Nightmare telephone system. Staff very good.
The GP surgery before Covid provided an very good patient centred service and I had always had a positive experience. Used the on line booking system to get to see a doctor or a nurse. Worked very well. If I had an asthma attack I could get to see a someone that day. On lockdown in March a new telephone message was put on the heathfield surgery phone. It hasn’t been updated since. The online booking service ceases and only access was via telephone. The message makes it very clear that you have to tell the receptionist why you need to talk to the GP, but if asthma is so acute you can’t speak clearly you are in difficulty. The wait on the phone is very long. 10th in the queue took 33 minutes to be answered but the surgery insist that there are six people answering the phone. On another time after 45 minute wait to get down to number 1 in the queue the phone then rang and rang only to be cut off. Once you get through the staff are very helpful and professional. The delays appears to be with the telephone access system only.