Repeat performance

I still haven't had a response from the hospital's surgical administrators to the query I raised ten days ago about the strange date for my interim outpatient appointment, ten weeks instead of four weeks after my operation. Neither has our GP surgery practice manager. So, yesterday, on her advice I rang the number of an office of the Cardiff and Vale Community Health Council, which offers support to patients in sorting out appointment concerns.

I spoke to a sympathetic lady called Donna who made notes on the story I told her and promised to get in touch with those responsible, and find out what is meant to be happening. 

There was no further contact from her at the end of the afternoon - typical Friday afternoon I guess, and there was nothing in the mail and no phone call today. We'll see what Monday brings. The same office helps people to make official complaints to the Local Health Board, and if this isn't sorted out in the coming week, in time for the outpatient appointment I was promised, this is the path I will take. It seems that however excellent the medical, surgical or nursing service that's offered, the managing of it all is chaotic, inefficient and error prone. And to think of the money spent on paying the elite few to oversee and support the front line teams!

Anyway, this evening, we went to the Millennium Centre for the WNO's performance of the third of Donizetti's Tudor cycle of operas 'Roberto Devereux'. It was the same production was we last saw on 6th October 2013, with a different cast of excellent singers, but still with Carlo Rizzi conducting. He's a great favourite with audience. It was only as the opera progressed that I realised that I had seen it before. The music and its performance were wonderful, but there are no memorable popular arias to establish it in the long term memory. I appreciate the sheer virtuosity in 'bel canto' operas, but this doesn't imprint itself upon me emotionally. The drab production was forgettable too. Looking back at what I wrote after last seeing this, my opinion hasn't changed.

The best part about the evening was bumping into Fr Hywel Davies in the foyer beforehand. He had been given four free tickets for the performance, and had invited Diana, Pete and Val, all of who we know. We had time for a snack supper together and a natter before the performance. Diana offered us a lift home by text, but as our phones were off, we didn't pick up the message until we were on the bus heading to the city centre. If fact, we were lucky to get a bus which left just minutes after we arrived at the stop, saving us a half hour wait. LIkewise in Westgate Street, where we took a 17 to Canton Cross and walked. We were back home, forty minutes after the performance. I wonder how long it took to retrieve cars and drive the same distance? I must remember to ask.