Share review of Hospital Hill Surgery

Hospital Hill Surgery 2019-11-12 Person 1 5 0

Having been with this practice prior to its inception, i.e. when it used to be at the Cottage Inn, people of a certain age will remember this, I have found it has degenerated from one of the best practices in the area to the worst. I have tried for over a week to get an appointment by phone and each day after trying for between 30 - 60+ minutes when you eventually get through to speak to a rude and totally unhelpful, uncaring receptionist you are met with the bog standard reply that all appointments are fully booked for the day. In the past you could make an appointment for 3-4 weeks in advance but alas, that option is no longer available, no you are now met with “due to staff shortages we can only offer appointments on the day by phone” and by the time you get through there are none left. You then repeat the same process day after day after day and eventually through frustration you go to the surgery and join the queue for it opening and being second in the queue when you speak to the receptionist are told no appointments are available. Seriously you couldn't write this, doors open at 0810 and no appointments available!!!! Best they could do was to offer an appointment to see a triage nurse who would assess and then possibly refer to see a doctor when? No one knows. I have had the benefit of 60+ years of great service from the surgery until now being seen by various doctors over the term mostly with doctors Mackay and Gillespie who were gentlemen but the surgery has now spiralled into a new depth of despair where even the last remaining stalwart of the old guard, Dr Burt I believe is now gearing up for retirement. The practice, in my humble opinion is now so downtrodden having changed beyond recognition to a shadow of its former self that I reluctantly have now taken the decision to leave and register with another practice. I shall miss the place that I have been with for so many years but, in truth as I get older and my health declines I want to be able to see a doctor when I need one and not have the frustration and couldn't care attitude of a once great service which has declined to the point it should be closed. Patients deserve a far better service than this practice, if you can call it that, provides.