"Service well below standard"

Thank you for taking the time to comment.

We do undertake a monthly phone audit which has an independent person call the surgery to monitor call times. The more recent average call wait time is under two minutes and this has continued to improve over the past few years. I can assure you that staffing levels are currently as normal, but peaks do sometimes happen, especially if a receptionist is talking to a complex patient, perhaps through interpreters. It is also foreseeable that during the pandemic we will have dips in staff cover due to staff being either unwell or isolating. We have put in place swabbing systems to get staff back to work as soon as is possible and staff are committed to cover each other wherever this is feasible. We ask that when we have blips, you make us aware and bear with us as we try to deal with the increased demands GP practices are facing at this time.

In order to try and manage call volumes more appropriately through the day, we will be implementing time slots for certain types of calls. As you have rightly pointed out the early morning lines need to be kept free for urgent appointment needs.

Lynsey Hughes- Group Manager