"Pain in my right eye? Not now!"

On holiday in the Caribbean, opened one eye early one morning and the pain hit me like a knife, only marginally less painful when I snapped it shut, and kept it shut for the rest of the morning and could see the GP.

A very good GP there too, his immediate reaction was cautious and he sought advice on the phone and was able to recommend three things: first, Advil pills to numb the pain (a bit), second, two drops of Maxidrex in the eye, and third, there not being any eye doctor on that small island, for me to fly as soon as possible to London to Moorfields.

I was there in two days, still in pain, where the excellent receptionist, a chap, was quick, friendly, and courteous (stood to speak to me), and quickly had me seated in the right area.

The wait to see the doctor was reasonable, maybe 20 minutes, before I was seen by a caring man did a protracted examination, with a running commentary about what he was looking for and where and why, concluding that while Maxidrex was the right treatment, twice drops a day had to be replaced by six a day for a week, then five a day for the next week, four a day for the next, etc..

He then called on his consultant for a second opinion, who agreed after his reexamination, approved the prescriptions, sent me to the "follow the yellow brick road" signing (very clever) to the pharmacy where the jolly chap there took no time at all filling the request.

I have served as a non-executive director of an NHS hospital and on its governance committee, and Moorfields put it all to shame.

I looked for a fault and couldn't find one.

Your staff, your signage, your professionalism, clear system rigour and courtesy is a model of what a good hospital should be.

I mentioned it to several of my many friends in British practice, and they were all unanimous, even Sir Cyril Chantler, a close friend, who was Chairman of Great Ormand Street, who said to me that Moorfields is excellent.Well done!

Sir Robert Worcester