"Dental Referral"

My GP recently gave me a referral for Dental Treatment due to disability. Upon calling reception (which did take me a few days due to anxiety from past experiences at other dentists) I felt I was spoken to very rudely, and told I needed to bring the referral in, and essentially was hung up on before I could ask any other questions. I respect the Dental service is busy, however surely by now it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect you could be given the option to send the referral electronically.

Given BCH services a very large area, the expectation that some patients will travel a significant distance in order to show a piece of paper in my opinion, is unacceptable. This also does not account for those who may not be able to transport themselves, dont have access to transport, or have significant financial pressures who cannot afford the trip. At the very least, not even being given the option to ask the receptionist whether this was possible is just as bad. I still haven't taken the letter to the Dental Service as yet, because this experience has heightened my anxiety even further, putting off treatment needed to my own detriment.