MY wife had become very ill on a Saturday afternoon. We phoned the out-of-hours doctor at 2.50pm.

By 6pm we were getting concerned and phoned again to be told that they were very busy, but they would be on their way.

At 10pm still no doctor. We phoned once again and were told that a doctor would phone. This happened at 11pm.

He was very nice and sympathetic and would get a doctor to us at 10am.

The following morning 10am went and at 1pm, the doctor arrived and she was absolutely brilliant and diagnosed a very serious problem, for which she dealt with exceptional professionalism, for which we were very grateful.

But is it considered the norm for a wait of 23 hours before the visit of a doctor to a 77-year-old person?

DEREK PUTTICK, Sydney Road, Christchurch