Armley Medical Centre

In over 20 years at this surgery this is the first time I have had to write a negative comment. I suffer from Vertigo and for the last few days it has got progressively worse. Called in to make an appointment and was number 30in the queue. I know Monday must be a bad day for you so I understand the wait time. Having eventually got through told I couldn’t book an appointment until 30th September. Suggested I try on line but I have registered for it twice already and it must be one of the most unuser friendly web sites I have ever come across. Your member of staff didn’t seem suprised when I told her. I wasn’t asked what my problem was but told the alternative was to call in at 8am each morning but no guarantee the same situation wouldn’t happen. I start work at 8am each morning so I take it I am expected to be late for work every morning or self certify myself and risk losing my job. I have been told about the satellite service but apparently not available until weekend. This is really poor and seems to have got worse. Why take on more patients when you clearly don’t have the capacity to offer reasonable appointments to your existing customers. The one thing that hasn’t changed is the fantastic service provided by your reception team, nurses and doctors (when I eventually get to see them). What is the point in question 4 (which requires an answer) when the point of your review is about not being able to get an appointment in the first place.
Original Comment Report...

In over 20 years at this surgery this is the first time I have had to write a negative comment. I suffer from Vertigo and for the last few days it has got progressively worse. Called in to make an appointment and was number 30in the queue. I know Monday must be a bad day for you so I understand the wait time. Having eventually got through told I couldn’t book an appointment until 30th September. Suggested I try on line but I have registered for it twice already and it must be one of the most unuser friendly web sites I have ever come across. Your member of staff didn’t seem suprised when I told her. I wasn’t asked what my problem was but told the alternative was to call in at 8am each morning but no guarantee the same situation wouldn’t happen. I start work at 8am each morning so I take it I am expected to be late for work every morning or self certify myself and risk losing my job. I have been told about the satellite service but apparently not available until weekend. This is really poor and seems to have got worse. Why take on more patients when you clearly don’t have the capacity to offer reasonable appointments to your existing customers. The one thing that hasn’t changed is the fantastic service provided by your reception team, nurses and doctors (when I eventually get to see them). What is the point in question 4 (which requires an answer) when the point of your review is about not being able to get an appointment in the first place.
Original Comment Report...

I didn’t think that I would be writing this as I have had issues with this surgery previously where I believe they handled a situation badly which has left me confused and nervous when I visit even if I am just picking up a script, however I have been sat thinking about my visit today and how I felt and what I witnessed. I needed to visit unexpectedly today so I was a little on edge and felt nervous whilst sat in the waiting room. I do have some slight communication issues which means I dont always understand what is said to me and dont always pick up on peoples emotions / intentions, for example I may be told something is okay but Iworry that I may have heard that but that is not what was actually said. Well today a nurse who I have only seen twice so wouldn’t expect her to knows me was leaving for the day and took time out to come over to ask me if I was okay (not medically) and had a 2 min chat which Ithought was nice as she had finished for the day and noticed me as she was heading home. One of the other staff who new I was going to be coming in took the time and effort to take time away from her work to just say hi and reassure me that everything was okay, this only took a couple of minutes but that reasurance made me feel less anxious. I felt that she probably realised that I would be feeling nervous and understands my way of thinking, having somebody that gets you when you struggle communicating and often get confused when explaining things really helps. My GP also does try even though I often leave confused ( my fault not dr) I can see that she is trying. In the short time I was there today there was 2 people that were late for there appointments but neither were turned away. One was seen straightaway and the other was told they were really late but the DR had agreed to see them but they had to wait as the GP had other patients that had appointments. A lot of places they would have been turned away but they were looked after very politely and will have been seen. The reason I mention this is because I heard the receptionists and the GP’S been slagged off when I was in the chemist, they were discussing how they coul never get an appointment, receptionists are rude and how its okay for the doctors to run behind but when they were once late they were turned away. Do people not realise that the DRs many be running behind because people are late or maybe they are dealing with an emergency. It is correct you cant just get an appointment when you want but the drs are not sat twiddling their thumbs they are seeing patients and more than likely feel bad that they cant see everybody who wants an appointment as of yesterday, This surgery / staff at the surgery have gone out of their way to understand me and how I process things and I think they should be given a break from all the negativity. Thank you AMC, Your care and support is very much appreciated.
Original Comment Report...