"Generally, and specifically Orthopaedics"

Generally I have been quite happy with Whipps, although you do have to be on the ball, for example I had a gynae op and was told I didn't have any packing ..... 3 days later it emerged when I was at home. Not pleasant and rather a shock! Also having visited A&E recently the senior nurse advised I take anti inflammatories ..... if they'd read my notes properly they would have seen I'm a transplant patient and we can't take anti inflammatories! I would have thought this was basic knowledge when giving out pain medication?! Orthopaedics - I'm desperately trying to get through to this department but the phones are never answered, I'm due an appointment in July 2015 and am trying to get something sooner, actually urgently, as I'm in sudden excruciating knee pain (I have been under Whipps for this for two years) but I cannot get through. I was told when at my last appointment they don't answer the phones because they're too busy. Not good enough .... and the clinics run up to 2.5 hours behind. I feel sorry for the staff, I value my NHS, they've saved my life but the sheer volume of people just cannot be dealt with thoroughly.