"Appointment Booking Impossible/Clarity of..."

The booking system has gone from terrible to impossible. I have spent 3 months trying unsuccessfully to get an appointment. However, when I call I'm often given conflicting and confusing information. I used to be able to book online, but that service randomly stopped working too.

Today I went in person in the hope of getting some clarity but left none the wiser and still without an appointment.

I have previously criticised the telephone booking system because it unfairly favours those with clever phones who can do auto dialling.

In the past when I've attended an appointment or other times the surgery is often empty. I imagine the problem is number of appointments is very small for the size of the surgery. So that is why no one can get one. Patients are collateral damage in the NHS vs Political war.

Finally I've never encountered hostile patients in any surgery. However, in this surgery there have been a number of incidents I've seen and today I experienced myself. It seems they usually happen around the main entrance and reception area.

Firstly the area isn't brilliantly designed as you have two sets of doors and perhaps people get confused. The leaflet on the door says the reception in now open plan to accommodate 2 receptionists. However, today there was only one receptionist. Therefore, I waited outside the door while a woman was at reception to respect her privacy. When she finished I went to the very helpful and efficient receptionist.

I was talking to the receptionist when a man came in and stood behind me in the corner. I felt uncomfortable about it but as my questions were fairly generic I ignored him. The man then began sighing with impatience. Again I ignored it but then he continued and I asked the receptionist about the policy. She told me 2 people can wait at reception. I explained that was if there were two receptionist helping 2 patients. She very kindly asked him if he'd mind waiting outside. Though he left he clearly didn't like being asked to and continued gestures of impatience.

When I finished and opened the door to leave he barged past me, as though I opened the door for his benefit. I then I heard him say something to the receptionist about how he was offended.

As I was leaving I asked the other receptionist, who is the team leader what he'd said. But I do not find her straight forward to deal with. She thinks she knows best and will tell you what's convenient for her. On other occasions I've found her needlessly rushed and pompous in her manner. As though to convey how important and busy she is.

What good is it having good doctors if you can't see them. And where it is known patients are rude, why not make sure signs are clear and avoid the reception issues. In this day data security is not a luxury its essential.

I have tried to contact the surgery about this incident after being put on hold for 20 minutes I feel I've been lied to. I was also hung up on for no reason.