"Cancelled appointments"

My mother has been suffering from dementia for some time but until recently she has been able to attend hospital herself. She attends the Rheumatology clinic under Dr. Wijesooriya. I cancelled appointments in late 2014 as she could not attend on Wednesdays and been given a new date so that I can bring her to the hospital. I live in Yorkshire so I have had to make arrangements to come to Kent to do this. With 10 days to go the appointment has been cancelled. On phoning I was informed the whole clinic was cancelled and the consultant was ill. Does the whole of the department stop without the consultant?

This is not the first time this has happened over the last few years.