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Really disappointed

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"Really disappointed"

About: Armley Medical Centre

Joined this practice after moving address and no longer being eligible to stay on at my old one. I always find it very difficult to get an appointment in a reasonable time frame and when I ask for a same day appointment am always asked if it is urgent. I don't understand how you are meant to see a doctor if it is not an emergency at this practice? I find the staff very unempathic and condescending and you are made to feel a nuisance rather than your concerns taken seriously. As someone who barely rarely visits my GP in the knowledge of the current strains on the NHS, it feels very concerning that I can't attend when I feel that I have tried everything else without someone treating you as if you are a waste of their time. I am also frustrated at having to have to wait two weeks for a further appointment with a nurse just to have my bloods done, in my old practice this would have been facilitated on the same day.

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Responses

Response from Armley Medical Centre 7 years ago
Armley Medical Centre

Submitted on 14/03/2017 at 13:30
Published on nhs.uk on 19/10/2017 at 10:30

Thank you for entering your comments on NHS Choices, I am sorry that you are disappointed in the service we are currently providing.

I would always prefer the opportunity to discuss complaints, issues or concerns face to face or over the telephone so if you feel you would like to do so please feel free to contact the surgery so we can arrange a convenient time.

In response to your comments, please firstly accept my apologies that you have had difficulty in obtaining an appointment.

The pressure over the winter months has meant that the demand for GP appointments has been great and therefore I have had to make the decision to slightly change the dialogue used by reception staff to ensure that we are offering same day appointments for those patients that have an urgent medical problem.

The dialogue also helps us to point patients in the direction of other services that perhaps suit their needs rather than seeing a GP for example it could be that a practice nurse could deal with their problem, pharmacy first or even the minor injuries unit.

If a patient advises that their problem is urgent, we do not turn anyone away, we have book on the day appointments and a 5 minute 1 problem, sit and wait surgery at 10:30 a.m. that patients can be booked into. We also have appointments available to book both face to face and telephone consultations up to 4 weeks in advance.

All our appointments are available to book over the telephone, face to face or via our online service.

Should you wish to register for our online service please call in to reception with some form of identification and this can be arranged for you.

With regards to the delay in an appointment specifically for bloods, if these were urgent then we would arrange for those to be done on the day otherwise a routine appointment is available.

We are currently advertising for another Practice Nurse which should reduce the waiting times for phlebotomy appointments and I have also added some extra phlebotomy clinics in April on a Saturday morning.

You mention that the reception staff are un-empathetic and condescending; this is certainly not the way in which I would expect my staff to speak to anyone and will address this as a whole at our next staff meeting.

If you have specific feedback for individuals please do let me know.

Again, please accept my apologies for the experience you have suffered recently and again I must stress should you wish to discuss in person, please feel free to contact the surgery.

Linda Thompson, Practice Manager

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