"Appointments dysfunctional."

The following comments relate solely to the administration of appointments, not to the medical treatment received with which I am very satisfied.

I have been attending the glaucoma department at the HRI and the Fountain Street unit for many years and repeatedly have the same problem obtaining a date for the next appointment.

After seeing the consultant /practitioner a form is handed to the patient which states a period when they should be seen again. Last example was three months. The form is given to the receptionist who then responds by saying a letter will be sent.

The promised letter never arrives so after six months try ringing the appointments department. The phone will probably ring off the hook so keep trying. When you get through the response will probably be "we are very busy" but will refuse to advance book even months ahead. Try again a few months later and luckily this time an apolntment is booked which is nine months since last visit.

After latest apolntment January 2016 nurse practitioner wanted appointment in six to eight weeks to be booked at reception. The usual response about sending a letter was given but I asked for a date before leaving the hospital which was refused point blank and I was asked politely to leave as a queue was building.

It will be interesting to see if the promised letter arrives within the requested time scale.