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The Bromley Common Practice
2015-06-22
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Written by a patient
Written by a patient 22nd June 2015
I found it incredibly frustrating trying to get a repeat prescription for a medication that I had been prescribed. I telephoned initially and was told I could not request a repeat prescription over the phone and had to write in. So I wrote in and subsequently went to collect my prescription 3 days later and was amazed when I still did not have the tablets I needed, but had a note instead asking me to contact the GP as the meds were not a "repeat" prescription. The note said I needed to speak with a GP before getting the meds but I was then told there were no appointments on that day. Having been without the medication for 5 days already i was feeling pretty rough as a result. Surely the person who wrote the note saying I had to contact the surgery might have had the foresight to call me to make that appointment rather than waiting until I turned up for the prescription only to be told I still had to see a doctor etc... But they didn't call and I am now still waiting for a call from the GP into day 6 of no meds. I am unable to get a full night sleep without the meds and am finding it stressful maintaining my job whilst in such significant sleep deficit. There are the usual politics within this practice as with any others so don't expect any level of customer service. However, the GP's I've used have been good on the whole so no complaints with advice/diagnosis etc. One thing I might add is that I apologise for losing the plot with the receptionists - not their fault I know, but as a menopausal woman suffering sleep deprivation my tolerance was at an all time low i'm afraid and the thought of another 48 hours of no sleep whilst trying to hold down a full time job was just too much to bear!
10th July 2015
Response from The Bromley Common Practice
Thank you for leaving such honest feedback. I'm sorry to hear that you struggled to get your prescription quickly enough. The practice has a policy for dealing with all medications ‘on repeat' within 2 working days and as such ask patients to order a few days before they run out. Any medications not put onto this repeat list (meaning they aren't your regularly prescribed medicines) can take longer. This is because the very reason these medications aren't added to your repeat list is often because a further appointment, tests, or close monitoring are required. I realise that this was frustrating for you, and had the initial receptionist checked what medication you were requesting before asking you to write in the delay could have been lessened. I will be arranging some training for the reception team to avoid this happening again. The reason we do not accept prescription requests over the phone is one of safety. However you can request your medication online via our website, via email or fax, as well as by writing to us, or dropping your request in in person. We do our best to make it as easy as possible whilst still ensuring a high level of safety. I understand that it may seem perverse that the practice didn't call you directly rather than leaving you a note to speak to the doctor about your request. However, the practice has over 8000 patients registered and deals with several hundred prescriptions a week, of which dozens have queries or are requested too early. Sadly, much as I’d like us to, we don’t have the resources available to telephone every patient and as such take the approach we do in order to be as efficient as possible. I’m sorry that this is inconvenient. I’m not sure exactly what ‘politics’ you are talking about; we strive to offer exceptional customer service to all our patients. I’m glad to hear that you find the GPs good. Thank you again for your comments and I will certainly arrange some staff training soon.