Patients are forced to call Stratton GP surgery ‘hundreds of times’ to book appointments
Patients who struggle to make an appointment for surgery in Stratton St Margaret have said they have called 200 times – with one woman describing the phone problem as a ‘life or death’ situation.
Merchiston Surgery acknowledged issues with phone lines which it says are due to “high call volume” and revealed the practice is looking for another provider.
Patricia Smith, 85, has been registered with Merchiston Surgery for nearly 50 years, but says her recent experience with the practice is “serious business”.
Ms Smith, who once had sepsis, was anxious when a wound from her operation did not heal as expected.
But when she phoned the doctor’s office in Highworth Road to make an appointment, the line was immediately cut.
“It’s not just today that I had a problem, it’s recent,” she said.
“This is serious business. This is not a joke and something has to be done because it’s not right when people are worried. I’m calling for a reason.
“I know I have a problem and I’m trying to get to my doctor’s office, but I can’t get anywhere.
“I hate to fuss and I’m not a whiner. I put up with a lot before I do something, but I know I need strong antibiotics.
“I’m afraid of hospitals but I had surgery and then it happens.
“Something should be done about this operation because I don’t think I can be alone in this way.”
Ms Smith, who has six stitches in her leg after having a lump removed, says her experience with GP practice added to the anxiety she felt about the surgery.
“I’ve never had a complaint before. It’s a totally recent thing. They have very good doctors there, so I don’t know what’s going on.”
Other patients reported ringing hundreds of times before reaching a receptionist and some also found the line disconnected immediately.
One patient said, “It’s a regular occurrence. If we have to call 111, why do we use a GP? We don’t call the firm because we have nothing better to do.
Another added: ‘No matter what time I call he’s always busy.
Merchiston told the Adver that a new phone system should be in place by the end of June for patients to notice improvements.
A spokesperson said: “We know some patients have had difficulty calling surgery in recent weeks, and we would like to apologize to anyone who has been frustrated with the current issues.
“Recently, very high call volumes have impacted the efficiency of our telephone service and as such, we have made the decision to seek an alternative provider.
“This new phone system, which we expect to be in place by the end of June, will increase the number of lines in the surgery, meaning more calls can be connected at any given time.
“Patient experience is extremely important to us, and we hope those enrolled in our practice will begin to notice real improvements over the next few months.”
Phone line issues seem to be an ongoing issue. In December, the GP’s practice said: “Merchiston Surgery also had significant issues with their telephone lines and worked extremely hard and liaised with the telephone service provider to resolve the issues.
“The answering machine message has been changed to more clearly advise patients to try again later if all lines are busy.”