Turns out

that it pays to chat with phlebotomists while they're drawing your blood.

I've had issues with my GP surgery since moving in with the poet. If you want to see an NHS GP (i.e. not pay) you are restricted to a number of surgeries near where you live. I dream of the days in Brisbane when I could register with a GP close to my place of work. Now I have to practically take half a day off work for an appointment, when you factor in the waiting times. British GPs are supposed to allow 10 minutes per patient - apparently the average appointment is only 7 minutes. Not ideal. But I realise that the NHS has to cater for a huge, and growing, population.

The receptionists were often rude and impatient, although they have someone new there now who seems ok. My actual GP is nice enough but has several times given me conficting advice (you should just stay on your antidepressants always vs you shouldn't stay on them too long, and the particularly helpful, time-honoured advice to someone who was depressed, and had severe endometriosis and might encounter problems conceiving - 'you should have a baby.' Uh. Thanks.

Plus she was quite slow and difficult to understand because she turned away from you when she spoke which did no favours to her fairly soft voice and 'Indian' accent. I didn't have a lot of faith in her ability to look after my medical care. The poet could not believe how dopey she was the time he accompanied me for an appointment. I had to basically tell her what blood test to do to find out why I was so tired all the time - my haemoglobin levels were normal but my serum ferritin was low. She did refer me quickly when there was actually something serious wrong though.

I considered changing surgeries several times, but was always put off by that fact that that surgeries I heard good things about were not taking on new patients, and the fear that I might change surgeries, only to find I had a GP who was just as useless, but not nice as well. At least she was pleasant, and I am an informed enough patient to be able to do my own research and ask for the right tests etc.

Anyway, turns out, according to the phlebotomist, that she is no longer at the surgery (last time I had an appointment I asked for the other doctor as I couldn't be bothered dealing with her) due to a 'spot of bother' of which he was not in a position to reveal details. And she won't be coming back.

I shall be writing to the local primary care trust (her employer) post haste, because I really want to know what happened.