SIR: We see in doctors' surgeries, in hospitals and newspapers about all the time wasted when patients don't keep their appointments and never phone up to cancel. But does it not work both ways?

An elderly lady friend of mine travelled recently by private taxi (as she is partially disabled), and paid her own fare, to keep an appointment at the Royal Eye Hospital, Manchester, to see a consultant at 10am for which she was on time. She was told the surgeon was unavailable as he was away on other matters and told to come again on another date, at 8.30am this time. A phone call would have prevented a wasted journey and a lot of worry and upset.

She had waited two years for an operation on one eye which she had already had a few weeks ago, and it was, unfortunately, not a success, so she has all the worry once again of another operation. I agree no-one should waste doctors' time unnecessarily, a thing I would never dream of doing, but as I see it, let it work both ways.

Jack Boydell, Jutland Grove, Westhoughton

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