"Now little more than a Triage service."

I have rarely used the practice but have been on the register for over thirty years. My health is now beginning to deteriorate and I have had cause to attempt to get help.

I recently fell and phoned to make an appointment to be told that I should go to straight to A&E because even if the doctor spoke to me they would just redirect me. I left it at that but 2 weeks later had a blackout and badly cut my hand. I phoned about the blackout and got an appointment which lasted all of 5 minutes. From this an appointment was made for blood tests and a referral for an R Test-drive. I asked the doctor to take a look at my cut which she reluctantly did but said she could not touch it and said to go to A&E. I have no issue with that but when I asked for a dressing to cover up the cut I was told that there was none available but I could buy some at the Pharmacy. I went to A&E to have the cut stitched and a week later the local clinic to have them removed. In both case I was treated as a human being.

When I returned to have my blood sample taken the response was again wholly matter of fact. No acknowledgement of me as a person just someone to be got rid of as soon as possible. I'm not looking for over effusiveness but a simple hello/goodbye is not unreasonable.

I have no confidence that left to the Medical Centre this matter will be resolved as it is not the first time the blackouts have occurred, not the first time the current diagnostic process has been gone through. What is worrying for me as a patient is the total air of indifference that permeates the Centre. It seems to me that the primary objective is to get as many patients in and on their way somewhere else with as little personal intervention as is possible. I doubt that my current interaction with the system will be any more positive than those of my last rare visits.