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"Has really gone down hill"

About: The Smithy Surgery

The Smithy has really gone downhill over the past few years, possibly since the big healthcare company took them over. It is almost impossible to get an appt and the archaic ringing at 8am and sitting in a queue is still alive and well in this surgery. I was sent a text and asked to contact to make an appt for a review of blood pressure meds and was told (after a long wait on the phone) that the diary for November wasn't open yet, this was the 28th October and the 1st of November was within the same working week! By the time I called back later in the week and then got a phone appt the following week I was out of medication, the doctor who called me had not read my notes and questioned why I was out of medication. Some of the staff over the phone are helpful and others make you feel like an inconvenience for daring to ask to see a doctor. I do avoid going if I can but I have been a patient here for many many years and the decline is evident.

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Response from The Smithy Surgery 7 months ago
The Smithy Surgery
Submitted on 27/11/2024 at 23:05
Published on nhs.uk at 23:05


Thank you for your feedback. We do release appointments for nurses at least 2 months in advance, with some appointments staggered for more urgent needs, GP, ANP & Pharmacist appointments are staggered with some bookable up to 6 weeks in advance however once they have gone we operate on a staggered appointment basis with appointments being released within a few days up to 2 weeks for urgent needs. I do apologise if this was not fully explained to you so your feedback is important to us. We are also have also started some refurbishment works and once complete we hope to have a new blood pressure machine for the waiting room so patients can submit readings themselves without the need for an appointment to help with blood pressure medication reviews and we are also exploring enhancements to our current digital offer to reduce call wait times in the new year which we hope will improve the patient experience given the increasing demands for appointments. Should you wish to contact me to discuss further please contact the practice to ask to speak to the Senior Operations Manager. Thank you.

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