The Allum Medical Centre
DB
D B. 2 years ago • From Google
Bad
The new triage phone system is completely dysfunctional. Patients must endure a minimum 30-minute wait to reach reception, who then schedule a future callback from a doctor. There's no set time for this callback, forcing you to remain constantly alert for a potential call. The doctor unilaterally decides whether a face-to-face consultation is warranted, disregarding patient preferences for detailed discussions. For full-time workers, this unpredictable system is incredibly inconvenient. You're left in limbo, unable to plan your day since you don't know if an in-person appointment will be required. Getting through to reception and securing any kind of booking feels like winning a lottery. Calling after 8:00 am virtually guarantees missing the extremely limited same-day appointment slots, compelling you to retry the next day. Booking a face-to-face doctor appointment has become nearly impossible. The practice is clearly overwhelmed, with patient registration numbers far exceeding healthcare capacity. It's unacceptable to continue accepting new patients when existing patients receive substandard care. While financial incentives might benefit the practice, they're meaningless to patients not receiving adequate service. I recognize the NHS and healthcare staff are under immense pressure, but patient needs must be prioritized. The current system requires fundamental restructuring to ensure patients can be heard and effectively treated. [February 2024 Update] Absolutely nothing has changed. Booking a future appointment is only possible by calling precisely at 8am, and even then, available slots are microscopically rare. Each call results in the same frustrating instruction: "Call back tomorrow at 8am!" It's completely ridiculous. The surgery continues registering new patients despite being unable to manage their existing patient load. This should be prohibited. I'm desperate to know the patient-to-doctor ratio, which I'm certain is unsustainably high, explaining the systemic appointment booking failures.
Raaz t.