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Upsetting experience

Story from nhs.uk

"Upsetting experience"

About: Beaumont Villa Surgery

Working in the NHS I see first hand the pressure staff are under, particularly at A&E and find it very frustrating when people attend unnecessarily but can see why as it is near impossible to get an appointment at this surgery. I have given up now and I'm moving to a different surgery. There are some good GP's there, you just cant get to see them. Even just getting a repeat prescription has left me feeling upset and frustrated. They have 'lost' it 3 times and having been on hold for 25 minutes I finally spoke to a receptionist who informed me my prescription still wasn't ready to be collected even though I was assured it would be ready yesterday. I am glad I rang to save a wasted journey.

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Responses

Response from Beaumont Villa Surgery 4 years ago
Beaumont Villa Surgery

Submitted on 17/07/2019 at 19:19
Published on nhs.uk at 20:06

A&E are absolutely under pressure and that pressure is very visible with full waiting rooms and ambulance queues.

Primary care is under just as much pressure if not more but when we are under pressure it is less obvious. We have taken leaps forward in efficiency over the past 15 years with many telephone consultations and e-consults.

We also do much of the admin in the evenings and weekends - many days we're still working after 10pm. Panorama tells the story effectively: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0004wd7/panorama-gps-why-cant-i-get-an-appointment

The issue is there are not enough GPs to meet demand and the demand continues to rise.

It is very true A&E feel a knock on pressure when primary care is overstretched - after a recent contract hand back from a neighbouring practice ED attendances from that practice rocketed by about 20% (see Plymouth CQC system report).

I wish you luck registering elsewhere but as in the Panorama video registering elsewhere does not always help as waits for appointments are lengthening throughout primary care.

If you want change please complain to your MP as its only through sustained pressure on the politicians that things will change.

Best wishes

Dr James Boorer

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