"Booking for WiC"

Dear NHS, I visited the WiC at Abingdon Community hospital yesterday (Saturday), because I could not get an appointment at my GP on Friday. On arrival I was told I should have booked an appointment through the 101 service before coming in, and although I would be seen I would have to wait until all the booked patients had been seen. There was a sign on the door saying patients waiting time was currently 30 minutes, but after about 2 hours, when I enquired if I could get a cup of coffee (not without leaving the premises) I was advised there were only two people ahead of me in the queue (I could see that because everyone else had been attended to), so I stayed about another hour before I was seen (at least one other additional patient got in ahead of me I observed). So that's not unusual I suppose, especially as my injury was not life threatening, I hope that the more urgent cases were satisfied with their care, but I do feel you should make it known that appointments are needed - after all the term "Walk in Centre" implies no appointment is necessary. Sorry if I'm wrong - I can see that an alternative meaning of "Walk in Centre" is that it is for people that can get there without assistance, but that is not the general public perception. Please take steps to make clear to the public that an appointment for the WiC should be booked, it will reduce waiting times and congestion in the waiting room and the car park. Yours, Stephen D. Cox