"Appointments"

We are sorry that you have found this system frustrating and are sorry if this has caused you distress following your treatment in London. The appointments system is a relatively new process, which was in fact designed to try and eliminate the problem of appointments being cancelled at short notice, either by the patient or the hospital, when unavoidable events occurred (for example holidays which were not booked at time that the appointment was booked or staff leaving). It was felt that by making appointments closer to the time of the clinic, patients and staff would have a better idea of their availability, and therefore avoid so many clinic or appointment cancellations. The demand on the Eye Department has increased considerably over the past 18 months due to an increase in referrals caused by a change in referral criteria, causing a longer waiting period. We do realise there are problems responding to this increase in workload, and are trying very hard to address them. If you would like a more personalised response, and/or any further help with making your appointment, please contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) at palsworthing@wsht.nhs.net.