"Spacious and airy."

What I liked

Spacious and airy.

What could be improved

Booking system:

Fractured my wrist in another country 4 weeks ago and received initial care there - just a plaster cast.

I went to Edgware Walk-In centre 9 days ago to get continuation of care and was told to go to Central Middlesex A&E where I could get an appointment for the Fracture Clinic there. Edgware Walk-In centre also told me that I do not need to get a referral from my GP as I had an x-ray and note from the doctor who initially treated me.

Central Middlesex Hospital A&E told me that they could not get me an appointment as the Trauma was closed (being a Sunday). They then gave me a number to call.

Called Trauma the following day and was told that the person who books the appointments was at lunch. I continued the conversation with the operator and was then told that I must have a referral from my GP and that my x-ray and note from a foreign doctor was not valid.

I booked an appointment with my GP and was initially given an appointment 2 weeks from then. I told my GP surgery that I could not wait this long for treatment as I still have a suspected broken hand on top of the fractured wrist. They told me that I would need to book an emergency appointment the next day. Got home that evening and got a voicemail stating that I could just pickup the referral from the reception at the surgery the following day. So someone saw sense.

Next day I called Trauma again to book an appointment as I now had my referral from my GP. I got through to a human operator after numerous attempts initially with a computer. I explained my circumstances to the operator and was put through to Trauma outpatients. They said I was put through to wrong number. So I had to call again and had a chat with that computer again before reaching the human operator. The operator told me that the woman who does the bookings was on a training course and I was then promptly put through to an unknown answer machine. I hung up. See 'Anything else? for continuation...

Anything else?

Today I called up again and finally got through to the correct person and was told that I must fax through my referral. I'm now worried that I have another set of phonecalls to make and that the experience so far reflects the standard of care at this clinic.

Concluding I find this very exhausting. Does it have to be this difficult?