Skip to main content
Menu
Institute Community Reporter
User account menu
About Us
Log in
Facebook
Twitter
Youtube
Main navigation
Home
Explore
Reporters
Report transcript in: Woman discusses access to appointments and a home visit
Please Report the Errrors?
Can you tell me a little bit about your experiences of using B V services recently?
Well, it seems to take a long time to answer the phone if the answer at all.
Uh, it can take up to 40 minutes
and then they said they'll ring back
and they don't always ring back on the same day.
So it's It's very difficult trying to get through it, especially if it's urgent.
And it's
not
just
like,
yeah,
well, you can't even get through to the
receptionist.
That seems to take forever. And then you've got to wait for their permission
before you can
get a
telephone consultation with the doctor.
But, um,
we had one that was very good.
He actually came up on the same day to to do a visit,
a
home visit, which is a miracle,
because normally
they said, Can you bring him down and he's disabled
and you can't really get him anywhere quickly.
So it was, um
I was very pleased with that one,
and I want him back.
Was a
GP at the practise just
visiting them.
Oh, I don't know. I don't know how long he was there for.
Have you not seen him again.
And so when you finally get through to someone to make an appointment,
you get a choice of who you want to see.
You just
you just
just a
doctor will phone you
right,
and they don't tell you it is.
Well, sometimes they do.
Sometimes they just say it will be later today,
but it's very rare
that they tell you a
time, and it is that time.
We've had some and it's been, uh,
we thought at such and such a time, and it's been like two days later.
Well, sometimes it's basically been over
prescriptions, so we've managed to cope with that. But, um,
no. Sometimes it's very difficult. It's not easy.
And you're just tired, aren't you?
This is the worst part about it. Nobody wants to
tell you what time they're going to be
because they're not bothered
that, you know, you could be sat there for days
waiting to see what's going on.
What about
isn't a lot of choice, is there
No,
And have you been given any other options to book appointments, or is it just
just got
nice? Doctor said. If you need anything, ring me.
Do you know how long it took last time?
And he said, Oh, I'm sorry, he said.
It's reception
because they think they run it, don't they?
They delay things, don't they?
So
we just have to wait.
And when you have conversations with your reception staff,
how what are the conversations like?
Are they friendly? Are they
effective?
Well, some aren't too bad, but
I think they're just putting you off sometimes, you know?
Well, we'll just get your telephone consultation.
But that's not good, is it when you need something? But
like the day I waited 40 minutes,
Um,
he did ring back pretty quickly,
and when I explained everything he said, I think we need a home visit,
which was wonderful. I thought I
thought I might just have to go and get a prescription,
but that was good
once.
And these telephone visits is that new since
the pandemic.
And have you been offered any
face to face appointments since then?
Been on the phone apart from when he came
home,
they
said,
Yeah,
but how can how can they tell you?
I phoned up my doctor
and I got a telephone consultation,
he said. Oh, I think you've got a chest infection.
But how did he know? Over the phone.
So you just sent me some
antibiotics
and they
were
not brilliantly. No.
I could have done with another law.
And what stopped you
bringing back?
Wasting half an hour, three quarters of an hour on the phone,
I thought, No, I'll just call up.
Just keep taking the cough medicine.
So
you say
that
this waiting around and difficulty puts you
off?
Yeah.
Yeah,
because everybody puts you off,
but they don't want to see you.
I should have had a blood test
last year, but they no vials
and I don't know if they've got any yet, but they've not phoned me back.
And this is from a boat
when they deliver on, not files were in September.
Nothing.
Yeah.
Yeah. So communication is not the
easiest.
No,
no,
no.
11 doesn't know what the other arm is doing,
is it?
Is there anything
else?
Can't think of anything. I happened.
OK, that's great. Thank you very much for your time.
Up-big
Home
Explore
Reporters
About Us
Log in
Facebook
Twitter
Youtube