8 years ago I suddenly developed vision problems. All the lampposts down the road appeared to be bent! Optician made a hospital appointment and the foreign locum doctor didn't believe me and couldn't find a problem. Over the next 6 months the problem got worse with flashing lights, darkness and unable to see my face in the mirror with that eye. I got myself an emergency appointment, and still another foreign locum couldn't diagnose and went down the route of macular degeneration (I was 50). It was obvious the nurses there were fed up with the incompetence going on, and one of them made sure another appointment was made for me for three weeks and not three months that the doctor stated. She told me she would personally make sure the photos taken would go to the lead consultant (English) which they did. Thanks to her the problem was diagnosed (choroidal haemangioma), a first for him in many years of practice but not unheard of. I still had to wait for the result because the letter hadn't been posted, and I had to ring the consultant's secretary and insist she read it over the phone. This was followed up with a call from the consultant. 6 months was wasted, and if it had turned out to be eye cancer, as was suspected by Sheffield where I was sent, I dread to think of the outcome. Thankfully, it turned out to be a benign tumour which was treated with laser. Such a traumatic time thanks to the local hospital employing such useless eye doctors.