Billingshurst Surgery

Hello, Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback for us. We started offering face to face appointments on request again back in March 2022. If you are booking a routine appointment in future please feel free to request a face to face. The only exception to this being if you are requesting an urgent on the day appointment, these are conducted via telephone in the first instance, if needed a face to face would be offered the same day. Please rest assured if a face to face is needed the clinician will book a time to see you while you are on the phone. I totally appreciate your concerns over the receptionists, let me reassure you the receptionists do not decide who does and does not get an appointment, they will only direct patients to an alternate service once a GP has told them they are at capacity so they are unable to see anyone else that day. They may also ask for a brief reason for your call, this is not to decided if you can have an appointment, it is solely so they can be sure they are booking you with the most appropriate person. I hope that helps to address your concerns, if you have any further questions, feel free to contact the surgery directly (https://www.billingshurstsurgery.co.uk/contact.php), we would be more than happy to give you a call to discuss them in more detail. Many thanks, Billingshurst Surgery

Hello, Thank you for your feedback. I have had a check on why bloods and ECGs would not be done in the same appointment as like you I felt that it would be more efficient. I found that we would normally take bloods at the same time as an ECG, the only times this doesn't happen is to do with when the last blood samples are scheduled to be collected each day by the lab at St Richards. If your appointment is after that time we would be unable to take the blood sample from you as it would expire by the time of the collection the next day. This can sometimes lead to two appointments instead of one. Sorry for the inconvenience caused by this, I hope this has explained the reasoning behind having two appointments instead of one on this occasion. Many Thanks, Billingshurst Surgery

Hello, Thank you for your positive comments. I will make sure they are passed on to Anne and reception they will be very pleased. Many thanks, Billingshurst Surgery