"A shame that excellent treatment was so badly..."

What I liked

The staff I came in contact with were extremely pleasant, courteous and caring.

The service from the ultra-sound team was excellent, relatively speedy and seemed highly proficient.

The cystoscopy eaxmination was dealt with simply and quickly and I was kept informed throughout.

What could be improved

The creation of an appointment after referral from my GP was surpisingly quick. I arrived about five minutes early for a 0915 appointment on the 7th of December at the Urology department.

Within about 20 minutes I had been asked to supply a urine sample and then to drink plenty of water. Having completed this, there was no further contact until I asked for an up-date around 1045. I was informed that the consultant was on his way from a regular Wednesday meeting (why was I booked for a 0915 appointment if it was known no-one would be available until 1045 at the earliest?).

I was then given a 'chit' and asked to attend the ultra-sound department (why could this not have been done while I was waiting for the consultant?). There was a short wait for the ultra-sound but I was back in the Urology clinic within 30 minutes.

A further wait to be seen by the Registrar and after a review of the ultra-sound and a quick cystoscopy eaxmination, my appointment was complete.

I did speak to the departmental manager about the waiting times and was given some explanation which was not convincing.

However, my concern still remains. I spent three and a half hours in the hospital during which less than 60 minutes was relevant to my case. A rough calculation suggests a less than 30% efficient use of time - not great by any standards.