"BRING BACK OPEN SURGERIES - NON APPOINTMENT LEAD"

Whose crack-pot idea was it to change the appointment booking system.

The old system meant that you usually had to hang on for about 15 - 20 minutes to get through, but at least you got through to the surgery itself.

The reception staff at Nayland Drive Surgery are friendly, helpful and nice to deal with.

Most of the doctors are okay, two of them are exceptional and I always try to see them.

However my main gripe is how difficult it is to get a doctor's appointment now that they have introduced the first new system (it told you how long you had to wait) which was replaced by another new system telling you how many callers were ahead of you in the queue, with no indication WHATSOEVER as to how long this will take you.

I am going to write to Jeremy Hunt, Minister of Health giving him details of this ridiculous system, so I did two dry runs, i.e. last night at 5.20 pm on Tuesday 6 March I rang my doctor's number and was told "there are 19 calls ahead of you".

Tried again this morning, Wednesday 7 March 2018, and was told "there are 24 calls ahead of you".

You would normally ring to get an appointment because you are unwell.

To have to hang on the phone for probably well over half an hour is just not on.

Bring back the old system where you got through directly to the receptionist at the surgery.

Or better still, bring back the non appointment system where you just turned up at the surgery to see the doctor.

This new system is obviously thought up by someone on private medical aid who doesn't have to use it!

What happened to respect for the patient in all of this.