COMMUNICATING with the NHS is a bit of a Catch-22 situation. I received a letter asking me to contact a secretary about a forthcoming operation, which I did and things were discussed to our mutual satisfaction.

However in the letter she had stated: “Unfortunately I have been unable to contact you by telephone.” I explained that as I have an answering machine, in the event of me not being available, a message could have been left asking me to call back. No such message had been left.

“Owing to patient confidentiality issues we don’t leave any messages,” was the reply, although asking someone to call a number hardly breaches confidentiality. I then asked what number would appear on my caller display screen, and that’s when it became bizarre.

The number she gave had indeed appeared on my phone but when I had called it the recorded voice told me that it didn’t accept incoming calls. I have had this before and it normally means it is someone selling double glazing, replacement boilers, accident claims or other such unsolicited rubbish, and I had actually added that number to my list of barred numbers.

So there you have it, they will not leave a message asking you to call back, they call you but you can’t call them on the number they called from, and if you add it to your list of barred calls they never will be able to call you. You couldn’t make it up.

A bit more time and thought should go into issues like this rather than mucking about changing hospital names.

George Smith,

21 Birny Hill Court, Clydebank.