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Beversbrook Medical Centre
2018-10-04
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Written by a patient
Written by a patient 4th October 2018
I used to rave about the practice and the amazing reception team.
Unfortunately it is now almost impossible to obtain an appointment within 2-3 weeks of asking.
The online triage service is appalling and inappropriate. The only way to get an appointment within the two weeks is to lie and exaggerate symptoms or feign pregnancy.
The online service makes recommendations based on very few and inappropriate questions which do not include "has your doctor told you to come back for further assessment"
I was told to try a medication and if it didnt work within 2 weeks then to return. Using the on line triage, i qualifed for and appointment in 18 days! Thats 5 weeks from initially seeking tratment. That is also me seeking treatment after two weeks attempting to self treat (because it so hard to get an appointment) By this time the condition was unbearable. The on line triage had no capacity to take that information. The only alternative to the 2-3 week appointment seems to be an "Emergency" appointment. These are only awarded by on line triage to the pregnant or candidates that are bleeding profusely (light bleeding doesnt count) or struggling to breathe.
I currently cant recommend this practice to anybody due to its inability to manage the volume of paitents it currently has. No offence to the reception staff who are jewels and very helpful - when they are allowed to be.
I advise all existing paitents to block book appointments at the three week intervals in anticipation of feeling unwell. I have an appointment booked for later this month which I made 17 days ago. As i have a number of conditions tbat i want to discuss (doctor will only consider one at a time) that i believe are related, i will decide which condition is worst when the appointment arrives. I visited my dentist in the meantime to adk for advice on the mouth (not teeth) issues, she contradicted the doctors advice on mouth wash and said she couldnt comment on the throat problem. How desperate am i to be seeking partial advice because my GP is inaccessible?
15th October 2018
Response from Beversbrook Medical Centre
Hello there, I am very sorry to hear this - it certainly doesn't sound like you have had the best experience of our Practice and I would like to try my best to help you resolve the problems you have been having. We have two online systems which can be used by patients. The first, which you have used, is Doctorlink, which is completed by patients to provide a summary of their symptoms and, if they are happy to do so, is then shared with us as a summary of assessed needs - we use this summary to make sure that you are booked an appointment with the best clinician as early as possible. This appointment is usually made between one and three days. We do use a wider clinical team than just our Doctors, this is to ensure that our patients are seen quickly by the most appropriate clinician to suit their clinical needs. The Doctorlink summary helps us to do this safely and gives the clinician more of an idea of why you are coming in beforehand so that they can make the most of the appointment time with you. We would certainly suggest that you check with Doctorlink as soon as you start experiencing symptoms as this will help to give you advice on self-management and will also add this summary of assessed needs to your record, which means when you do attend, your clinician can see how your symptoms have been progressing and take this into consideration accordingly. With regards to your comments about pregnant patients or those bleeding profusely, unfortunately our triage team cannot see pregnant patients as they would usually be under the care of their Midwives or their named accountable GP and anyone bleeding profusely should contact NHS 111 or, if they can get there safely, should visit the local minor injuries unit in Chippenham. I apologise if you feel that you have been given advice to suggest otherwise and I hope that this clarifies things. The other system which you may find helpful is Systm Online, which is your own personal online account. You can see a live version of our available appointments, order medication, view your own records and even send a direct message to your own GP through your Systm Online account. You may find that this also helps you when looking for availability sooner than two weeks as you can take advantage of any cancelled appointments or extra appointments which are released. I know my team would be more than willing to assist you should you require any help on either Doctorlink or Systm Online in the future and should you wish to discuss your experience or any other matter with me please do not hesitate to contact me at emmybutcher@nhs.net and I will be more than happy to assist. Kindest regards, Emmy Butcher - Managing Partner