Information not up to date
Having regular blood tests is fine, its all well organised and easy to arrange but for ad hoc issues its more difficult as most is done via econsult with no telephone consultations. Econsult as a system does work well for me to contact the surgery and because I work and they do respond. However, the responses are often very brief and do not always address all the issues or aspects covered in the initial contact. You then have to do another econsult for follow up information or need to try and speak to someone. Its frustrating having to repeat all the information already submitted because it hasn't been addressed in the first contact. At least when you talk to a clinician you can ask follow up questions or seek clarification easily, econsult does not allow for this. I've asked for my medication to be changed so the prescription is correct but this still hasn't been done after asking a number of times, it just becomes a hassle to deal with it. Long term conditions support is lacking Information from the hospital doesn't get on the system quickly enough so medication changes are not acted upon, I now have to print a copy of letters myself and bring them in because that is the quickest way to get medication changed. They must have the consultants letter they just haven't managed to get it on the system. We've also had issues where the surgery and hospital were arguing who should be prescribing the medication that was needed meaning that it couldn't be prescribed. Communication is one of the biggest issues at the surgery.