"Lost child urine sample / poor staff response"

We have been our GP Practice for 2 years.  

Today for the second time in 12 months, the staff have lost my childs urine sample.  When speaking to reception staff there seems to be no accountability for the actions and lack of process that leads to these errors.  The sample was handed in at 8:30 this morning for my child who attends the renal outpatient unit.  The consultant requested a urine dip in advance of her appt to check for blood in the urine.

I called in advance to explain I would drop the sample off and that it was for dipping only I said to the receptionist this sample does not need to be sent off to labs, it is for dipping, the practice nurse usually does it.  My daughter has this done every 3-4 months.  I was advised this was fine and to go ahead and drop the sample. 

Due to COVID the samples are dropped into a black post box outside the practice, it was dropped in with her name and DoB on the label.  I called the practice around 330pm to check the result.  The receptionist responded saying that they don't have a note of that, they were not sure where the sample was, and could I phone back in a few hours and I'll see if it's turned up?.  Not exactly a professional response in my opinion, and a real lack of accountability or escalation to get the issue resolved.

I was called back around 430 after my husband also chased them for the sample.  The same receptionist told me that they couldn't find the sample and that they don't have the sample, none can find it.  they checked the nurses office and it's not there and the nurse was away for the day.  They then asked if I could you take another sample?.  I told the receptionist this was wholly unacceptable and that her response was unprofessional and she cut me off whilst I was talking, I think trying to fob me off and get me off the phone.  I advised her it was rude to cut people off when trying to put a point across.  I asked for a Practice Manager to call me back.  

My daughter finds giving urine samples upsetting and it triggers her to ask about her appt and hospitals and why she has to go to hospital.  The only solution now is to have to get another sample, which we won't have the results of now in time for her appt. 

Not once but twice in the past 12 months I've had to get my daughter to give two samples due to this GP practice.  It seems to me that they clearly don't have robust processes around sample collection - if they did this wouldn't have happened once, let alone twice.  

In my experience, the reception staff are poor at responding to problems like this and do not offer solutions or an escalation process.  Asking patients or their carers just to call back in a few hours in my opinion is a poor response.

Once again we'll get a half hearted apology and it will likely happen again further down the line.  It's unnerving to have little trust in a GP practice, you have no choice but to be with due to the catchment.