"Hard-to-reach primary care"

My husband is a patient at Wessex Road surgery. He needed a repeat prescription for his antidepressants as he’d lost his paper copy.

He tried to call the surgery and it is so geared up to COVID it’s like nothing else is happening in the world. We called five times at 2:30 and after the tedious COVID talk the phone just rings and then goes dead.

For someone not feeling great in the first place this is pretty stressful. What happened to cheerful voices being helpful on reception? Where is everyone? Speaking to anyone now is like the krypton factor, and doctors are like some holy grail that us mere mortals must solve endless problems and jump through computer-based hoops to access help.

This is also my experience as I’ve had to endure the e-consult drama. If I wasn’t computer literate there would be no way I could navigate these over complicated portals. I have to do everything for my 87 year old mother.

Just my thoughts. Thank you.