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"Too long to answer/headache inducing on hold music"

About: Bellingham Green Surgery

First of I appreciate the hard work and sacrifice from all our NHS workers. However, after making a call on the 22/6/22 and being on hold for over 20 mins. I was told I would have to call back tomorrow morning at 8am to book an appointment. So, 7:58am 23/6/22 I called so that I could navigate through all the prerecorded formalities and hopefully to speak to a human by 8:10am (I thought). Despite being number 1 in the queue I still had to wait over 20 mins to get to reception. I am not usually sensitive to sound, however, the repetitive, earsplitting music just seemed to rip right through me, leaving me with a head and a strong feeling of nausea (never felt this way before, is this just me?). After, speaking very briefly to someone I was then put on hold for a further 11mins. I informed the receptionist about the negative effect that the on hold music had induced; I did not know whether these were symptoms of my current illness or not.

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Responses

Response from Bellingham Green Surgery nearly 2 years ago
Bellingham Green Surgery
Submitted on 26/07/2022 at 14:19
Published on nhs.uk at 17:03


Dear patient,

Thank you for your feedback.

I'm sorry to hear about your experience with obtaining an appointment by telephone. Our phone lines can be exceptionally busy first thing in the morning, and our Patient Service Assistant work tirelessly to answer calls in the order they are received. If you do not require an on-the-day appointment, please try calling later in the day to book a pre-bookable appointment or alternatively ask our reception team about registering for online services.

I note your comment regarding the hold tone causing you discomfort and making you feel unwell. I would suggest arranging an appointment with a GP to discuss further, if you have not already done so.

We are actively reviewing the way in which patients engage with the practice to improve accessibility.

Lawrence Grace

Patient Service Manager

Modality Lewisham - Bellingham Green

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