"DART appointment booking"

When my G.P. suggested a specialist referral I expected to be sent an appointment by post or to be contacted by telephone.

Instead I received a leaflet from DART asking me to phone an 0845 (local charge) number to make an appointment. I phoned at 2.30 on a Thursday and got a welcoming message and was put on hold, listening to music, for 8mins. 50 secs after which i got a message saying I had reached someone's mail box and should leave a message! I rang off and phoned again.

I got through quite quickly to someone who suggested I make an appointment at Torbay hospital and put me on hold (with music again, for a couple of minutes).

As all my previous treatment was at RD&E Wonford I asked for an appointment there and was told this would have to be made by the consultant's secretary who would contact me - which was just what I had expected in the first place. What on earth is all this about? The old system seemed to work just fine and the added bureaucracy, letters, postage and phone calls seems a total waste of time.