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Whitefields Surgery 2016-03-31 Person 3 5 0

I have been a patient of Whitefields Surgery for approx. 28 years and up until the merger with Delapre, I was very happy with the service and care received. However, since the merger it has steadily gone downhill and the appointments system is a joke! As I work full time from 8:00 am, it is difficult for me to phone for an appointment, so I recently waited in the pouring rain to be the first in the surgery to request an appointment. Naively, I thought I would be able to get the first appointment, but the receptionist told me the doctor would need to do a triage phone call to see if she would give me an appointment! The doctor was also not due to arrive for another half an hour so I went to work and waited for the call. I was later offered an appointment at 9:50 am, however, I wasn't seen until 11:20 am, meaning I had to make up even more time at work! When I did finally get to see the GP, she was very thorough and I felt confident with her diagnosis and treatment (I had never seen this particular GP before and was quite impressed with her). She also asked me to attend for a chest x-ray, which brings me to the next disappointment. I attended NGH for the x-ray on 16th March and have just got the results today -31st March, which I had to call the surgery for. The results were abnormal with a recommendation that I see the GP. Best offer of an appointment was 12th April. When I asked if they could do anything sooner, I was offered 11th April or I could call at 8:00 am when the appointments are released each day. Back to square one!! It's enough to give you stress just trying to see a doctor. Please, please, do something to improve this diabolical state of an appointment system as I'm sure patients are getting worse health wise as they can't be bothered with going through hoops just to be seen by a doctor.