"receptionist + nurses = unhappy patient"

I went to Sunderland Royal Hospital today, for an appointment that I have been waiting for, for nearly 8 months. My appointment was at 10.30. I checked in to receptionist at 10.20, even though she couldn't find me on the computer screen. She directed me to the waiting area for my appointment.

I was waiting until 11.40 before a nurse called me in for my assessment. When she called me in, she told me that the receptionist should have booked me in on the computer system and should have giving me appointment forms to fill in before any nurse could call me in.

The doctor refused to see me because the nurse only called me in after my appointment time. He told the nurse that I was the one who turned up late for my appointment ''in his eye's''. As it was past my appointment time when she called me in.

The nurse came with me back to reception to rearrange an appointment for me. The receptionist then said to the nurse that I was on the system before my appointment all along. Then technically the nurse had no reason not to have called me in when my appointment was due. But the receptionist couldn't book me another appointment because it was a ''choose and book'' appointment. So they told me that I would have to go back to my doctor to get them to re-refer me back to the hospital. I am having to book another appointment with my doctor and to have to wait another 8 months for a hospital appointment.

I work as a nurse and if I told a patient that reception didn't follow procedure on appointment booking and that doctors and consultants clinics are having to cancel patients appointments, I would get a disciplinary order against me.

With my condition, my employer has had to refer me to occupational health because of all the problems that I have had recently. So for my department to let me have some time off when we are short staffed for treatment and now to be told I will have to have another day off from my patients to get myself better. Its not fair on my patients and its not fair for me to lose another days pay for other peoples mistakes. I'm I wrong?