Havens Health / Meridian Surgery

After over 100 phone calls to sort a repeat prescription I finally had it on my last day of supply, despite trying for 2 weeks

I’ve spent the entire day trying to actually talk to an actual person so that I could book and urgent appointment it took over 200 calls, I was on hold for half an hour twice and then just cut off, finally got through at half 1 to be told that I have to ring back at 2 as the appointment lone was closed. Tried again from 2 until half 3 and after another half an hour on hold was told that there was no more appointments or phone consultations left!! I gave up at this point and have registered at Quayside Surgery in Newhaven…… they were amazing and so helpful.

Takes an unreasonable amount of time to get an answer from reception. The answer to a request for an appointment is always “emergency on the day only” then it’s “no appointments available try tomorrow “ this goes on for days/weeks. Reception staff let you know that you are a nuisance but they are very stressed. This is not new-it’s been this way for about the last 2 years, but Covid has obviously made it worse. I have used the consult 3 times and always had a phone call within 24 hrs. But the firm doesn’t allow you just to request a conversation with Dr-you have to have a condition/symptoms. I feel that the surgery are not spending enough of their NHS funding on staff (reception) or more technology. They have too many patients for staff available. We are really made to feel unimportant which is wrong. When you do get to see staff they are very good.

I fully understand the pressure that the reception staff are under but I feel their attitude is poor and not particularly helpful.
I have stood in front of them, close to tears, trying to get an appointment for my husband, who has serious heart condition but have been told that there are no appointments.
When I phone Stanford Medical centre (Brighton) for my father in law, they are helpful, polite, professional and empathetic. Would it not be a good idea for some sort of mentoring/shadowing of a practice like this to provide good practice training????

I spent nearly 1 month of daily calling sometimes over 1 hour to speak to someone to be told ring back after 2pm then long queues all appointments gone phone back in the morning. I tried the online booking but because my symptoms were pins and needles it said to call 111. Useless is putting it nicely I ended up going private which I shouldn't have to do. So not a good experience. It has got worse since the two surgery's merged, and because of Covid you can not walk into to beat the phone lines and book an appointment

Getting to talk to anyone on the the phone us a mission. Long waiting times. Unable to see doctor for 3 weeks. Reception staff under a lot of pressure,which may explain their curt nature. Nursing staff are usually very helpful once you get to see them

As a family we are registered with Meridian, for the last 2 years we have completely given up on having any type of health care or health screening from this Surgery. We just never consider using it, which does present problems for us. It is impossible to get any reply or any availability of appointments.

econsult is good, but since its been launched, only phone consultation seems to be offered. I tried to get a nurses appointment for a dressing to be changed & was told to go to our local minor injuries unit as no appointments available. Ridiculous that I had to travel a 15 mile round trip when the surgery is 1/2 mile away. Phone lines impossible to get through on. Dreading either myself or my family having an urgent issue - a&e isn't always the answer!

I phoned doctors and was on hold for an hour when they finally answered there was no appointments I wasnt happy as my daughter isn't even 2 and she had a blood shot eye which was getting worse and still told me to ring back the day after

Since merging can’t get through by phone at all - if you go in to surgery they tell you to go away and phone up for appointment!!