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Little Common Surgery 2024-08-13 Person 4 5 0

It is all but impossible to get an appointment when phoning for one I want. The phone lines are always very busy and the wait for the call to be answered when they ring is very long. IF there are ever any appointments they are, ridiculously enough, always by phone initially no matter what the problem is, even when quite clearly a physical examination will be essential (eg my last 2 issues have been suspected prolapse and new, itchy mole appearing) - and where an initial phone appointment is offered it is usually several days - weeks in some cases - later. The physical appointment is sometimes offered quickly thereafter. However, if my GP is not available, I have to really push to be given an alternative appointment - especially if I have to keep reiterating that I start work at 8am, so cannot keep phoning back on successive days to try to book something with somebody. Conversely, when the surgery wants to see me - eg for blood sample this week, multiple reminder messages are sent, with no way to simply acknowledge the first one! Although every practioner I have seen within the last couple of years has been very professional and good at their job, the actual getting to see them has been an off-putting experience.

Answer the phones more promptly Offer an appointment without me having to all but beg for one Offer an alternative doctor if mine is away for a few weeks and "hasn't released his calendar for the following month yet" (!) - but do so as a matter of course, not because I've begged for it! Accept that not everyone can fit in with the phoning at 8am on successive days - we've all got work, not just the surgery staff!