"Podiatry services at King Edward VII"

Dear Sir or Madam,

Thank you for your posting and I am sorry that you have found it difficult to make an appointment for your mother. I have been in touch with our Podiatry Team Leader and I am now in a position to respond.

We are sorry that the situation is frustrating for you when you cannot speak to a receptionist to book an appointment. We always want to agree an appointment with our patients so it is important for us to have good two way communication with patients and their carers.

Recently, some of our administrative staff have taken leave and we have had a problem with the phone system which compounds the issue. We have two part-time receptionists to cover the reception desk and book appointments for the Maidenhead and Windsor area. We are looking at using a different phone system to ensure that all callers can get through to the department. We are also looking at how we can use our reception staff more efficiently.

The phone number you call goes to the St Marks Hospital site and it is initially managed through the switch board, which is an old switchboard and has a restricted number of lines. This can make the caller think that the department is engaged, even though the department may not be busy

The call then comes through to the department but we only have one line and one person answering the phone. Therefore, if they are on the phone talking to another patient it will automatically revert to the answer machine. We do have a lot of patients calling us every day so the number is often busy .

We have an email address to help patients who can use email to get a response without the need to wait for a phone call.

The email box is checked daily, and emails are responded to as soon as possible.

bks-tr.podiatrymaidenheadandwindsor@nhs.net

I hope this addresses your concerns and that we have reassured you that we are looking at ways to improve the service in the future. If you would like to discuss this further, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours Sincerely,

Trevor Lyalle

Patient Advice & Liaison Service

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Tel: 0118 9605027

E Mail: bht@berkshire.nhs.uk