LL

Lou L. 4 years ago • From Google

Rating

Poor

Frustrating surgery appointments and endless phone calls

Attempting to secure a medical appointment has been an absolute nightmare. Monday morning at 8:30, I began repeatedly dialing, enduring over 12-minute hold times only to be disconnected by a "reception busy" message. This cycle continued until 10:10 when I finally got through, only to be told no appointments were available and advised to call back the next day. When I described my symptoms and expressed concern, I was essentially directed to use 111 or retry the following day. Fortunately, a 111 clinician recommended I go directly to A&E, and I'm now at the hospital for a scan. When I needed to address another medical issue, I called Tuesday and encountered a recording about staff training, instructing me to call after 5pm. Wednesday's attempt started at 8:30am and succeeded at 9:40. While the staff are genuinely helpful, they're constrained by a deeply flawed telephone system and process - and it's this system I'm criticizing, not the staff. My previous surgery in Chester had a superior approach: a clear queuing system, no disconnections, and receptionists who would assess symptoms and direct patients to appropriate triage. They had dedicated urgent appointment slots and a structured process for determining whether a phone or in-person consultation was needed. I recognize these improvements can't happen overnight, but similar complaints have been consistent over the past year. Something must change. Despite feeling conflicted about critiquing services during challenging COVID times, the stress of this experience has been overwhelming.

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