Care Opinion

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Trying to get an appointment with a GP.

Posted By benaslak

"Trying to get an appointment with a GP."

About: Borders General Practices

(as a service user),

I dialled my Health Centre twenty seven times on a Monday morning, starting at 08.30am which is when they open.

Sometimes I got the engaged tone; sometimes I was connected with an automated message and then the line went dead. When I finally managed to get a connection, the operator could not give me an appointment until two weeks time. The doctor is on holiday this week and all available appointments had been allocated for the following week.

I mentioned the problem that I had experienced in contacting the Health Centre and was told that it is the same every Monday morning and that there are not enough phone lines to handle the number of calls. I asked that my concerns could be passed on to whomsoever is responsible, assuring the telephone operator that I was not blaming them as they seemed to be taking my comments personally.

I fully appreciate how difficult it must be for telephone reception staff at a Health Centre but I feel it should not be difficult to resolve. More phone lines so that people can be put on hold would save the process of dialling a number multiple times. The fact that I now have to wait two weeks to get a telephone conversation with a doctor is a separate issue but one that is an equal problem. It makes me wonder, is this why so many people dial 999 inappropriately? And is it why so many people turn up at hospital Accident and Emergency departments with inappropriate issues?

I will wait two weeks for my appointment in preference to the stress imposed on me and on the telephone call handling staff at my Health Centre by trying again next Monday which was what I was advised to do. Why they advised me to do this when the person also told me that all appointments for next week were already taken I cannot imagine. 

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Responses

Response from Karen Maitland, Clinical Service Manager - Primary Care, NHS Borders 14 months ago
Karen Maitland
Clinical Service Manager - Primary Care,
NHS Borders

Submitted on 16/02/2024 at 14:53
Published on Care Opinion at 14:53

Dear benaslak

I am sorry to hear of the difficulties you have experienced in getting through on the telephone to your GP Practice and appreciate how frustrating this must have been for you.

In order for me to look into this further for you, can you please advise me which Health Centre you were contacting?

If you prefer, I can be contacted via email on karen.maitland@nhs.scot

Regards

Karen

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by benaslak (a service user)

Thank you for responding. I appreciate any efforts that could be made to ensure that such issues as those that I describe do not cause similar problems for me or anyone else in the future. However, I do not imagine that these problems are exclusively limited to my Health Centre. I would have thought that it is an issue that affects many Health Centres throughout the country. Therefore it would serve no purpose to identify my Health Centre. It would only serve to suggest that I blame individual staff members. That would be unfair and would not help anyone. I think the system needs to be scrutinized and changed where necessary to suit the needs of patients. We are not a nuisance and should not be treated as such. We are the reason for you being there.

Update posted by benaslak (a service user)

Recently I had to dial my Health Centre 28 times before managing to speak to a receptionist. That is even worse than when I first posted on Care Opinion. I feel I have been responded to with placebo comments [above] but what I really want is to be able to access a doctor when I am unwell.

As I have said to the well meaning person who responded to my earlier comments, this is not a problem that can be blamed on any single health centre. It is a problem that everyone throughout the Scottish Borders [and maybe further afield] is accustomed to.

It seems there is a lack of investment in technology [telephone lines] and staff. I know budgets are tight but if we cannot access health care when it is needed then the NHS has failed those people for whom it exists.

When I finally managed to make contact with reception the helpful member of staff promised a telephone consultation from a doctor today, which is better than I had expected. The only problem with that is that the promise was made at about 09.00 hours and it is now nearly 16.00 hours and I am still waiting by the telephone.

I do realise that there are many people who are more unwell than me and who should expect to be treated as higher priority. We are all being failed by 'the system' in my view.

Update posted by benaslak (a service user)

It gets worse! Eighteen attempts to get through to my local health centre this morning because I burnt my arm and am concerned that it has become infected. When I finally managed to get through to a member of the reception staff I was told to phone 111 because it might need dressing - and apparently they couldn't do that at the health centre!

Looking at the NHS24 website I note that they tell the public to contact their doctor for 'urgent advice and treatment' which is what I did. What has happened to these services? What is anyone supposed to do to get health care? Is it just me, or are we all being failed?

Response from Karen Maitland, Clinical Service Manager - Primary Care, NHS Borders 6 months ago
Karen Maitland
Clinical Service Manager - Primary Care,
NHS Borders

Submitted on 16/10/2024 at 16:58
Published on Care Opinion at 16:58

Dear benaslak

I am sorry to hear you continue to have difficulties in contacting your GP practice

In order to fully investigate your latest concerns, I would suggest a complaint is raised directly with your GP practice.

Regards

Karen

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by benaslak (a service user)

Thank you but, as I said previously, this is not a problem that is specific to my local health centre. It is a Scottish [and maybe British for all I know] national problem. I cannot expect my local GP practice to alter nationwide problems for the better. It must be tackled more centrally.

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