"Outstanding, Surprisingly."

I'd put off seeking an appointment for some time, partly based on dispiriting past experiences of dealing with reception staff and the woeful on-line booking system, and also the daily stories about long waits etc.

However, I was given a link to a new website, which, though I object to having to fill in a form online at all, still less to hazard a guess about what my symptoms might mean in response to a question 'what are you worried about', (words to that effect), the system worked perfectly.

Within an hour or so I had a medical student call and take a detailed case history of the two concerns I had, within about three hours I was with the doctor at Marymead surgery and by the end of the consultation I felt that action was being taken.

I don't know if I was lucky on this occasion, or whether my 'senior' age had something to do with it, but really, I don't see how it could have gone better.

The only annoying/disappointing factors were a three week wait for blood tests, and the fact that when I went to deliver samples the next day as requested, the surgery was closed. If I'd been told the surgery would be closed I could have obviously saved a wasted journey.

All in all though, it would be churlish to complain too much about this. I wanted to see a doctor and got to see one within a few hours, so from my point of view it was mission accomplished.