"They’re experts at ignoring you."

I had to attend the emergency eye clinic.

The receptionists are literally just passing the time until their shifts end. They ignore you and have no regard for you though you’re looking right at them. Then they pack up and leave abandoning the patients in the waiting room. Piles of confidential pink outpatient forms left unattended on the counter.

The technician staff from the visual acuity person to the retinal machine person - all going through the motions. No longer treating people as people. Just burnt out and disinterested. ‘Sit here, do this, do that, do this, ok go away now.’

The nurse - not listening, just writing. Going through the motions like she couldn’t care less.

The doctors- slow, taking breaks, having a chat. You sitting there for hours means nothing to them. The only time I saw one hurry was when she ran to go home. I thought there was an emergency but she never came back. Then I asked the nurse and she said the doctor had finished and gone!

Finally... 5 miserable hours later... I was seen and told ‘look here, look there’ and given treatment. I gave them 5 hours and they gave me 5 minutes.

And the manager reading this? Will this ever get through to these people on the ground? I doubt it...

Feedback posters everywhere, but they’re not really interested.