I could detect some venone. Curious. She launched into a schpeel about how DH and I are not eligible for free NHS services and that we should be prepared to pay cash upon arrival.
I told her (quite politely, in fact) that she was mistaken and when I could get a word in edgewise, I sighed and simply confirmed that practice's PCT and that their belief that, as nearly arrived immigrants, we were not entitled to NHS services was the only reason they were demanding payment and refusing us as new patients otherwise. Then I said I would ask the PCT to call them right back.
I called the PCT and verified that we are indeed immediately entitled to NHS services. The lady said that the "6 months rule had been the case some time ago, but no longer so. I asked the lady to call the practice. She seemed a bit wishy washy about that, but finally agreed to call and advice the practice to contact the Department of Health for clarification of the rules/law. She said she'd call me back. She never did.
Meanwhile I tried to call the NHS for similar clarification. The moron I got on the phone (for there is no other word for him) listened to me, then said " that's correct; you're not entitled to NHS until you've been here 6 months and you have a job.
I was so stunned by his ignorance! This was an NHS staff member FFS! I told him I wanted to speak to someone immediately who was conversant in this matter to lodge a complaint. He hmmm and hawed then took nearly 2 minutes to transfer me...to the PCT.
Duh!
I tried calling the PCT complaint department. The mailbox is full and can't take anymore messages.
I tried calling Citizens Advice and the Dept. of Health. (Never would I have believe how hard it would be to simply find a d*mn telephone number on their own websites. Had to Google aftering giving up on going through tab after tab after tab.
No luck getting through to a human being.
Finally, I got worried that the hour was approaching for the GP appointment, so I called the GP. The sheer venom coming from her mouth as soon as she heard my name was palpable.
I asked her if our appointment was still in place. She said yes, then kept interrupting me to insist that we had to pay in advance or provide an NHS number.
Of course I told her (again) that we don't have NHS numbers and we were registering with this practice for that purpose. She then yelled (I'm not kidding here!!!) "you don't have a job, you don't have an NI Number, so you have no right to NHS unless you pay. This practice will not accept people who don't pay taxes!!!
I was flabberghasted, but had the presence of mind (amazingly under the circumstances) to again ask if her belief that we were not immediately entitled to NHS was the only reason for this tirade. She said yes. (Wish I could have recorded this!)
She then said she would give me the address for the homeless walk-in clinic. I hung up on her at that point.
Now, my new mission is to lodge a bloody hailstorm of complaints against the practice, but you'd be amazed how unhelpful online information is about this.
To top it off, over the weekend, DH has developed an ear ache, possibly an ear infection.
I'm sooooooooo bloody fuming angry I can't see straight. DH says at the very first phone conversation (which I couldn't hear), the GP herself was oozing venom. He believes it was at the sound of his American accent. I dread to think that's what the problem is, but I fear it is so.
