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Poor Performance All Around

Story from nhs.uk

"Poor Performance All Around"

About: Keston Medical Practice

This practice seems to have taken on too many patients - at present it's not possible to phone up and get an appointment at all for any time.

Every morning at 8 am they release available appointments.

I phoned at 8 this morning and couldn't get through because the lines were busy.

At 8:07 I got through and was told that all appointments had gone.

They're now making appointments at the Mayday walk-in clinic next door, using it as a buffer.

The walk-in used to be just that and good to use. It's now packed, probably with people who can't get an appointment.

I don't mean same day or early appointments.

It's not possible to get an appointment at all with the surgery.

We've been with this practice for many years.

Patient care is poor in our experience and the patient load/appointments situation has now broken down completely.

Opening hours on their website are from 7:00 but are actually from 8:00.

I understand that practices are paid by the number of people registered with them.

This looks like a case of over-registration that needs to be investigated.

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Responses

Response from Keston Medical Practice 5 years ago
Keston Medical Practice

Submitted on 18/01/2019 at 08:47
Published on nhs.uk at 10:05

I was saddened to have read your negative response regarding appointments at the practice.

As stated in previous responses Keston Medical opens between 50 to 80 appointments EVERY day.

These appointments can be accessed either by using Patient On Line Access, using the automated (24 hour) telephone system, walking into the practice or by telephoning the switchboard.

Obviously if telephoning patients can be held in a queue. As well as the above mentioned appointments, we inform patients if they call after 10.00am appointments are available for 7 days ahead.

This booking system has proved very popular for most patients as they are usually able to obtain an appointment on the same day or 7 days ahead.

On your point regarding "too many patients", the practice does not have the facility to decline registration of patients providing they live within the practice boundary.

This directive comes from NHS England.

Again to clarify your point regarding our opening times.

The practice IS open for patients between 7.00am and 7.00pm.

Every morning doctors have booked appointments from 7.00am.

The appointments which open on the same day open from 8.00am.

We did experiment with opening appointments at 7.00am for patients to book 24 hours ahead and found that some of these appointments were wasted and not filled!.

If you would like to come and discuss the practice appointment system personally, I would very much appreciate your constructive input.

Liz Shaw

Practice manager.

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