"Waiting area"

I visited PathWest at SCGH E Block. In the past I have been to the J Block PathWest but it appears this is no longer operational? For this present visit I required tests that involved blood being drawn several times over a long period of time and was ultimately at PathWest E Block for two hours.

I found the waiting area in PathWest's E Block section very inadequate. There are only a small number of seats and they are all lined up right next to each other. The waiting area was frequently full, but there was nowhere else to wait and people were sometimes forced to stand in the corridor abutting the waiting area - where there is a sign that says "No Chairs to be placed here" (or similar sentiment). Given that Covid is still prevalent I felt very anxious being required to remain in this tiny waiting area for a period of 2 hours. Masks were provided but a number of people did not use them, adding to my anxiety.

I noticed further down the corridor is X-Ray Radiology which has a very very large area for people to wait - and it was totally empty when I went that way after my bloods were finished. Why then is the PathWest waiting area so tiny and cramped, with no way for anyone to socially distance? I remember J Block having a bigger waiting area. I do not know if this E Block PathWest is just old, or if it has been redone during the works going on at SCGH - if it is the latter, why was no thought put into a more adequate waiting area for these times, particularly given how huge the Radiology waiting area is?

The one positive is that the staff - both the reception and the pathology team - were very professional and I believe treated everyone patiently and kindly.