Gayton Road Health Centre

Online booking system beats waiting on the phone

The telephone system can be quite challenging to navigate. However, additional staff have been recruited to handle calls, so whilst you may find yourself waiting 30-40 positions in the queue, you should typically get through within approximately 30 minutes. If you have created an online account, you can book appointments through the website or use the messaging feature to request an appointment. Responses typically arrive within 20 minutes and you will receive an email notification when a reply has been posted. I have found this approach considerably more convenient than telephone waiting, and it has also been kinder to my phone bill. It is worth attempting. UPDATE: The practice now uses a booking system to facilitate online appointment requests. It is relatively straightforward to set up and streamlines the appointment request process. There are screening questions to complete, which serve to help prioritise your needs appropriately and ensure you are directed to the right clinician. Completing this typically takes 5-10 minutes, which remains preferable to holding on the telephone. The practice usually responds fairly promptly to offer assistance and arrange an appointment if needed. Sometimes this involves a telephone callback the same day, though they cannot guarantee a specific time. Morning slots are typically available between 09:00-13:00 and afternoon slots between 15:00-17:30, though some clinicians may also make calls during their lunch break if running behind schedule. I cannot comment extensively on other clinicians, but my assigned clinician has consistently been willing to accommodate telephone consultations and makes considerable effort to see me. I believe much depends on the relationship you establish with your healthcare provider. For those managing long-term health conditions like myself, it should genuinely feel like a collaborative partnership. If you are not connecting well with your assigned clinician for any reason, you can write to the practice management and request to be transferred to another. There are several excellent clinicians at the surgery and others that are less so. Therefore, do not hesitate to see different clinicians until you find one who suits you. For someone managing long-term chronic health conditions, I cannot praise highly enough the team providing my care. From the reception staff who handle my requests personally, to the clinical staff administering my treatments and tests, to my excellent assigned clinician who joined the practice this year, and all the administrative personnel who ensure my correspondence and records from the various hospitals I attend are returned and filed in my permanent medical record so their recommendations can be implemented. Thank you.