"Telephone communication"

I tried to get through to the JR this morning to enquire about a very old friend who had been admitted as an emergency. It took more than 4 minutes for my call to be answered. This is not good enough if you are very anxious about a dying relation. How many staff are there on the switchboard, are they trained to answer calls quickly & re-direct them as fast as possible? It was not always like this; I have rung the hospital countless times in the past & never had to wait more than half a Minute.