"Sydney Eye Hospital"

I arrived at Sydney Eye Hospital with a referral from my GP and went into the line for the Triage Nurse where the sign stated Come Here First. I felt that the triage nurse ignored me, turned around and started treating what appeared to be a friend of one of her colleagues who was off duty. This colleague buzzed herself and her friend in and as soon as the triage nurse saw her she walked away from her station and treated the colleague's friend immediately. There was much laughing for more than 10 minutes. When I could get the attention of the staff member working on the General Inquiries line she told me to join the General Inquiries line. Why isn't there adequate signage at this Reception area? Why is there a sign telling you to go to the Triage Nurse first when that is not correct? Why isn't the signage at this Reception area clearer? Because of inadequate signage several people who arrived after me were seen before me.

This Reception area is like a public walkway with many passers by coming in to use the toilets. One person whose face and head was covered went into one of the toilets with 4 very large items of luggage. Another lady waiting in Reception and I were so concerned we moved away from that toilet.

The Triage nurse was not calling out patients names clearly or loudly enough and because of this an elderly gentleman missed being seen when he should have been. This is a very noisy area because the doors are almost constantly opening and closing from passers by coming in to use the toilets and the TV sound is on.

I had to wait almost 4.5 hours to see a doctor which really is too long. Whilst there I encountered other patients who I believe came in because they had conjunctivitis. Shouldn't these people be seeing a GP for this type of thing? And shouldn't people who have gone to the expense and trouble of seeing their GP first and obtain a referral be seen before patients who don't go to a GP and have minor problems that could be looked after by a GP? Summing up, it was a very poor experience.