Nearly impossible to book an appointment
I was on the phone this morning at 8 am on the dot when the practice opened to book an appointment with a particular GP. I was relieved to hear that I was only fifth in the queue, as I have not been able to get an appointment recently, they were always booked up when I phoned, and they would not let me book an appointment. When my turn came, the phone line went dead at their end. I had no choice but to call back, I phoned back immediately, only a few minutes past 8, unfortunately this put me at 33 in the queue. When I finally got through, I was told that all the appointments with the particular GP I wanted to see were booked up, that I would have to see a different GP or a nurse. I purposefully called today, at 8 am sharp in order to get that particular appointment, through no fault of my own, it was the practice's phone line, I was unable to get my appointment. In the time it took me to explain this situation, all of the other appointment slots with other practitioners were booked up, and now I am left stranded with nothing but tears. This place has lost its compassion and humanity. I have been a patient at this practice for almost ten years. It used to be fairly straightforward to get an appointment, and get the help my family and I needed. This has drastically changed in the recent years. We can no longer make appointments ahead of time, and it is virtually impossible to see a particular GP, which is very difficult for patients who feel more comfortable seeing particular health professionals. Asking to make an appointment with a particular person should not be too much to ask for, it never used to be. It is very easy to see how people fall though the cracks of this system, especially when they are at their most vulnerable and at their weakest.