Reviews
Recommend
Involvement
Cleanliness
Staff
Appointment
Billingshurst Surgery
2022-08-08
Person
0
5
0
8th August 2022
I've just spent over an hour on the phone waiting to get through. Still only caller no 11. I gave up. Does the surgery think this is a reasonable level of service? Can't you take steps to hire more resources so that calls can be taken. Do we need a second surgery in Billingshurst? I'm shocked at how difficult it is to get through.
Suggested improvements
Have enough resources available to answer the phone.
31st August 2022
Response from Billingshurst Surgery
Hello, Thank you for your feedback. Over the last couple of months we have made a few improvements in this area. Firstly, as you have rightly suggested we have increased the number of staff on the phones. By increasing the number of staff on the phones (from 3 to 5) for the first hour or so in the morning to clear the initial rush as fast as possible. This in turn reduces wait times throughout the day. This bought our average queue time in July down to around 7 minutes. Although, in August due to sickness and a higher level of annual leave and staff shortages, this has been harder to achieve. Our apologies for this. Secondly, in July we have changed the types of calls we accept at times of the day. For the first hour of the day we only accept calls about getting appointments. These calls are generally faster to deal with, and come in large numbers at the start of the day. By focusing directly on this area for the first hour it also allows us to reduce the queuing time. We will continue to monitor this situation as our Administration staffing levels return to normal to ensure the changes made have had an effect. We are hopeful that the changes above will improve our wait times going forwards. Please feel free to contact us directly if you have any further issues. Many Thanks, Billingshurst Surgery https://www.billingshurstsurgery.co.uk/contact.php#contact-form
Billingshurst Surgery
2022-06-20
Person
1
5
0
20th June 2022
Hopeless
Suggested improvements
To be able to get am appointment
Billingshurst Surgery
2021-09-30
Person
0
5
0
30th September 2021
Luckily I am not a patient here and purely advocate on behalf of a patient but the treatment that I have witnessed at this surgery left alot to be admired! Rather than focusing so much time and effort on a system upgrade, I think it would be more beneficial for this doctors surgery to focus on retraining their reception team. Considering they are the first point of contact for mentally and physically unwell patients, basic customer service skills are non existant, let alone any sort of manners or empathy for those in need. Rather than being pro active and ready to help, they are dismissive and uncooperative. For some mentally ill patients, having the courage to make that first call to the doctor to seek some help is such a huge and scary step to make, it's therefore imperative that the first person they speak too has the ability to make them feel safe and supported, not shut down, ignored and made to feel a burden. This initial contact could be the difference between life and death for some one suffering from suicidal tendencies. I therefore feel it is important to provide honest feedback relating to the service I have witnessed, in the hope that some staff training is implemented at this surgery to give the receptionists the ability to learn how to show some dignity and respect to their patients. If this cannot be done I would highly recommend getting some new receptionists!
Suggested improvements
As stated above
Billingshurst Surgery
2021-09-06
Person
1
5
0
6th September 2021
Most people complain about the long wait to have a call answered when you phone the surgery for an appointment. This has been a problem before the pandemic so I think it's a management problem. Frankly its not up to someone answering the phone to decide whether you can have a face to face appointment. It's time the surgery was open normally. and patients respected. At the moment we are not getting the service which is due. Something has to change at Billingshurst Surgery . Too often we are given excuses and nothing improves...now its the telephone systems, then the online systems etc.What next?
Suggested improvements
Simplify the online booking system instead of this ridiculous NHS app. Are you really expecting elderly patients to go through that tedious process of setting up the system for themselves. I gave up because I was not prepared to play along with a system introduced not with the patients in mind. (I am computer literate and still find this treatment unacceptable). Do you not look at the demography of your patients? Have you not compared the telephone call for an appt with the new online app? Do you not see the overkill of a simple process. People just want a slot thats all. I can book online a hotel room on the other side of the world in a fraction of the time that it takes to set up the app and all I want from the surgery is something similar.
Billingshurst Surgery
2021-08-17
Person
1
5
0
17th August 2021
My father has been trying for 2 days consecutively to get a call back when he’s been told someone will phone him! He phoned again this evening as he didn’t receive a callback only to be told to phone back again tomorrow which would make it 3 days. No it’s not a emergency, however he does have various health conditions, the doctor even told him to phone them back a few weeks ago after some blood tests he phoned them back and is still waiting regarding that.
Suggested improvements
Answer the phones.
Open the surgery to patients like most others have.
Get rid of the RUDE receptionist!
Resources
Short link to review Billingshurst Surgery: http://iwgc.net/ejhn8