Littledown Surgery

I have been with littledown surgery for 38 years and had always thought highly of the staff and the doctors. However, since Covid..... you try and get a face to face appointment. Impossible is the only answer . You can not pre book an appointment) . Their ONLY appointment system is you either phone 8.30 or 2pm on the day to book ONLY a telephone appointment for that day . Well good luck everyone.... it's a lottery !! . So you can image hordes of patients trying to get through at the same time. Yep, you guessed it .... not a chance of getting through . And when you have been hanging on for over 50mins you manage to speak to a receptionist. I was elated.... but that soon went to be told ALL morning appointments have gone . But if you call back at 2pm I can get a afternoon appointment. Yep ... you guessed it couldn't get through again . Eventually after two full days if trying I managed to get an appointment. But .... wait my disappointment didn't stop there! . I was told the doctor would call ANYTIME in the afternoon and will only ring once ! . Sooooo .... yep great for retired or someone who doesn't work and can have your phone attached to your hip ALL DAY. But , sadly I work full time and my employer ( undersandably) will not let me have my phone with me all afternoon. . Well ... got to go to work and pay bills and taxes I am afraid. So, what can I do to see a doctor on which my taxes and national insurance I have paid for the last 40 years may help !! . Maybe take a whole day off work ( unpaid) and hope and pray I get through before the other thousands of desperate patients trying to do the same. Fabulous ..... My daughter has been with the same doctors for years also and I had her in tears the other day as she is worried about a very painful condition and she has no chance of getting to see a doctor . Sadly, the misdiagnosis that is happening is frightening. PATIENTS NEED TO BE SEEN AT TIMES. I fully appreciate the phone consultations are a way forward for some ....... not not for all . Pre book the phone consultations and then the patient can organize their time accordingly so they are available for the call . I very rarely ( and fortunate) need to see the doctor and I am so aware they are under so much pressure. But ....... it seems to me the doctors are making things worse for themselves not making the process easier for the people who work all day 5/,6 days a week and can only call in their lunch hour which is strangely not always 2pm !!!! . So, I have managed to find a doctors which offers a better appointment scale. I can phone anytime and providing it's not an emergency I can call and book either a telephone appointment in advance or if need be see a doctor .

I am a regular patient, although only a few times a year, however, no matter how good the doctors my wish to be, the reception staff are nowhere to be seen if you attend. They are ghosts in the background whom appear to resent the patients, you can speak with them rarely on the phone and with servile gratitude if you do manage. What do they do? Keep records, repeat prescriptions no one knows, it is an enigma, however things do not bode well for the automated system (which is not user-friendly), and the reception . . . the dirty wall and flaking paintwork. Enjoy, if you have time to spend.