Letters Extra - Appointments lottery

Published: 8 April, 2010

• FURTHER to the letter about the Royal Free hospital (Patients put off with ‘bumped’ appointments, March 25) rest assured, that the appointments letter fiasco at least, is not confined to the one department.
My father has had dealings with two major departments over the past two years and nothing has improved in that time. Invariably appointment letters take a week to arrive – we think it is because the hospital saves costs by not using Royal Mail – and often arrive after the appointment.
Best was last month when, after several phone calls, two letters both dated March 8, one for a preoperative appointment on March 15 and one for admission on March 23, both came on March 27.
 It was irrelevant anyway as the operation had been “bumped” to March 30.
NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED, N6