"Mostly unavailable - inaccessible healthcare."

The Appointment system used by Preston Grove Medical Centre simply doesn’t work.

Can only book on the day. Consequently Phone lines are jammed every day at 8.30 am.

By the time you eventually get to speak to someone, all the appointments are taken, and you are told to take your chances all over again the next day.

This kind of ‘Lottery’ healthcare is unacceptable, and I’m sure it’s a huge contributory factor to A&E being swamped with non emergencies.

I recently learned that you can register and book on-line for appointments, a few days in advance. This is a great idea. However, I have ‘successfully registered’ on-line, on two separate occasions, but I have still not received any login details, so I still can’t access the service.

I rang the helpline number to make enquiries - as suggested on the website (...wait for it), only to discover it’s exactly the same surgery ‘appointment’ number - that you can never get through on!

It’s now the afternoon, I have had to wait a very long time on the telephone (5th in queue) just to be told by the receptionist, sorry, you’ll have to ring again tomorrow.

She was unable to book an appointment for me, and bearing in mind this was ‘the so called helpline’ for the on-line service, she could not tell me how the on-line service worked, or why I had not received a login e-mail, or if I ever WOULD receive login details.

She was not even going to look into it for me! (So much for the helpline).

She pretty much, said “yeah, it’s rubbish innit. Try again tomorrow” - Hence this angry review.

The only way I have ever been able to get an appointment; is to drive all the way to the surgery and wait on the doorstep for them to open their doors at 8.30am, (however ill I might be feeling), and even then they might say come back at eleven.

I feel I should add, that I very rarely visit the Doctors, I only go when I really need to.

I usually work full time.

However, I am currently off work post-surgery, so we’re not talking about a minor ailment, but equally it doesn’t constitute an emergency, or a hospital visit.

The hospital said, if I have any problems to see my GP, which is what I’m trying to do.

I was open and honest with the Receptionist giving the full story.

All I am asking for is an appointment, it could be in a day or so, but an appointment. (Which unfortunately, I still have not got).

I have been registered at this GP Surgery for many years, but access has never been so poor.

I am totally dismayed.

The hospital also instructed me to return to my surgery to have my sutures removed.

Ha!