"Waiting for surgery at Liverpool Hospital, NSW"

This is a little old story but I am assured by some people working at Liverpool Public Hospital that little has changed since. I severed my index finger making breakfast on a dreadful morning in 2011 for which I had to go to this hospital.

After sitting in outpatients for over 4 hours, I was finally seen by a GP who advised me that the cut looks too severe and I will have to see a surgeon. The surgeon arrived a couple of hours later to inform me that I had cut an important nerve and will need to undergo a surgery requiring the plastic surgeons. And that I would have to come back the next day. I understood this and left home with some pain killers on the way.

I arrived at the hospital as advised the next day and was sent to the waiting room. I waited the whole day and was told at the end of the day that I will have to return the next day and I complied.

I returned the next day and was again seated in the waiting room and the waiting began. I waited until 5PM and realised the bad news that I would not be operated on that day either. I dug my feet deep and said I would not budge unless I am treated. I refused to go home despite the pleas from the waiting room staff and the surgeon. Taking defeat the nurse in-charge of the area organised a bed for me and I was admitted for another 24 hours until finally at 8: 30PM the following day I was informed that my lucky day has arrived. I was operated on that night and luckily there was no gangrene or any other complications.

Some staff even found such a wait normal and even said I was overreacting.