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The Wall House Surgery 2020-09-18 Person 2 5 0

I was informed by SMS that I was in a vulnerable group and should phone the surgery for an appointment for a flu and shingles vaccination. I phoned the surgery and having waited for 10 minutes the receptionist very politely informed me that they were booked up until mid October and did not have enough vaccines to book in more appointments. Her advice was to phone again to book an appointment. I asked whether I could be alerted by SMS when the next batch of vaccine had arrived and it was therefore possible to book an appoint. I was told that this was not possible. So I was left with the prospect of phoning randomly and queueing for lengthy periods to be told that there were no appointments available until, if I was lucky I hit a time when there was an appointment. This is in my view very frustrating, unacceptable and unnecessary.

What could be done better? Use the message system that the surgery already has to alert a selected number of 'at risk' patients compatible with the number of vaccines available so that there would be a high probability that patients could get an appointment when they phone. In these COVID times, set up a new line for at risk patients so that they could get through more quickly. This line could be promulgated in a limited and targeted manner in the SMS informing them that they are due, say, a flu vaccination, rather than the surgery's receptionist number which is always overloaded. Alternatively hire additional individuals, short term, to handle the high volume of calls requesting straight forward appointments