Need help in writing letter of complaint about GP surgery.

unholyangel

SevenOfNine wrote: »

What happens if patients stagger to the surgery at opening time and ask to make an appointment as opposed to phoning?

I imagine it would depend on the practice. Ours do a walk in before the phones lines "open". They're basically seen as and when they can.

I had problems trying to get an appointment at my old surgery and ended up moving because of it. Never had a problem getting an appointment since moving. Isnt even any inconvenience as the new surgery is in the same building as the old one!

Is this an option for you OP?

xxJudexx

Thanks for your input guys.

I will be looking into joining a different GP. The only reason we have stayed at this one for so long (15 years!) is because they are a two minute walk away! But with this and other problems occurring I am willing to travel to get a good service.

teddysmum

xxJudexx wrote: »

Thanks for your input guys.

I will be looking into joining a different GP. The only reason we have stayed at this one for so long (15 years!) is because they are a two minute walk away! But with this and other problems occurring I am willing to travel to get a good service.

I would just change, then, instead of complaining, as you wouldn't want your present practice to pass the word that you're a troublemaker.


My GPs are very good, having a walk in surgery from 7.15 to 10 on weekday mornings, an internet booking service and usually helpful reception staff, if you have problem.

georgiesmum

Doctors want it all there own way.It is impossible to get an appointment in my surgery unless you are at deaths door. Even then you will be lucky. My husband was ill and as i had an appointmet (that i had waited 5 weeks for )I asked the doctor about his symptoms and if i could get an emegency appointment. He sent me back to the receptionest who gave me an appointmet for 5 weeks later. He got even worse and after another 2 weeks we took him to A&E where he was diagnosed as having had multible strokes. He died a few weeks later. Never even heard from the surgery when i rang to cancel his appoinetment.
All they are interested in is money these days.
Carn't blame the receptionests, they have to do as they are told or lose their jobs.

Bantex_2

SevenOfNine wrote: »

What happens if patients stagger to the surgery at opening time and ask to make an appointment as opposed to phoning?

If someone is at the point of staggering, they should be going to A and E, not a GP.

meer53

xxJudexx wrote: »

Thanks for your input guys.

I will be looking into joining a different GP. The only reason we have stayed at this one for so long (15 years!) is because they are a two minute walk away! But with this and other problems occurring I am willing to travel to get a good service.

You said at first that you didn't want to travel further to the other surgery ? What sort of appointment systems do other surgeries have ? Better to check before you burn your bridges.

sleepymans

Something similar happened to me a few days ago.


All the GPs in our area work from one Medical Centre which is a 10 minute drive from where I live (4 miles).


To make a set appointment you have to wait a minimum of 3 weeks (and they do not make appts more than a month hence).


If you feel you need a same day apt you have to go to the surgery and queue outside the door which opens at 8:30. The receptionist (in front of the whole queue) demands to know exactly why you need to see a doc. The triage nurse starts to work through the queue from 9am (so even if you were first in line your minimum wait is 30 minutes).


If she thinks you are ill enough to see a GP you are added to a duty GP list and sent back to the waiting room for a wait up to 4 hours! The triage nurse cannot give prescriptions or sick/fit certs and therefore undue waits are built in to the system.


To try and avoid this nightmare farce you are allowed to ring in from 8:30 to request a call back from a GP.


Having had to visit the surgery 3 times within the last fortnight and spent 2 hours each time, last Friday I felt too ill to go through that yet again so I called at 08:30 and requested a call back. It got to 15:45...nothing. I had sat by the phone, scared to even go to the loo incase I missed the call back...(I was in considerable pain and deaf from an ear infection) and the gp finally rang at 4pm!


After 2 minutes on the phone he wrote 2 prescriptions which I had to ask a relative to drive a 10 mile round trip to collect for me straight away otherwise I wouldn't have got the meds until the following Monday.


The Med Centre waiting room is tiny and always jam packed, people jammed together coughing spluttering, sick kids whinging and siblings running about misbehaving due to the long boring wait, not enough seats either so people leaning against walls and in the doorways.


Somehow I don't think things are going to get any better soon.

meer53

My doctors is fantastic. The receptionists are all lovely, i can always get an appointment the same day if it's urgent. My doctor has just called me back after i called yesterday about my daughter who has an ongoing issue which resulted in us going to a & e at the weekend. She didn't need to call me but wanted to have a chat with me about what to do next.

I can't fault them at all, just wanted to say that not all doctors or receptionists are bad.

SevenOfNine

OMG Sleepymans! Thankfully our surgery dispensed with the 'phoneback' thing fairly fast, yours sounds even worse than that.

We have a queue system for ringing in, so not relentlessly engaged like my MiL's surgery system. By the time she gets through all the appointments for the day are usually gone.

We move through the 'waiting on the phone queue' in a very timely manner, are guaranteed a same day appointment if we want one, no discussion with receptionist, nurse or GP first, you just say you need to come in today.

The only proviso is that it's a 5 minute appointment and whatever time you are given that is IT. If they say "come at 16:43 and 15 seconds it's non negotiable. Fair enough IMO.

We are assigned our own GP and unless he's away and a locum takes his place, that's who we see.

Receptions, always brusque hovering close to a bit rude, don't put the phone mouthpiece near their mouth so mumbly and unable to hear them clearly. I can live with all that though.

They've just set up a text reminder for advance appointments made as well. Constantly reminded via post about various jabs, MOT's and invitations to have bits of cold equipment shoved where it's not necessarily designed to go. I guess ours is properly on the ball to get extra funding etc I'm starting to feel positively lucky.

xxJudexx

meer53 wrote: »

You said at first that you didn't want to travel further to the other surgery ? What sort of appointment systems do other surgeries have ? Better to check before you burn your bridges.

The sister surgery is very inconveniently located with no parking nearby. Other surgery's are better accessible.

I have a friend who is a community nurse and she has advised me on the best surgery nearby. I will be speaking with them to make sure we are happy to join.

We were given an appointment the next day and as it turns out my brothers ear drum had burst, there is no knowing if an earlier appointment would have prevented this or not.