"Inefficiency from a nurse at Stuart Crescent Surgery"

I have not been to hospital for some time now, but have some strong opinions about my GP surgery and its blatant inefficiency.

My experience the other day was that I went to see the nurse at Stuart Crescent Surgery, Wood Green, North London N22. I had an appointment at 8.30am which I had made a week ago, to review my asthma, but on arrival I was asked to wait. At 8.55 I noticed the nurse sneaking into her office from the front door, and I was called at 9.00; the nurse said she was sorry I had had to wait, but Reception had not told her I was there! This is not only an insult to my intelligence, but an insult to the receptionists, who do a good job there, despite the worst efforts of the medical staff. Following that, she asked how long I had had asthma (my notes should have informed her I had had it for over 15 years), then told me what medicines I had for it, and how to use each one and that I should use them more frequently when my asthma is worse.

Therefore, I had to arrive nearly an hour late for work in order that she could severely irritate me and waste my time! Is this an efficient use of taxpayers' money? Such lateness, feeble excuses and failure to do basic homework would, out here in the real world, result in a warning, written or verbal, on the path to dismissal. What happens in the NHS to such time-wasters and clock-watchers?

There was a post-script to my experience - a few days after this appointment with the nurse, I had a letter from her saying she had just noticed I had not been followed up for a cholesterol test, so I should book another appointment to come back immediately! I have not had time to reply to that yet, but wondered why she could not have noticed that before getting me to come in for the asthma check in the first place, and killed two birds with one stone.