"Incompetant administration"

I attended an appointment for an eye examination today (22nd June 2018) having been referred on by my Optician.

I arrived early and was pleasantly surprised when my assessment started almost immediately with an eye test and scan. Being a new patient to the hospital I was then interviewed by a second nurse who led me through a short questionnaire. After some initial questions she asked if I could drive and if so was I driving today and was I alone, I replied yes I did drive myself to the appointment.

She then advised me that it would not now be possible to see the Consultant today as eye drops would be administered as part of the examination meaning driving would not be possible for four hours post treatment.To say I was annoyed would be a extreme under statement. At no time had I been advised either in writing or otherwise that I would need to be accompanied for my appointment, I had specifically arranged to re book an important training event I was running as part of my Consultancy business to accommodate my hospital visit on this particular day. To add insult to injury the nurse told me "this seems to happen quite often" and was only able to offer an embarrassed apology advising that I would need to re schedule the appointment.

Again, my frustration returned when I approached the Receptionist to re book. She offered an alternative date, however not being advised that another appointment may be necessary, I did not have my work diary with me therefore could not commit. I asked if I could ring back to re arrange to which she replied no as it was not possible to book over the phone. I asked what was the solution then, to be told "I don't really know, could you ring back on Monday when someone will tell you"

The appointment after initial contact was a farce, I had re arranged my business and driven from Banbury all for nothing due to the ineptitude of the appointment administrators failure to inform me I required to be accompanied and to be advised "this seems to happen quite often" left me incredulous. The final straw came when trying to re arrange the appointment and being told "could you ring back on Monday when someone will tell you".

I thought to use Warwick for my examination as it was closer than the alternative at the John Ratcliffe in Oxford, however, today is the first and last time I will visit South Warwickshire NHS Trust.