"Kings College: from bad to worse. Disorganisation is contagious"

I was supposed to see a specialist in March. Kings put it back a month to April. I turned up and waited several hours to be told the consultant had gone home. A man told me to come back the following week and tell the receptionist to squeeze me in somehow (very professional).

I made sure I left with a phone number of some one connected to the specialist, as I did not want to waste more time. I rang and was told that had I turned up on the day the man told me to tell the receptionist to squeeze me, there is no way I would have been seen as the clinic was overbooked. (So it seems this hospital knowingly overbooks)

I had to accept a date another month away (now 2 months after the original appointment was supposed to be). I was told that least I would be guaranteed seeing him and it was at the start of the day so I would not sit around wasting hours of time when I should be at work.

You could have knocked me down with a feather when today I received 2 letters: one confirming my appointment a month away, and another telling me that appointment had been cancelled and I should now turn up on the day that was overbooked!

As I am employed full time, I need a reasonable amount of notice to reschedule work, I also have to check whether my employer would be happy for me to take yet more time off work (it would be the 3rd hospital appt in 1 week, as I have many different health issues: that includes the half day wasted when I didn't get to see the specialist)

Also, why would I turn up on a day I have been told is overbooked and that my consultant may not even be there?

When I tried to make sense of it by calling Kings I was told I had now lost my slot a month away and it may not be able to have that appointment. They seemed surprised when I said I needed a reasonable amount of notice. Telling me on a Thursday I have an appointment on the Monday is not good enough.

This hospital have just screwed things up it seems

I have given up ever seeing my consultant. There comes a cut off point when you have to just give up and walk away. Otherwise it causes too much stress and takes up too much time. It's an exercise in futility.

What saddens me is I had to fight so hard to be referred to him in the first place.

It is also notable that this hospital knowingly overbooks, so they knowingly waste our time.