"Good once you get passed the receptionists"

I have been a patient at this surgery for couple of years now and on a most occasions once I have actually managed to get an appointment the doctors and nurses have been excellent. However there are some issues which I believe need to be addressed in order for me to remain registered here:

1) The receptionists seem to think they are qualified medical professionals. For example, I needed to check that all of my standard immunisations were up to date in accordance with travel advice relating to the destination of a planned research trip. My medical records were ambiguous as to whether or not I had for example had all necessary boosters etc. Despite explaining to two different receptionists on two separate occasions I was refused an appointment for this. They told me that the practice did not offer most travel vaccinations and I would have to go to a travel clinic. However I had made it very clear on both occasions that what I required was not travel vaccinations. I needed to make sure that my standard immunisations were up to date in order to comply with a university travel insurance policy. It seemed they expected me to go to a travel clinic and ask for a tetanus booster and an MMR jab. On the third attempt I was finally allowed to make an appointment with a nurse where it was agreed that my vaccination history from my childhood doctors surgery was ambiguous and seemingley incomplete. Then I was given the appropriate jabs and the job was done, the same outcome could have been reached with far less stress and wastage of time at the reception desk. The bottom line: The receptionists should have just made an appointment for me in the first instance, and not try to make their own decision on what I required medically loudly in front of a queue of other people.

2) The appointment system is fairly hopeless and you can not often see the same doctor. Today was the fourth time I have phoned up the surgery in an attempt to make an appointment with a specified doctor. I was told that there were no appointments with that doctor for three weeks and I would have to call back next week effectively meaning that there is a minimum of a four week wait for an appointment with that doctor! I feel it is important to see the same doctor as it wastes everybody's time having to explain the situation again. The earliest possible appointment was in one weeks time with a different doctor and I took it. Also if you get a same day appointment it won't be with your usual doctor. Finally the claim on the website that you can book appointments online through EMIS is a lie. I registered for the system hoping to avoid interaction with the receptionists when booking appointments, however it seems that the practice have disabled the online booking feature for themselves even though it still claims to be possible on the website.

Overall: Treatment great, admin terrible.