Share review of Ballyclare Group Practice

Ballyclare Group Practice 2024-02-22 Person 0 5 0

I regret that I am posting this online, but have tried to outreach to the practice manager Sean Quinn to air my concerns, to no avail rather expectedly, sadly. I think there has to be formal recognition this practice is not fit for purpose.l currently.There are access issues across the majority of practices in northern Ireland, and ultimately GP service survival is in a perilous position at present. The difference experienced with Ballyclare compared to other practices though is the perceived lack of interest in actually helping, the apathetic shutters down policy is a huge factor in the repeated service user frustration aired both online and in the local community. Beginning with the triage system utilised, I would question what phone line provider is used-automatic cut off after 45 minutes of waiting to be met with phone lines are closed message is highly frustrating; surely simply removing the 45 minute cutoff and addressing all calls throughout the day would be much safer practice? This current practice is UNSAFE. If calls are taken, the receptionists could be appropriately trained to triage and signpost to pharmacy first,or if something like an antibiotic request, which is likely a large proportion of your workload, details of the presenting complaint could be added to the message as an acute request, and an antibiotic issued? This seems successful in many other places- ideal,no, but providing at least some sort of hybrid lesser service when demand is so high is better than none at all surely? I think transparency would help from your end- how many doctors/population are working/day, how many appointments are available for access/day? If these stats are falling behind other local practices,who don't seem to be perceived as having such a negative online presence as your practice but are most likely as busy, would there be questions from either yourselves personally about handing back your contract/ asking for crisis team support/ board level intervention if clearly not fulfilling population needs? Equally, if patients saw that you are working at high capacity and can't do anymore than what you are doing,this would invoke some empathy I think and help make things a bit easier at least for you in terms of service user behaviour. Again, working above capacity continuously, then bigger questions need to be answered about the future direction of this practice, because from a patient perspective, this is not working. I have then had concerns at times about the clinical care received from more senior doctors in the team, which coupled with the access issues, augments my concerns further. From what I have perceived passively online and in terms of my own inability to access services and talk to anyone, I think a reminder that everyone there is paid to serve as their job wouldn't be amiss. I wonder if a culture of apathy has developed from chronic burnout, which may help explain what is experienced from the patient perspective, a culture which in the current day and age of high stress and work volumes on GP services is understandable, but needing addressed.

Consider etriage, open lines for longer during the day, other comments as above.