Waiting for care is bothersome

I went to see one of the finest doctors in Aiken for an annual visit. When I arrived a few minutes ahead of time, the waiting room was full. I signed in and sat.

One-and-a-half hours later, I went back to the receptionist and told her who I was, that I had waited an hour-and-a-half and had not even gotten to the inner waiting room, where I usually have to wait another 30 or 45 minutes before being led to an examining room, where I usually have to wait about 15 minutes before seeing the doctor. I told her I was not going to wait any longer ... .

Last fall, I saw a different doctor two times for different reasons. Both times I arrived as scheduled to a full waiting room and had to wait more than two hours before seeing the doctor. When I spoke to the receptionist to make the next appointment, I asked for a time in which I would not have so long to wait. She suggested 11:45 a.m., because the doctor always wants to leave for lunch at noon and "he empties the waiting room before leaving."

... Do doctors and their staffs have so little regard for their patients that they don't care, or are they ignorant of the problems they cause? I'm sure one answer would be that the doctors frequently get delayed at the hospital before getting to the office, or sometimes a patient takes longer and delays others, or emergencies come up, or drug salesmen have priority and have to be seen before patients, etc. None of these reasons make sense when it happens every day. ...

This is a problem that many people face daily and it would be helpful if it were to be given some attention.

Neil O. Myers, Aiken, S.C.