Northumberland Heath Medical Centre 2019-03-04 Person 2 5 0

I’ve only been a patient since January and already it’s been a nightmare. I booked an appointment for a check up to get a repeat prescription - very simple. I received a letter a few days later stating my appointment was cancelled with no explanation as to why. I called and was informed that the nurse was off sick, which is absolutely fine, but a telephone call would have been better so I could have booked another appointment sooner. When I received the letter and called, I was told there were no other nurses available and I was booked with a doctor, because I needed the repeat prescription within two weeks now. I told them the specific date that I need the medication by, which was early March. I was given an appointment in late February. A few days before the appointment and I haven’t received any reminder texts, unusual. So I call the day before to double-check that my appointment was definitely the next day, to which they confirmed it is. I go for my appointment the next day to be told my appointment isn’t that day, it’s the same day in March, weeks after I run out of medication. Seems as thought they had trouble reading the months on their appointment calendar. They tell me that the best they can do is get me an emergency prescription for a month and book me another appointment as soon as possible. They inform me that the doctor will sign off this emergency prescription and send it to a pharmacy. They asked me what pharmacy to send it to and I clearly told them which one I needed. I go to the pharmacy who inform me that they have no prescriptions for me. I call the reception of the surgery and they informed me it was sent to a different one which is no where near my home or work, close to my old doctors where I used to live, and out of the way. I’d have to get two busses to get there, and it’s unlikely that I’ll make it there after work before they close and so I now have to leave work early tomorrow just to pick up a prescription. The receptionist was unapologetic and said they can’t do anything about it now except change the “nominated pharmacy” for next time. I’m not sure who selected that pharmacy as my “nominated pharmacy” but it definitely wasn’t me. I’m short, reception staff seem unable to follow clear and conscise instructions. As well as being unapologetic. Only good thing about this surgery so far is the call wait times.