I arrived at my local hospital at 8.30 yesterday for a 9 am appointment and it turned into quite an adventure. My mission – to find Ealing Hospital’s MRI Unit, ideally within 15 minutes because there is a deal of admin to go through before you have a scan. (There is a long form to fill in where you have to remember whether there is any metal inside your body – a pacemaker, fragments of bullets, a teaspoon and so on).

First stop, main reception. “MRI unit? Straight on, turn left, past the pharmacy, down the stairs, and through the doors – it’s actually outside.” Off I trotted and within seconds was lost – as my wife will tell you, I am the world’s worst navigator.

I stopped a hospital worker, and got the same instructions about heading for the pharmacy. I trotted on down the endless blue corridors, got lost again, asked someone else – then, miracles of miracles, spotted an actual sign to the MRI Unit. Disappointingly, it turned out to be like those signs to “‘The North’ as you leave London, petering out after a while leaving you somewhere indeterminate.

But then suddenly I’d cracked it – I was standing at Ultrasound and MRI Reception. I gave my name, said I was here for an 0900 appointment, and the receptionist smiled and gave me a piece of paper. It seemed I had only completed Phase 1 of MRI Quest […]

The full article HERE