"Change of appointment system since merging with..."

I never had any reason to complain until the merge with Layer Road surgery. Now you can only get an appointment if you ring at 8am - when everyone else is ringing, and by the time it's answered, all the appointments are gone. You can't get to see your own doctor, or the doctor who does cryotherapy, for example, so it's disastrous for patients. What a mess! Why was it fixed when it wasn't broken in the first place? is this the way all surgeries are going? Is there a patient group that can lobby for patient-friendly changes?