Bosses at a doctor’s practice in Nantwich admit they are as frustrated as patients with their much-maligned telephone system.
Some patients have criticised Kiltearn Medical Centre’s system which requires patients to ring up at 8am for a same-day appointment.
Because the phone system is centralised, many patients either can’t get through in the rush to make same-day appointments or are cut-off while on hold without explanation.
No information is provided to patients on hold.
One patient at the practice, based at Church View Primary Care Centre, said: “You’ve got no chance of getting through, you end up frustrated, if you are feeling ill, it makes you feel a lot worse.”
And another added: “I did constant redial over 350 times before I got through! 45 minutes to be told I should have phoned earlier as doctor was not full!”
Today, practice manager Dianne Price and practice partner Dr Annabel London told Nantwichnews they are as equally frustrated as the system is out of their control.
In April, the practice introduced “telephone consultations” so some patients could speak to doctors at given times over the phone, which has helped alleviate some congestion in the practice.
But Dr London said: “It’s so difficult as we bend over backwards to help, and I believe we provide the best health care out there.
“So we understand the patients’ frustrations with something as essential as the phone system, and we share those frustrations.
“It clearly increases the frustration for those people who are feeling poorly but who can’t get through.
“This is hard for those who perhaps don’t use the surgery very much and are working so have little time to call in.”
Mrs Price said the practice is also the victim of its size as it now has almost 13,000 patients on the books. It’s feared the current system simply can’t handle the volume of calls.
“We are really trying to hard to help everyone, and the Patient Panel has been very good in feeding back to use and making suggestions,” she said.
“But we have not control over how the phone system works, I wish we did!”
There are fears, with many more homes planned to be built in Nantwich, the situation could get worse if the practice is forced to take on more.
Currently, patients can book same-day appointments by phone, online on the EMIS patient access system, or by calling in to the practice when it opens each morning at 8am.
Concerns were also raised in the latest Patient Reference Group (PRG) report, and requests have been made for a new phone system.
The PRG report stated: “An improved telephone system has been long awaited. We can re-assure that all phone lines are manned continuously. We are in continuing discussions with our Primary Care Trust to expediate some change with respect to this.”
For more details on booking appointments, visit www.kiltearnmedicalcentre.nhs.uk
The system is clearly bursting at the seams yet the Primary Care Trust has stated on record that the existing GP services in Nantwich are sufficient to absorb a further 4000 residents as a result of the proposes housing developments. This really does not add up.
The NHS is a “free” service and, in my experience, there is always a wait for its services. The only people who get instant health service pay a lot of money for it. The phone problem could probably be solved if enough cash was thrown at it but the NHS is short of cash, as it always has been, due to to high demand for its services. Kiltearn is, in my experience, undoubtedly the best GP service I have ever used despite the occasional admin. mishaps and frustrations of the phone system. With such a huge practice serving thousands of patients, things will go awry from time to time.