"Dreadful Service at this practice "

Having been a patient at this practice for 53 years, I have watched its decline with complete dismay. It is SO DIFFICULT to get through on the telephone to make an appointment with a doctor. If you visit the surgery, in desperation, to try to get an appointment, you are told to ring at 8.30, the next morning but it’s impossible to get through unless you can afford the time to hang on, in the queue. Most times, you hear a message to say all agents are busy, so hang up and try again later. The available appointments are usually gone by 10.30 am, so if you haven’t managed to speak to anyone by then, you may as well give up and try again the following day. So, what had happened? Do we need more doctors, more telephone receptionists, another practice in Epping? The situation has obviously been exacerbated by the pandemic, but how long will we have to put up with this poor service? I remember the days of home visits by a doctor who was “your family doctor.” He or she knew all about your health issues and there was continuity of care, throughout your life. Now, I am elderly and I am fearful that if I contract a life-threatening condition, I won’t be cared for by the Limes, even if I’m fortunate enough to get an appointment to talk to a doctor.