"I feel it is very unfair"

My husband was referred to the Sleep Apnoea service at the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (NHS Grampian) 3 years, 8 months ago.

He has waited patiently for his appointment, been contacted by the Clinic on a couple of occasions to see if he wanted to remain on the waiting list for assessment, (Yes!), and been reassured on at least 2 occasions since the summer of 2023 that he was "near the top and should hear from them soon".  He telephoned this month to enquire how much longer the wait would be, only to be told they are booking urgent cases only at the moment.

I feel it is very unfair on people like my husband, who has waited so long to be seen, for NHS Grampian to change the goalposts like this without patients on their Sleep Apnoea waiting list being notified. What might start out as a routine referral for assessment may have become urgent in the intervening years, but how can that be gauged if patients have not been told that only urgent cases are now being seen? What is going to happen to all those patients who have waited years for an assessment and are now being sidelined? He has no idea when, or even if, he is ever going to get an appointment now. I feel the Sleep Apnoea service should be writing to all "routine" patients on their waiting list advising them that only urgent cases are being reviewed, if only to give them the opportunity to discuss with their GPs if they feel their lengthy wait has potentially affected the seriousness of any underlying condition that might merit an urgent review now.