Share review of The Firs

The Firs 2020-01-16 Person 1 5 0

I’m writing this due to my frustration at trying to get a doctors appointment at my local surgery. The Firs medical centre Stevens Rd Walthamstow London E177 JT I’ve been trying for the past four days to get an appointment to no avail. Their system requires you to phone up at exactly 8.30am or 2.30pm. Each time I’ve phoned I’ve been around 16th in the queue, this means a waiting time of around 45 minutes. Each day this week once someone has picked up I’m told there are no appointments left. I went in today to try and make appointment in person and was told I had to ring up. I noticed that out of the thirty chairs in the waiting room there was only one person waiting, it was 9.30am! Where are all the doctors? The building has about 15 consulting rooms. This is not the first time this has happened, I have two children and I experience the same frustrations when I have to make an appointment for them. I don’t want to turn up at the hospital, the GP is my first point of call but I’m unable to get over the first hurdle. Im not someone who uses the surgery often, once every few years in fact, but if something was seriously wrong with me or my family I feel as if we just wouldn’t be able to access the NHS due to this system. It worry’s and concerns me. When ever I have to phone up I experience a real sense of helplessness, as I know I’m not going to be able to get an appointment. I’ve written complaints about this surgery before and nothing changes and I don’t receive any feedback or acknowledgment that the email has even been read. My neighbours who are registered their feel the same way about this surgery. I look forward to hearing from you and if any changes can be made.