"communication by some staff is appalling"

Anything else?

The pain clinc, once you have been reffered, has for me been a life saver. Once I had found the right consultant the treatment I have recieved has been excellent and has meant I could continue working. The time frame to see a consultant can be lengthy but worth it.

The only critisism I have is of the staff that control appointments for proceedures, NOT the main desk staff who always do their best to accommodate. Patients being able to find out where they are on the waiting list and being spoken to in a polite and helpful way should be something that happens automatically surely, especially when the person concerned or their carer is in pain and anxious to be treated. Although staff cannot change the circumstances

Where they are up against long waiting lists they should in my opinion answer messeages left on answer machines and communicate with patients with empathy. This in my experience recently has not happened.