"Shambolic Mess"

After attending my pre-assessment appointment I was sent to the Cardiology Department for an ECG. I handed over the slip of paper to the person who runs the front of house desk and took my place in the queue. There were three patients in front of me. Those three patients were dealt with, then another three patients came and were seen and so on. I asked the receptionist if the receptionist wanted me to come back another time to which the receptionist replied "who are you" I stated my name date of birth which the receptionist keyed into the system and told me my paperwork had been lost, there were three of us waiting to be seen when I arrived , so presumably three pieces of paper. I know that the receptionist was busy was busy showing colleagues pictures of her new puppy, having a laugh with some colleagues but obviously not keeping an eye on the waiting room. After around ten minutes they finally found the slip of paper and sent me for my appointment, where I walked past the group of specially trained clinicians who are trained to carry out ECG's and into the treatment room where I was seen my a student.

If I turn on the television I am likely to see senior NHS Executives telling all and sundry how the NHS workforce are exhausted and are in need of a pay rise, not in my experience today. Three or four highly skilled clinicians drinking tea or coffee whilst their student carries out what I would describe as a very good job. Exhausted indeed.