"Terrible experience of phone to emergency helpline"

I had exactly the same experience as the reviewer I saw in January 2019. Assured by the central switchboard that the helpline 0121 507 6780 was being answered (early on Sunday afternoon), I kept trying to phone without reply, and was cut off about 7 times within half an hour!

This is now March so there has been over a month to sort this out and still there are apparently not enough staff on the phone lines.

I have had less problem phoning on weekdays within the last few weeks so this may be mainly a weekend problem: a hospital emergency dept must be ready to expect more calls at weekends when GP surgeries are unavailable.

In fairness I should also comment that when actually visiting the dept in the past (having got through the appointment line - or a GP having done it for me) I have had a generally positive experience. To ask how likely I would be to recommend the clinic is however ludicrous: this is as far as I know the only eye emergency centre in the whole city these days so like many others I am forced to use it however wildly inconvenient its location.