"Impressed with the way we were treated"

I want the Trust to know how impressed I was with the way my father and I were treated in the outpatient eye clinic last Thursday morning.

Despite the fact that the clinic was running 120 minutes late (as posted on the white board in the waiting room) the Registrar took time to read my father’s copious notes and was keen to investigate a course of treatment that could potentially improve my father’s failing eyesight. He called in the consultant, Mr Herbert to discuss the possible treatments and they gave my father and me a clear explanation of the available options.

My father has vascular dementia and needs time to assimilate new information and at no time did he feel rushed to make a decision.

I am most grateful to Mr Herbert and his Registrar for the care and respect they showed my father when they were working in a very pressurised situation with 10 or more patients still waiting to be seen in their morning clinic at 12.30pm.

It is remarkable that clinicians are able to function in such a professional and caring manner in a situation which, in their own words, is ‘unacceptable’.

My sincere hope is that resources can be managed in such a way as to reduce the pressure on the clinicians and also reduce the length of time each patient is kept waiting.