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Care Opinion

Trouble Getting Appointments

Posted By RCWD

"Trouble Getting Appointments"

About: General practices in Forth Valley

(as the patient),

Phoned Bannockburn health centre at 09: 30am to get an appointment with my GP for chest pain that has lasted 1 week. Was told there were no appointments left, including routine, & a nurse would phone me back. I phoned at 11am asking if I was still on the queue, tried between 13: 00 & 14: 00 but it was engaged, then again at 14: 15 where I was told I was still on the list to be called. I phoned again at 16: 30 to be told that they had tried to call me at 14: 15 but it never rang & they weren't able to leave a voicemail. I would need to phone back the following morning to try again.

I had my phone in front of me all day, it accepts all incoming calls.

The receptionist said they only try once then move on & you've lost your line. I had been waiting hours for the phone call while in pain. They said I was obviously OK if I'd been at work all day & therefore shouldn't go to hospital.

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Responses

Response from NHS Forth Valley 5 years ago
NHS Forth Valley

Submitted on 21/12/2018 at 14:21
Published on Care Opinion at 15:11

Dear RCWD

Many thanks for taking the time to get I touch. It is important that we hear from our patients about their experience as it allows us to look at how we can make improvements to the service we provide.

To get an ‘on the day’ appointment, we ask our patient to phone from 8.30am onwards. All requests for emergency appointments are triaged by our Advances Nurse Practitioners (ANP). Phoning at 9.30am means that there would a number of patients already booked in for a call back and therefore ahead of you in the queue, because of this is likely, therefore, that you were placed into afternoon list for triage. We ask patients to be available to receive a return call from the triage nurses. Unfortunately if the call is missed the staff will move on to the next patient, it is standard practice that we do not try to call back.

You mention that you had highlighted to the staff member that you were suffering from chest pains, staff as standard procedure would normally advise an ambulance is called.

I would be happy to discuss the concerns you have raised further, if you would like to give me a call that the Health Centre.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kindest regards

Steven Ebsworth

Practice Manager

Bannockburn Health Centre

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