Ballyclare Group Practice 2023-01-04 Person 0 5 0

I phoned the Centre at 09.03 on the 4th January 2023 only to be told that the doctors lists were all full for the day and that I'd have to phone back tomorrow. I can't believe that all the working doctors lists were full in three minutes. Why did I phone? my wife has had a very bad cough for the past two weeks resulting in a sore throat and sometimes chest pain due to the amount of coughing. She has used paracetamol for the pain, streptsils to ease the throat and an oromucosal throat spray recommended by the chemist. She is tired, sore, still working and I feel she would need something stronger to ease the throat or possibly and anti-biotic to ease what I think may be an infection, but can I get through to the surgery, not a chance, as already stated, within 3 minutes the lists were full for today, do I believe it - NO.

The system you use for appointments is obviously flawed and requires a different approach. Your website is advertising for more patients when you obviously haven't the staff to deal with the patients you have. You need to open the surgery and have a walk in clinic, a doctor there to triage patients and either see them on the day, make an appointment for them for a different day or direct them to a pharmacy if what they need is available over the counter such as painkillers or creams.