"An anxious wait"

My relative attended the cancer centre at Altnagelvin for a first appointment with an oncologist.  The appointment letter stated the appointment was for 13:00 but advised being there 15 mins earlier which we were. We approached the main reception desk and were directed where to sit and wait to be called. We waited until 13.25pm until someone approached us and asked the patient's name.  They spoke to me and not my relative and asked, name, what time his appointment was at and wrote this down on a piece of paper. They then asked my relative in front of a very busy waiting room 'are you on treatment?'

I explained this was the first appointment with the oncologist. It was then another long wait to actually see the doctor. We were in the waiting room for 1 hour in total before being called for the appointment. My relative was becoming very anxious and increasingly frustrated at the wait, but also because people who entered the waiting area after him were called in before him.

The length of time waiting for any interaction was very long given the nature of the appointment. And there was very little privacy in a busy, large waiting area. There should be some way to check in privately and to ensure you are seen as close to the appointment time as possible