"Unfit for Business "

As the Gov tells us the National Covid Service has returned to being the NHS and some normality, I contacted Ongar Health Service for a medication check & repeat prescription. BC (before Covid), I would see a nurse. I tried for 2 days to get through, but was electronically told all lines were busy. On day 3, I held on and listened for 20 minutes to ‘white noise’ as the queue count appeared to be out of order. The receptionist answered and after much cross-examination told me the nurse wasn’t available until the end of November. They said I would have to make an appointment with a GP. I asked if I could. They replied ‘You’ll ‘ave to call back at 1.30!’ Needless to say I didn’t have anymore time to waste on telephones. Then, last week later I received a call from OHC asking me to have an over 40s Health Check with a nurse. This was weird as firstly I’ve been over 40 for 22 years and never been asked by OHC, secondly I’d been told nurse appointments were not available until November? However, I agreed to a telephone appointment two days later at 9am (I had to have taken my BP and have the readings ready). I received no confirmation message which had been normal practice BC. At 9.50 I called the OHC. I was told the nurse came in at 8.30 and was running late! Whilst speaking with the receptionist I asked about a medication check, she booked me in for a call the following Monday but said she couldn’t give a time! I eventually received the planned 5minute over 40s health check call at 10.31. And so, Monday arrived and I strapped my phone to my side. But somehow I missed the call at noon. However, I was confident I’d be called back as a voicemail was left, along with a text to say that they would ring again later that day. So I waited till 6pm before calling the OHC. ‘The nurse ‘as gorn ‘ome’, I was told. I made another appointment for 2 days later. Again I was only told it would be after 12 and no confirmation text was sent. I eventually was called at 3.45pm and had to provide my own blood pressure readings and medical history (I’m not sure why this was necessary when it would be on my records from a few days before).

I’m at a loss why proper appointment times cannot be made given the calls are 5 minutes at most and we do most of the work ourselves in terms of BP, medical history, weight etc.