Seaton Park Medical Group
AA
Al A. 4 years ago • From Google
Bad
I genuinely struggle to understand how one obtains an appointment at this practice. Nearly a hundred attempts at calling with continuous redialling from early morning resulted in reaching an automated message regarding a health matter that must be listened to before even entering the queue. At that stage, I was ninth in line. When I finally reached the reception team, I was informed that all available slots had been allocated for that day. There appears to be a significant issue with this system. This situation seems to be routine here, with patients typically being advised to contact the practice again the following day. On this occasion, fortunately, the practice had introduced some routine booking options for the next couple of days, allowing me to secure an appointment for the day after. However, upon confirmation, I discovered it would be a telephone consultation with a clinical professional rather than an in-person visit. This raises questions about the availability of doctors at the surgery. I now face waiting a day for a call at a specific evening time, which will likely result in being asked to attend in person regardless, creating unnecessary duplication. The likelihood of actually seeing a doctor appears quite low, with other clinical staff members potentially handling the appointment instead. The practice receives even this single star solely because the reception staff member was courteous, professional, and expressed genuine apology. I do sympathize with the staff here, as I imagine most patients become considerably frustrated by the time they manage to speak with anyone. On the rare occasions when I have secured an appointment, the waiting area has been notably quiet. If the practice intends to operate primarily through telephone contact, it requires sufficient staff members to handle the volume of calls. I have spent nearly three-quarters of an hour of my working time simply attempting to arrange a doctor's appointment.
David H.