"Best wishes to any patient at the surgery"

I contacted the surgery to book an appointment due to stress caused by a very close member of my family being critically ill. I have a history of anxiety but that has been brought under control. Unfortunately the illness of my Dad triggered me off again. I saw a very helpful and considerate doctor on the 17th September. She listened to me, took my blood pressure, weighed me and prescribed some medication. She was brilliant. My blood pressure at the time was 170/120. As my blood pressure was very high, she told me to book 3 more appointments at 2 week intervals. The medication prescribed would last me a month, the doctor said I could book to see the surgery nurse for the next blood pressure test for 2 weeks time at the reception desk and also ask them to book me in for a months time to see her for another blood pressure test and to see how I was getting on with the medication.

Basically, it seems impossible to book an appointment with the same doctor and she is not listed on their schedule. I was told by the receptionist that I've been put on a waiting list and I'd get a call back. Almost 3 weeks have passed and no call has been forthcoming. I phoned the surgery yesterday to again try to book an appointment but that was a waste of time.

I'm able at present to walk to the "walk in centre" in town but I feel sorry for those who can't. I was also recently bitten by a cat and that has caused an infection. I went to a pharmacy yesterday and asked if they had any cream they could recommend. They advised me that I needed antibiotics as a matter of urgency and asked where my surgery was.

When I said "Park Lane", there was a moment of head dropping by the pharmacist. I told her I had phoned them but they were too busy to see me. The pharmacist told me to go there in person and tell them I had been asked to go there by the pharmacy as I needed antibiotics.

I walked to the surgery, told the receptionist of the situation and she said she'll see what they could do. About 5 minutes later, another receptionist called me and said they had spoken to a doctor and the doctor said I would need to go to A&E to have an x-ray and to get the would cleaned. Park Lane Surgery were able to deduce this without even looking at the wound.

I went to A&E, they took my heart rate, blood pressure and prescribed antibiotics. No x-ray was taken and no cleaning of the wound was done. This could and should have been by Park Lane.

I fully understand that the NHS are under pressure but surely if Park Lane got their act together, A&E would be in a better position to deal with more important emergencies.

Getting an appointment with Park Lane has always been a difficult task unfortunately so it's probably best just to go to the "walk in centre" if needs must in the future. Tis a shame really.