"Poor Service"

I tried for two days to speak to someone on the phone at the surgery. For two days I got no further than the recorded message which, incidentally, far too long. On the second day I was about to put the phone down after a 10 minute wait when a receptionist finally answered. I explained that I needed to speak to a doctor as I needed a prescription for my emergency asthma pack and had been trying for two days. I am asthmatic and didn't feel up to going to the clinic at 7am in the morning in order to be sure of seeing a doctor. If you don't get there between 7am and 8am the chances of being able to see one are remote and there is usually a sign on the reception desk confirming they will take no more walk-in patients.

On the particular day I actually, eventually, spoke to a receptionist I queried why no one had answered my calls at all on the previous day.and was told they were closed for training!! That shouldn't be allowed and if they insist on doing it a message to that effect should be put on the answerphone. It was 4pm on the second day when I was able to speak to a receptionist only to be told that there was only one doctor on duty and that she had been called out to an emergency! Even if she had been there, I was told that there would be no more telephone consultations that day anyway! I was told to phone 111 !!

I am now without the tablets I need and will have to visit the surgery at 7am tomorrow in the hope (no guarantee) of seeing a doctor.

I can't fault the doctors for the care and consideration they have shown me in the past but the system they have adopted is poor and not geared to the needs of their patients. It simply isn't good enough and obviously has far too many patients on its books.