"Lacks internal communication and customer service"

On August 19th, I was recommended and referred for physiotherapy.

I waited for 4 weeks for a physiotherapy referral. Due to the practices incorrect, electronic (ERS), referral process.

Reception are always difficult to deal with. They never answer with their names either. They are abrupt and often quite rude. The telephone wait times are also excessive.

Mon, Sept 2nd. The receptionist told me that she would ask the secretary who does the referral paperwork. A commitment was made to call me back. It wasn’t kept!

Tues 3rd I was told by reception to ring Frimley Health to check on the status of my referral. I was on hold 27 minutes. Frimley Health do not accept referrals from GP's, ring Berkshire Health. Berkshire Health said they had zero GP referrals from Clarence Medical?

I called the practice again, reception said the secretary, and the practice manager would look into it again. I advised the receptionist that the referral must go to Berkshire Health not Frimley. Again, someone would ring me back. Nobody did!

Wednesday 4th, receptionist said the referral had been re sent on Monday! The receptionist had no idea who it went to and I still have not had that call back...

I rang Berkshire Health on Thursday morning. Still no referral????

I called the practice, again. I was told it had been sent to the practice manager and the secretary. Still no call back!

Friday, I rang the practice, again. The receptionist said the referral had been re sent yesterday, Thurs!!! Not Monday as previously discussed?? Electronically sent via ERS.

I rang Berkshire Health, a referral arrived on Thursday to their physiotherapy dept., opened and dismissed immediately by the physiotherapist?? They told me to ring the practice for the reason due to GDPR.

I rang the practice again. The receptionist said I would need to discuss this with the Dr. as this matter had now been escalated to the practice partners!

On Friday night I received a VM saying that I had to wait for the referral to process through the system via ERS!!!!! It would be triaged first.

Sept 9th, I had a telephone appointment with the Dr. I provided Dr. with the events. The Dr. appeared alarmed and immediately sent a message to the PM.

Sept 12th Still no word from the practice!

I called Berkshire Health and was given the number of the physiotherapist who dismissed my case. Last Thursday, the physiotherapy clinic had called and sent a letter to the practice to request an ERS referral before they could process the request?? The practice has not responded to the physiotherapist request???

The practice manager finally called me after 3 weeks. The reason, she said, the referral was held up is because their ERS system wasn’t attaching the referral form! The practice manager was sending it via email, against the physiotherapy clinics policy.

I eventually left this practice for a new practice. Within 2 weeks. I was referred to the Spine clinic at BMI