Parkside Surgery
AS
Abdul S. one year ago • From Google
Poor
The last occasion I needed to contact my GP was during the Covid period, and being an infrequent patient, I had to phone for an appointment for one of the first times in years. Calls must be made precisely at 8am, so I dialed exactly on time and immediately found myself at queue position 15. After enduring a 45-minute hold, I progressed to number 3, only to be abruptly disconnected. Calling back, I started at queue number 31 and waited another 1 hour and 20 minutes before finally getting through to book an appointment. Over 2 hours of waiting, I managed to secure a slot around 10.15am. The call handler was pleasant and professional, though the earliest available appointment was a week away. Goodness! The decline of GP services is deeply concerning. I cannot fault the surgery itself, as I'm certain the staff are working incredibly hard and doing their utmost under challenging circumstances. I have nothing but praise for the staff and doctors who are genuinely excellent people. This situation stems largely from poor policy decisions by NHS trusts, managers, and government. I feel immense sympathy for those who must regularly navigate these medical services, recognizing how incredibly frustrating this must be. I can clearly see how this leads many to seek urgent care or emergency services instead, which further strains those systems. Emergency waiting times are around 6 hours, and at Blackburn's emergency department, trolleys of (predominantly elderly) patients are left waiting in corridors. It's absolutely unacceptable that East Lancashire Health Care is so dysfunctional. I genuinely hope the new Labour government can improve things, as it seems impossible for the situation to deteriorate further. Challenging to determine the rating, but ultimately reflecting on the unacceptably long wait time balanced against courteous call handling.
Karen E.