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Difficulty getting appointments / care

Story from nhs.uk

"Difficulty getting appointments / care"

About: Hillside Practice

You can only book appointments to speak with a practitioner if you call in at 8am on a week-day, regardless of health conditions that prevent you from doing so. Tried calling every morning for the past week, only to be met with a full phone-line and a long queue, for there to be no appointments available by my time on the phone. Receptionists always say to use their e-consult service, but that service itself is shoddy and only gives specific options that are often irrelevant. Even after submitting econsult requests in urgent times, I haven't recieved any replies and am still waiting on simple but important appointments. The services offered are decent, but that doesn't matter when it's near impossible to book an appointment or get on the phone with a practition in the first place.

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Responses

Response from Hillside Practice nearly 2 years ago
Hillside Practice

Submitted on 09/06/2022 at 12:49
Published on nhs.uk on 10/06/2022 at 13:04

Dear Anonymous,

Thank you for your post and for taking the time to share your thoughts.

I am sorry that you have difficulty getting through on a morning to arrange appointments. I agree this can be very frustrating.

I agree also that the e-consult system is clunky and can be quite annoying; I have tried it as a patient and to be honest it is not the software I personally would have chosen, but it is provided to us and is the software that is being used across all practices in South Tees as the CCG's preferred option. All e-consults are read on the same day and are allocated an appropriate degree of urgency. If you have submitted e-consults and received no response at all, please get in touch with the practice as this would need to be looked into; I can't do this for you otherwise, as you have not given your name.

Just to clarify, it is only the GP and Nurse Practitioner appointments that are booked on the day by phone (not including e-consult). Other appointments can be booked in advance.

It's also worth mentioning that Primary Care in the UK is providing more appointments than at any time since records began - it is extremely busy.

Once again, thank you for raising this and sharing your concerns

Kate Harvie

Senior Partner

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