It is called the Waiting Room :)

Some doctors, especially one near and dear to my heart, blame it on the insurance companies. As the insurance companies require them to book patients in 15 minute intervals when they can't possibly finish in that time frame.
More frustrating to me is the waiting room for virtual court appearances. You never know how long it will be, can you stpe away for a few minutes to go to the bathroom etc.

I remember when waiting was something to be factored in because we were expected to put up with it. My limit is 30 minutes. With technology, it is possible for the office staff to send a text or make a call if there are emergency delays. I find that my stress level is reduced by setting reasonable limits. I wait 10 minutes for someone who is supposed to call and then move on. I wait 15 minutes for an in person meeting. Perhaps I am unreasonable, but a quick text or phone call is a simple solution to being late.

The deal these days is to have you wait in the waiting room or sometimes in your car when Covid was big. Then they call you in and you have to wait sometimes 30 minutes or more before the Dr. Sees you. Then they have to key it all into the medical data base and that takes time. I miss the old days...On my last visit to my doctor in NY, he paused several times to dictate items we went over into his phone. I am assuming this was to save time keying information into the system. He said the new software was finicky.

The last time I waited for one hour for my dermatologist I wrote this fact in my review of her on one of those online sites that host reviews of doctors. The next time I called for an appointment, her reception people could not fit me in. A friend recommended another one who is just fine. After botched sinus surgery by a revered (by some) surgeon, I had to wait more than an hour for the follow-up visit. I finally walked out. I got a recommendation of another surgeon and he not only fixed the mess the first one inflicted but agreed to never have me wait more than 20 minutes. He kept his word. Since moving to Cold Spring for the duration of the pandemic, I found that I could schedule appointments with specialists in less than a week or two, (The wait time between a call and an appointment to see Manhattan-based specialists was often two weeks or more). In Cold Spring I was often able to get same or next-day appointments for ancillary services: X-Rays, etc. I have never been in one of the hospital's waiting rooms for more than 5 minutes for any of the excellent specialists I began to use at Hudson Valley Hospital Center. Actually, in the time of Covid, one is warned by the staff to be on time and not bring anyone to the appointment.

Having worked in the medical industry since I was in HS, I have never met or worked for a provider that has not done their best to adhere to a schedule. Every day brings surprises and we allocate for that. Sometimes, it's just not enough. I bring a book with me wherever I go, hoping my doc will never need extra time with me.
Lately, I think bc of Covid---I haven't been waiting not nearly as long.