"Impossible to get an appointment-horrific in..."

I've been at this surgery for 6 years and in last 4 years, the last 2 in particular, it has become impossible to get an appointment.

The old emergency appointment system was inefficient, but at least if you arrived at 7 a.m. and queued until 08:00 you would be there for an 45 mins/1 hour, get your ticket, wait another half an hour, then have a chance to book your appointment at 08:30 or thereabouts, wait for your 9:30/09:45 am appointment (usually 10/15 mins late) and then see the Dr for 10 minutes, get a prescription and be guaranteed to be out by 10 am and into work by midday! The system was a joke to be honest, but for an on the day appointment, as someone who has to get to work, it was manageable. The practice was busy etc., etc. It wasn't perfect.

I am 41 years old, am rarely ill, and only need to attend 1-3 times per year max, usually for an infection, i.e. ear. This is normally an emergency, but i have the flexibility to wait a day or so. My main gripes are as follows:

1) It is impossible to get an appointment in the week of your issue - i don't care who i see and am not bothered if this is a nurse either, but it doesn't make any difference. If you can wait a month, then all good.

2) The new Emergency system is rubbish. You have to phone at 8am when the phone system can only handle 7 waiting calls at a time. If your number 8 you get a busy tone. When they first went live with the new system only one person could call in! I called in 2 weeks ago and it took 20 minutes to get through!

3) Never any appointments! On my last contact 2 weeks ago (having waited the 20 mins to get through) i was offered an appointment with the Nurse at 11:15 after some deliberation having initially been told that i'd have to go to Fareham Community Hospital!

I saw the nurse at midday. I had a skin infection, something i had once before (some years ago) and I had been given antibiotics previously. I was hoping i'd be given a prescription. The Nurse went to speak to the GP and the answer from the GP was that i should wait and see as it could be a spot. The GP never examined me. I explained to the Nurse that the area was hot and very hard, signs that it could develop and i was worried. It was a Friday and i would be in the midlands over the w/e at my parents. I asked for a prescription and said that if the area didn't develop into an "infection" i wouldn't use the prescription. I understand the need not just to give out antibiotics at will. I explained the history and the fact that it was a Friday and i was away at the weekend. To no avail. The upshot was that i had to use the Online Doctor service PushDoctor on the Saturday as the area developed an aggressive infection. I ended up having 2 courses of antibiotics.

I don't know what has changed at the Surgery in the last few years, but getting access for minor ailments is impossible. I am in the process of finding another surgery.