Forum Topic

Putneymead Group Medical Practice

Logged on to their website last night to book a telephone consultation appt but was shocked when the first available date came up as 22nd May. I thought it must be an error so tried again this morning, but had the same result. Naturally I thought this must be a mistake so I decided to phone the surgery instead. Been trying repeatedly to speak to a human being but only getting a recorded message saying '"all lines are busy please try later." Great. Not. 😼This is a huge practice with over 20 doctors listed on its website but I can't find one of them who isn't part-time. The practice is obviously too big and seemingly cannot cope but is apparently still taking on new patients.

Sue Hammond ● 2765d31 Comments

Sue, I have just been up there and there was hardly a queue, and two Receptionists.  Can’t imagine why your phone call isn’t being answered.  It wasn’t busy.  Keep trying, good luck.

Martine Guy ● 2765d

I have been a patient for many years at Putneymead.  I find the service and doctors to be brilliant, when you can eventually contact them.  However, like you, I was absolutely horrified to find their phone line questions answering service was literally weeks away.( my question was simple.  Have you or have you not done something) it was actually easier to book an appointment, with anyone available, for 2 weeks later.  I can quite sympathise with people going to A&E.A&E couldn't help with my problem as it was on computer records.I really don't know the answer except perhaps doctors working full time but then I don't know their personal circumstances.Incidentally to get a phone call answered, the trick is to phone dead on 8am.  Any time after that....you just have to be lucky!

Barbara Shillabeer ● 2765d

I'm nothing if not persistent so I kept trying and eventually got through and put on hold. After listening to the to horrible muzac for almost 6 minutes I was connected to a human. Not much better unfortunately. My preferred doctor, the one I tried to book online, didn't have a slot until 21st May. So I tried 'any other doctor' and the first telephone slot is 1st May which is bloody ridiculous in my opinion. Perhaps I should have lied and pretended it was urgent but that isn't the right thing to do. Barbara, I was also a patient at the original Putneymead for many years and like you I was always highly satisfied with the practice and the doctors, especially Dr North who was outstanding in my opinion.

Sue Hammond ● 2765d

I believe they release sooner appointments every evening if you're booking online

Sarah Stevenson ● 2763d

Yes, and you can get an emergency appointment if you ring at 8-30 a.m.  You can't choose your doctor.

Alexander MacLeod ● 2763d

Two things:1.  If you need a same day appointment then they're released at exactly 8am but don't phone (you won't get through as a dozen other people have mobiles on repeat recall), do it online via https://app.patientaccess.com (assuming you already have a profile set up) and you will get a slot that morning.  Don't be fussy about exact time and doctor2.  If it's a real emergency, call a bit after 8am, explain the circumstances and why you can't get to AnE, and they might be able to accommodate

James Francis ● 2761d

I have been online today at 8am to book an appointment for my daughter. No appointments until 21/05. Telephone appointments ? The first one available is on 5th June.Even by the standards of the NHS this really is quite shocking. Like others I do wonder why all the doctors seem to work three days a week, also they really should stop taking new patients on if they can't cope as it is.

Mike Harris ● 2759d

I use Chartfield surgery and the picture is not just better. Over-development has brought more people to Putney but if anything NHS resources have shrunk. I suspect the story from other surgeries will be similar and from what I hear it is even worse in some parts of the country.

Jonathan Callaway ● 2759d

It's very very bad in some coastal towns which doctors don't want to move to.  Doctors obviously manage to earn enough to work part-time as GPs.  This is something that a lot more of the population would love - a better work:life balance!  The NHS has an tremendous shortfall in workers who support those GPs.  Less of a shortfall would help.  Until I experienced the situation I didn't realise that "the District Nurse" was about 10 people!  Teamwork is so important as time is needed to coordinate and the ones I saw were rushing around doing home visits.  Many of the patients are newly out of hospital and need quite a bit of support as there wasn't as much physio as needed.  A shame as that should surely be more time efficient in hospital.  I fear there is a lot of pushing care from one budget to another rather than putting the patient first.  So many nurses now drop out of training or soon after and experienced  ones leave because of the stress of overwork due to understaffing.  I've so often heard how they love the job but complain about the lack of backupand extra hours necessary to do it properly. Do you have an easy way of giving feedback to your practice?

Philippa Bond ● 2759d

Yes, feedback form or online over the Patients Access site.

Jonathan Callaway ● 2759d

Leaving feedback makes no difference unfortunately. I had a conversation with the Practice Manager a couple of years ago and all she did was make excuses. Lots of them. I thought she was rather rude too.

Sue Hammond ● 2759d

Complain to PALS, ring St.Georges they have somebody there.

