"First impressions of a new experience -..."

My husband and I made the journey from the south coast to see a relative in the

Adult EDU. We arrived just before 2pm which we knew was a good time as the website told us that we could visit from then and other closer relatives had informed us this was the right thing to do.

There was no one on reception- only a notice to say they would be back in half an hour - but there was no time on this notice, so we had no idea when the half hour wd be up. The receptionist duly arrived a few minutes later, and took verbal details and phoned up the ward - the receptionist then asked how far we had traveled as well as who we were and who we were coming to see - the receptionist then said that we could not go in until 3pm as they had a group meeting - I questioned this, but the receptionist was adamant that is what we had to do.

We sat in the waiting room and I found the web page and showed them the times - still no joy we had to wait.

At 3pm - the shift had now changed we asked to go up - after the required sharing of information and a phone call, this time we were allowed up - but I had to instigate filling in the visitor sheet - very amateurish - and there was only one plastic wallet and no lanyards for the these, and this a supposed private hospital - we went up had our visit (found out that any meetings after lunch lasted about 5minutes - not an hour) our visit was foreshortened due to the wasted hour and we were not searched - which I was told sometimes happens, and sometimes doesn't - ?!! Then we were let out another way - which meant that we did not have to sign out and hand back our visitors badges.

I felt that this whole experience was very unprofessional and disappointing and caused unnecessary frustration and delay, not only to us but to my relative who is very poorly and who had been expecting us after lunch.