The New Seaham Medical Group

Impossible to reach by phone or get convenient appointments

The practice does not seem to take into account that patients are working when requesting attendance for tests or reviews, which can necessitate taking unpaid leave. Booking appointments when you are available off work proves difficult. The overall approach and policies suggest the practice views patients as needing to fit around their service rather than the other way around. In a recent update, medication could not be obtained without completing a review appointment. Availability of appointments continues to be problematic when you are not working. Multiple attempts to contact the practice by phone resulted in extended waiting times and being directed to a full voicemail system, making it nearly impossible to resolve matters. In May, a medication change occurred without prior discussion. The replacement medication was prescribed at a significantly lower strength, which resulted in considerable loss of work time due to inadequate pain management. A subsequent appointment led to a different medication being prescribed, which has provided some improvement but remains suboptimal. When additional medication was needed the following month, an appointment with a practitioner was arranged instead of the usual doctor. You were advised that future requests would need to be submitted via a note on the prescription rather than as a repeat, but when this was done, you were told a doctor's appointment was necessary. However, the earliest available appointment was scheduled after your current supply would run out. After being told someone would contact you by phone, a follow-up call revealed the appointment slot had been pushed back even further. The overall experience suggests a lack of genuine concern for patient wellbeing.