"Getting an appointment"

This is an ongoing saga. It is almost impossible to get any sort of appointment at my surgery. For a while we had to phone each day at 11:00 for non- emergency appointments. Impossible when at work. Huge queue on hold or told to phone back later. Never any appointments left by the time you got through.  Now only appointments released could be on a Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday'- they don't know in advance so we have to phone each day just in case they have been released.

My monthly nurse appointments used to be scheduled 1 month in advance, now I'm told book has not been made up for next week yet, or phone us next week. 

I have written to the surgery twice over the last year as was desperate to be seen as had red flag symptoms. Took me months to be seen.  Turned out I had a gall-bladder only working at 25%. Meanwhile my mother-in-law managed to get an appointment for a fungal nail infection.

No e-consults either though the area has pleaded with them to provide them. We have had a good few new housing developments in the area which is obviously having an impact but this is not sustainable.

I phoned the other day as had missed a few months of monthly bloods due to never being able to stay on hold at work. Luckily I managed to get one, however I also tried to get one for a GP as I had received a note on a recent prescription to make one to review my medications. This was a case of - they might release some either next Tuesday/Wednesday or Thursday so you'll have to phone back then.

I can't stay on the phone on hold for any length of time so this feels like people who are working are at a severe disadvantage, and almost discriminated against. We have zero chance normally of getting to either speak or see a GP, unless we have an emergency and even then people must have to almost plan that in advance.

Can you please get something done about this practice because things are going to be missed if folks can't get medical advice. This used to be such a great practice but since the pandemic has finished, it's completely abysmal and frightening to be honest.

Please do something before something bad really happens. Thank you