"Six hour wait."

Long story short: I arrived in good time for a mid-morning appointment, for vacuum aspiration under conscious sedation. I left late afternoon.

While I am endlessly grateful for the service, I believe that it is so inefficiently run as to be virtually unsustainable.

For one thing, nobody communicates. It somehow occurred to them only that day that I was on prescribed medication - never mind that I had disclosed it at booking and at my consultation appointment. The doctor reviewed the file “when they got round to it” and understandably I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to have the procedure in the meantime.

Patients are seen on a completely arbitrary basis. As I mentioned, we waited six hours to be seen. Why bother telling me my appointment is before 11 if I won’t walk out before 5 and it takes 4 hours just to admit me?

The receptionist seemed completely wooden and unaware of what was going on whenever I asked what was going on. Couldn’t tell me a thing. I get that they aren't omniscient, I’ve been a receptionist - but some personality and initiative would have helped.

I get nobody is here for a holiday, it isn’t pleasant, but I didn’t feel that any nursing staff exhibited much compassion if any. I wasn’t offered painkillers, I was told off for moving around too quickly, I honestly felt like part of a cattle herd. I was last on the list (despite my early appointment), and everyone just wanted to go home so they went through (most of) the motions.

Ultimately the procedure worked and for that I’m grateful. I do think the pathway is fundamentally flawed, though I doubt my review will do much in spite of the stock reply every review on here seems to receive.