"Appointments"

I have phoned for appointments on the day and every time their phones are engaged.

It has taken half an hour sometimes before I can get through only to be told there are no appointments left for that morning and to ring at 1pm for an afternoon appointment, which I have done and got the same response, “there are no appointments left for the afternoon, ring the next morning”!.

It is very frustrating as I was trying to make an appointment for my great grandson who is 2 years old. Later that day we had to ring the GP out of hours service to make an appointment to see a doctor.

He had a high temperature and was vomiting the doctor gave him antibiotics for a throat infection.

This should not have happened his own surgery should have helped.

Another incidence, which happened today (12 March) I called to make an appointment for the following week for my husband, he had been advised by the specialist at Warrington Hospital to see the doctor about a referral to a cardiologist as he has been having severe breathing problems which the specialist suspected were related to his heart.

To this end he said he was sending a letter to the surgery asking the doctor to make a referral to see a cardiologist, and asked us to make an appointment to see the doctor.

The first call I made was yesterday at 8am, as usual the phone line was busy, I rang several times but never got through.

I decided to check the online appointment booking system, and, low and behold there were no appointments available. I called the surgery this morning and spoke to a receptionist to try and and get an appointment for next week and was told there were no pre bookable ones left.

She said they had not yet received a letter from the hospital and until they do they cannot do anything, she then told me to contact the hospital and ask them to fax the letter through.

My husband only saw the specialist on Friday, 8th March, and he said it would be the end of this week before the surgery would receive the letter but to make an appointment for the following week, when the letter would have arrived.

I tried explaining to the receptionist that my husband has a heart condition and had heart surgery 9 years ago and the problems he is having now are similar to the ones he had 9 years ago. She didn't seem concerned about that at all.

I am back to calling them again next Monday at 8am and to resign myself to ringing several times before I can get through, if I get through!

This used to be a very good surgery and I never had these problems a few years ago.

Whether it's to do with cut backs, or practice reorganisation, I don't know, but I am seriously considering registering with another surgery.