Letter: Hospital appointment system is a joke

In the bad old days when a consultant wanted to review mine or my wife’s case they sent us an appointment and we had to make time to attend.

Now we are sent a letter asking us to make an appointment at a convenient time by ringing an appointment line. So much more choice, appointments to suit us, no more taking unplanned time off. Such an improvement how thoughtful of the trust to think of us.

So we duly and with a touch of excitement rang to make appointments that would be at our convenience. Delightful call staff answered our calls and took our details and then told us that they couldn’t make appointments either for me with cardiology or for my wife for orthopaedics as the lists were full, instead they’d sent an appointment in the post just like they did in the past. What an excellent improvement! Or an absolute waste of time and money, I leave it for readers to decide.

As a post script my wife received another letter saying that as she hadn’t been in touch they were referring her back to her GP. You couldn’t make it up. I am glad our hospital is in such safe hands.

Paul Tipping

Church Lane

Thornhill