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Something needs to change

Story from nhs.uk

"Something needs to change "

About: Fairbrook Medical Centre

The medical staff are phonemonal.

However, similar to other commenters, the receptionists and trying to get an appointment are not positive experiences.

It is impossible to get an appointment on the day . With an unwell child you are faced with no other option but to go to a walk in (yesterday the wait was 5 hours . The majority of people waiting clearly had been unable to get GP appointments . So increased demand for Gps is clearly a problem across the country).

Your other option is to see a private GP, which yes we felt we had to do faced with an unwell child, the looming weekend and feeling in dispair with no where else adequate to go to in reality.

I understand that there is a clear national shortage of GPs, that Fairbrook has employed other medical staff to help and that there is a lack of GP surgeries in Borehamwood proportionally to the ongoing increase in Borehamwoods population.

But we are living in the 21st century. Being unble to see a Gp when poorly is really not good enough regardless of whatever the reasons behind these barriers are. There is no justification. Something needs to be done and quickly.

Will we be faced with the only option to go privately?

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Responses

Response from Fairbrook Medical Centre 2 years ago
Fairbrook Medical Centre

Submitted on 13/12/2022 at 14:50
Published on nhs.uk on 14/12/2022 at 21:35

Dear Patient

Thank you very much for your feedback and I am sorry to hear that you were not able to get an appointment for your unwell child. We are faced at the moment with unprecedented demand due to respiratory illnesses, still Covid around and now the children's possible Scarlet Fever. It is a very worrying time in the NHS and even more so being a parent.

Please can I remind you as you mentioned the weekend was looming in this particular case. We are open 8-6.30 and every evening and all over the weekend 111 take over. They do have some local hubs in Borehamwood and do arrange appointments for patients during these times as well as telephone access.

I also hope to be able to advise our patients in the near future as our ICB Integrated Care Board is meeting today to help GP surgeries and patients and organise some paediatric appointments locally. We (and the media) has been feeding back about the new demand ontop of the already stretched appointment system.

I am sorry that this time we were not able to help your child and you felt you had to go privately.

Please do email myself on fairbrook.medicalcentre@nhs.net if I could help or advice further. We always need new patients to join our PPG Patient Participation Group meetings and you wrote so eloquently and fairly even after having the situation of a poorly child.

I do hope they are better now.

Many thanks again for your time and review.

Michele Cain

Practice Manager - Operations.

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