"The outpatient glaucoma clinic is a disgrace"

Over the past five to six years my mother has had so many appointments cancelled that referrals to this clinic have just added hugely to her distress. At one stage after appontments were cancelled yet again she was mistakenly taken off the list and was told she would have to begin again as a new patient needing a referral from a GP.,depite having been a patient there for 20years. Getting appointments rearranged has been a nightmare leading to complaints and umpteen phone calls to get appointments rebooked. She has had appointments cancelled on the same day. Nurses and doctors were at one stage encouraging people to make complaints.

We have constantly been told that more clinics were being arranged yet at each appointment very elderly, frail and unwell people are routinely waiting two hours ,often standing up, in a dim airless waiting room to see a specialist. Most of the people are elderly .is this how they get away with it? Younger more vocal groups would not be as tolerant if subjected to this disgraceful treatment. Most of the receptionists,nurses and doctors are marvelous.during all the years of attending this clinic only one doctor stands out for his incredible rudeness to a very unwell and frail lady. There was no greeting just a rude 'have you been smoking' I can smell it I think....this after a wait ofover two hours and a long journey to the clinic in a wheelchair. He made no effort to help her into the chair or back into it except to hold his arm out in a way which could well have dislocated fragile bones. He questioned her about her medication in such a rude and abrupt way she was made to feel foolish about not having the answers immediately, she was spoken to then like an idiot. If it was possible she would like never to go to this clinic again in case of meeting this one doctor whose insensitivity and rudeness in handling frail persons has coloured all her previous positive encounters with health workers there..This hospital needs to get its priorities right, this kind of experience in a hospital which boasts of world class facilities is just outrageous