"All experiences except surgical appliances"

I have experienced casualty, assessment, acute ward, medical day centre and many of the outpatient departments, everyone and everywhere so far was excellent (no further detail needed, I think) with the sole exception of 'Surgical Appliances' service. In Surgical Appliances there was a seven-week waiting period for the simple service of having tights measured and fitted, and when we did go the service provider was unwilling to measure up for fully fitted tights in spite of keeping us sitting there for more than twice the time that the measurements eventually took (after another ridiculously long wait). Now we have another unnecessary long wait to have the tights checked for fit. The apparent consequence of these waits has been a number of faints, revised appointments with the falls clinic, and possibly an additional visit to casualty. Based on my experience, suitable organisation and attitudes would allow the throughput to be more than doubled with the same staffing, and the waiting periods to be dramatically reduced. The cost of the present arrangements (both to the patients and to other departments in the hospital) must surely exceed the direct cost of the service.