"The staff who dealt with me were ..."

What I liked

The staff who dealt with me were friendly, knowledgable and effective.

What could be improved

I was called for a 10:45 outpatient appointment and arrived slightly early. My arrival was noted quickly, but I was then kept waiting for almost an hour and a half before seeing the consultant. (My appointment was then dealt with in less than ten minutes.)

I understand that hospitals are unpredictable places and that rigid schedules cannot always be kept to. Delays and so forth are inevitable. But there was no information given at any time, nor even (when I eventually saw the consultant) any acknowledgement that there had been a delay. I work in a university, and if I kept a student waiting for an appointment by even five minutes I would apologise profusely. Of course it happens. But a recognition that long waits cause frustration and (in some cases) anxiety would seem to me to be a matter of elementary courtesy. And while the individuals I dealt with were marvellous, I have the sense that courtesy_ is not something the hospital bureaucracy prioritises.