Barbara Stevens ● 2759d

With one in four doctors now officially suffering from stress-related illnesses, the system is on overload.  Over-population and expectation management are the problem.

Chantal Blake-Milton ● 2758d

Doctors in the NHS aren't getting the support they need from other services they need for their jobs and a lot of effort is needed to coordinate all the services that are being privatised.  When you have large private businesses able to sue the NHS over contracts and millions of letters with test results being stored instead pf being sent to patients fragmentation shows itself to be a problem.  The problems and frustrations of being able to contact ang get apptmts are as a result of trying to cut costs.  Some little changes like being able to contact your surgery online and getting automatic text message confirmations and reminders of apptmts with the tel no to cancel if you need to is a great step forward.  Problems pccur when the IT doesn't cover your enquiry/problem.

Philippa Bond ● 2758d

@ChantalOver-population is the main driver that's causing many of the problems in this country.

Sue Hammond ● 2758d

We are now recruiting nurses from the Philippines.  It is a shame we've lost so many of our lovely European ones.If we look at our family trees most of us will probably find that our grand-parents or great grand-parents had very many more siblings than most of us now have.  Where there is more prosperity and fewer childhood deaths the families generally reduce in size.The problem is more the cuts and privatising of the NHS.

Philippa Bond ● 2758d

Rather a large amount using our NHS that shouldn't be allowed.

Barbara Stevens ● 2758d

A friend worked for several years as a health care assistant in Worthing Hospital and spoke highly of her Filipino colleagues. When I have encountered Philipines nurses in hsoptial I have liked and trusted them. We have been recruiting from the Philipiines for many years.

Elizabeth Balsom ● 2758d

Don't get me wrong I have no problem with foreign nurses at all and I'm sure we are all grateful for those who care for us when we are ill.  We have to recruit abroad because we don't have enough trained staff here and we are losing a lot of European ones.We are also living much longer - there are many of an older generation who will be retired for nearly twice as long as they have worked for!  I'm not sure that that will continue but the generation who came through the war seem to be particularly tough!https://www.gponline.com/nhs-faces-250000-staff-shortfall-2030-warn-think-tanks/article/1499030

Philippa Bond ● 2758d

I've been trying to ring them but am constantly getting a message saying that they are busy and then the call is disconnected; in the past you were able to hold until the call was answered.Is this a new thing? Am i meant to walk up there now to book as the call keeps getting disconnected?

Emarisa Battoia ● 2711d

It's been like that for quite a while Emarisa. Disgraceful management in my opinion.

Sue Hammond ● 2711d

agreeLast week i actually went in to book the appointment. I was waiting at the front desk while the receptionists were round the corner for over 5 mins discussing what they were doing that evening Yet their phone lines are too busy?

Emarisa Battoia ● 2711d

I just book on line.

Simon Knight ● 2711d

So do I but if you want a specific GP it can be weeks before an appointment is available.

Lucille Grant ● 2711d

Oh yes. I don't think I've seen the same GP twice.

Simon Knight ● 2711d

I am unable to book online, and to be honest i dont think its fair to get people to book online and reduce the phone service

Emarisa Battoia ● 2711d

When actually did all this phone for an appointment start? When I were a lad one turned up at the surgery sat down and waited for your turn and grumbled if it went over the hour.

Simon Knight ● 2711d

LolI would be quite happy to do that now, it would also be another way they could save money as you would not need the reception team :)

Emarisa Battoia ● 2711d

But you'd be waiting all day, not just an hour!

Lucille Grant ● 2711d

Just phoned Putneymead for an appointment.  Was offered one for next week, ( a straightforward blood test ) which I accepted.  To be fair, it is far more difficult to get one with a specific doctor, but generally speaking I am in the position of having 'ongoing' treatment and can book well in advance.  If more urgent treatment required I am quite happy to accept any time any doctor.  If in absolute dire need, you can always actually sit and wait and you will be seen, eventually. I guess I'm always fortunate, but there is a system, of sorts,if you use the surgery often, which unfortunately you only find out by trial and error.

Barbara Shillabeer ● 2711d

I've been a patient here for 10 years and there may be a system, but it should be straight forward to get an appointmentI dont mind waiting a few weeks, or seeing any doctor, i don't even mind sitting on hold for 10 plus minutes, but i do want to be able to ring them and at least be on hold instead of the call getting disconnected as the  lines are busy. Booking online is fine as long as its in addition to the reception staff that they have there. But when you are telling people to book online, and then reducing reception staff and phone lines then that is not fair. All GPs seem to be going the same way sadly, gutted

Emarisa Battoia ● 2711d