"an opthalmic out patients appointment"

I was due for my annual check up in May which was cancelled by yourselves during the lockdown.  I was contacted about 2 weeks ago offering to rebook this appointment which I did agree to somewhat reluctantly as we have been isolating since March - my husband is asthmatic so we need to avoid this virus.  But having confidence in the hospital to keep me safe whilst attending the appointment, I booked for a recent Saturday 2.50pm. 

I received a text message telling me that wearing a face covering was mandatory and I wouldn't be admitted without one.  My husband dropped me off outside Area K just past the crossing between Area K and Area M in just enough time to allow me to walk up to Area L to reach the department at 2.50pm. 

As I got out of the car, two women went in through the doors to Area M.  In all previous appointments I have walked up through Area M to the top, turned left and left again to access the department on the left. I hadn't realised that the entrance had been moved since my last appointment in May 2019.  As I walked up past the Labour wards on the right, the two women were waiting to enter the ward - neither were wearing face coverings despite being inside a hospital building.  One quickly put on a face mask as I approached them and the other covered her face with her cardigan.  Already somewhat nervous with this visit, this encounter really knocked my confidence in the NHS. 

Then, having passed them I found the doors further up the long corridor locked with no sign of the access to Area L.  I walked back down the corridor and turned right to go out through the other door which leads back down to the quadrangle outside Area K - still no signs to Area L.  In desperation I walked back down through the grounds looking for a sign which would help - there is a multi sign post outside Area J on the right which points to Area L but having walked all around Area J not finding any further signs, I was now late for my appointment and thoroughly disenchanted with the whole experience. 

My confidence had taken a battering and I found it very upsetting - having kept us safe since before lockdown, this was not the experience of attending a hospital appointment that I needed.