The new university hospital in Trenton, which the Health Minister Victoria Culley has described as a "shining example" to hospitals all over the country, has been open now for over six months. Having heard several complimentary   comments about the organization and efficiency of the place, I decided to see for myself. In spite of arriving early, I found that there were already long queues at the reception desks. While I was waiting, I looked around and had to admit that it is an impressive building: large and light with marble everywhere. Eventually my turn came and I presented my doctor's letters to the receptionist, who informed me that I was in the X-ray queue and I'd have to go to another queue and start again! I couldn't believe it and asked her if it might be possible to give me an appointment card anyway without making me queue up again. She informed me it was no good arguing with her and I should have read the sign, an almost invisible piece of card saying "X-rays" just in front of her where very few people can have seen it. No matter how hard I tried to persuade her, she wouldn't give me an appointment card for a blood test, so I started queuing again and finally got the card at 8: 30! I then set off for the blood test room, following the nice new signs until they suddenly stopped and I realized that I was in a part of the hospital that hasn't been finished yet! When I got to the door I saw a notice saying "Back in 10 minutes". I sat down and waited for 30 minutes before a doctor appeared and told me to come in without, of course, apologizing for keeping me waiting. I asked him why I'd had to wait and he explained he'd had to help out in another ward which was understaffed as a result of a flu epidemic   among the doctors! I got out of the hospital at 9:45 a.m. and breathed a sigh of relief. I'm now waiting for the results. So, Mrs. Culley, a far from rosy picture. Certainly the public should be under no illusions   that things have changed for the better. Perhaps you should visit the hospital as an anonymous outpatient   rather than a government minister if you really want to know what it's like unless, as I suspect, you don't actually care about much. What did the author find when he got to the hospital?
There were no doctors at all. Doctors were polite and patient to patients. A lot of people were waiting in line. There were nice new signs everywhere in the hospital.