"Getting lost in the system"

The first time was after I had been complaining about food getting stuck in my throat and no matter what I did or drank, it wouldn’t go down. 

I was booked in to have a camera put down my throat at the William Angliss Hospital. After the procedure I was told that the doctor (Doctor A) wanted to see me again and that they would send me an appointment. 

Fast forward I then spent 2-3 years chasing this up as I never received an appointment, my doctor also sent many requests to resolve this issue (as the swallowing problem was getting worse) to no avail. My doctor finally got through to someone and then I was finally given a phone appointment funny enough with the same Doctor. Doctor A remembered me and was, I felt, surprised I had never received an appointment but because it had been so long they wanted to do it again to see if any changes between then and now. 

I had that done at Box Hill Hospital (as the surgeon didn’t work out of the Angliss anymore. I received my diagnosis immediately after waking from the procedure and I am now waiting (again) for that appointment. 

I also have respiratory problems and had seen a Doctor (Doctor B) from Chandler house an outpatient place of the Angliss. The Doctor B wanted me to get breathing tests done prior to me seeing them again in 6 mths. 2 weeks prior to revisiting them I told my Doctor I hadn’t been notified and my Doctor had me ring up and organise it all for the day before my appointment in outpatients.

I waited for the phone call from Doctor B and at 10.30 (appointment was at 9.30) to make sure everything was ok and they said Doctor B would ring me soon and that they were running behind. That was fine and I thought they do get busy. But then when I still hadn’t received anything by 12:45 I rang again to be told I was uncontactable. They explained that there was a new programme and rarely, but it did happen, that things weren’t transferred over properly, for example my phone number had had two numbers reversed. I asked what happens now and they said they would have to try and find another appointment for me. 

I feel that over the past approx 5 years I keep falling through the cracks of the system. The first really annoying, but ok these things happen, but when it continues I feel it isn’t fair. I have memory problems from my medication that I take so I don’t always remember to speak to my doctor about it. But I feel it isn’t fair.