"Why do l have to chase up my appointments !!!"

I have had nothing but trouble trying to get my due appointments on the time requested, In the last four years I have had to either ask my G P to phone the Appointments Dept. or drive to the Machen Eye unit and enquire myself. I appreciate this dept. can be a very busy unit but if I am told my next appointment would be in 3 months, 6months or a year then surely this should be the case. I shouldn't have to ask my GP to chase it up neither should I have to drive to the hospital and tell them that my appointment is well over due. I have Glaucoma and the last thing I want is for my vision to deteriorate any more than it is now so why no one seems to be interested in this is a mystery to me. My Wife visited her Optician this year and was told she could not have any new glasses because she has cataracts and was told by the Optician to go to her G P and ask for a referral to the eye hospital. An appointment came from the Machen Eye Unit which she attended. On seeing the eye specialist they greeted her with " What are you here for " my Wife was shocked that a person in his position should be so uncaring and said to me perhaps they were having a bad day, anyway after they examined her eyes they said they would see her in 3 months and yes you've guessed it that appointment is already 3 weeks overdue. I do not like criticizing the NHS because it does fantastic work looking after the Nation but in this case the appointments people should be made aware of this situation. I really don't expect any favourable treatment from the Machen Eye Unit but surely appointments are the very basic things that should be right.