East Harling Surgery

Feedback

• hard to get through

  4

  Submitted by Collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff 8th November 2023

  A struggle to get through on the phone and when you do get through it sometimes cuts you off. To see a doctor is impossible. Once you get in it's good, can't fault the staff. We're sad Pauline is retiring, she's so obliging.

• Reply from East Harling Surgery

  Thank you for your feedback. We continue to review the resource allocated to answering incoming telephone calls to minimise call waiting times. Thank you for your kind feedback about our staff.

• Worse since covid

  4

  Submitted by Collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff 8th November 2023

  The surgery has got worse since covid. So many staff have left and you can't get through on the phone. Once you get in the treatment is good. I work at the pharmacy and we've had prescriptions coming in that haven't been signed by Dr's. I don't understand why we don't have the electronic system.

• Reply from East Harling Surgery

  Thank you for your feedback. We are pleased to hear that you feel that the treatment at the Practice is good. We have put a considerable amount of time and resource into addressing telephone call waiting times, and call wait times are monitored throughout the day. Unfortunately the very high volume of calls received, particularly at peak times, and especially between 8.30am and 10.00am, mean that telephone call queueing is at such times likely. We will however continue to look at further ways of minimising telephone call waiting times.

• No good

  1

  Submitted by Collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff 8th November 2023

  My husband had an appointment today which had been made 3 weeks ago to go over some blood test results. They texted him this morning when he was on his way to the Kenninghall surgery to say that it had been cancelled. Today I have just waited ages for my appointment, it was running 25 minutes late. The surgery has got worse since the mass exodus of staff. It used to be really good.

• Reply from East Harling Surgery

  Thank you for taking the time to provide this feedback. We are sorry to hear that you had an appointment cancelled, which would have been because the clinician scheduled to see you was absent owing to illness. Cancelling appointments is always a last resort for us, but occasionally there is no alternative if one of our clinicians is taken ill. In respect of appointments running late, whilst we always strive to keep clinics running on time, our clinicians are committed to providing the best possible patient care, and this can sometimes result in clinics overrunning.

• Hard to get an appointment and staff leaving.

  2

  Submitted by Collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff 8th November 2023

  I can never get an appointment. What receptionists consider to be trivial can be quite painful. I've seen a doctor just twice in the past year. There's a high staff turnover. There seems to be difficulty relating to the hospital, communication between the two is very poor. The nurse practitioners are very good but you can't see a doctor. They need to improve the atmosphere for staff retention.

• Reply from East Harling Surgery

  Thank you for providing this feedback. Our Receptionists are trained to listen carefully to every patient and refer in each case to the appropriate clinician. We have a dedicated team who provide the administrative support for communication with the hospitals and community health teams. Please continue to feedback to the Practice in the event that you have any concerns or there is any area that you feel we could improve upon.

• High staff turnover

  1

  Submitted by Collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff 8th November 2023

  There's a high staff turn over, why is this? You can't get an appointment. I was waiting on the phone for ages and eventually went down to the surgery to see why no one was answering and there was no-one on reception. It's hard to see a doctor at all.

• Reply from East Harling Surgery

  Thank you for taking the time to provide this feedback. We have been working hard to recruit and train our Practice Support Team members (who answer incoming telephone calls) with the aim of reducing telephone call waiting times. Telephone call waiting times are monitored throughout the day but, unfortunately, with over 4,000 incoming telephone calls in a typical month, there will inevitably sometimes be a telephone call queue.

• Concerned

  1

  Submitted by Collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff 8th November 2023

  I have real concerns about the surgery. My impression is that they're struggling and under-resourced. It's not because of the staff, but the system doesn't seem to be working. Referrals are often incomplete and sat on. I asked for a referral in May and it was sent off incomplete so it was sent back. The recipient got it in July and I was told it was sent off in May. I also took my son in because he was displaying self-injurious behaviour and other challenges. He was referred for an Autism assessment. The referral was bounced right back because it was incomplete. I saw the letter that was sent and it was completely inaccurate. I was prescribed a cream for my eczema that wasn't available in Norfolk. This happened 4 times. I think the practice is really struggling. There's so often no appointments.

• Reply from East Harling Surgery

  Thank your providing this feedback. We are very sorry to learn that your experience of the Practice has not been positive. We continue to endeavour to provide the best possible care for each of our patients. Please do continue to feedback to us on any aspects you feel we could improve on, in order that we can strive to continually improve patient experience.

• Can't See The Same Doctor Twice

  3

  Submitted by Collected by Healthwatch Norfolk Staff 7th November 2023

  I haven't been able to see the same doctor twice, which is very unfortunate. One of the GPs referred me to the NNUH for a bone scan, the hospital responded and rejected the request. I asked the GP what to do next and he said there was nothing we could do. The receptionists are always very helpful and extremely pleasant.

• Reply from East Harling Surgery

  Thank you for taking time to provide this feedback. Whilst patients can of course request to see a specific doctor, this can, inevitably, delay the appointment. We are delighted to hear that your experience of our Reception Team has been so positive.

• Extremely Frustrating

  2

  Submitted by Collected by Healthwatch Norfolk Staff 7th November 2023

  I recently needed a prescription quickly and saw a locum doctor at the surgery. I was told that the locum couldn't sign off on the prescription and that it had to be done by one of the named GPs, but none of them were on site to do it, so I had to wait till after the weekend. A few weeks ago the hospital adjusted one of my prescribed medications, the surgery said they never got a letter, then they said there was no action to take, but I knew the letter said my medication needed to be changed. Previously I called and asked to see someone, I was told it would be 4 weeks so I told them it was urgent and fought to be seen. They made me an appointment for that day and I ended up being referred to the hospital for a same day emergency appointment. One time when I phoned with an issue the receptionist told me to just call 111. It seems to me that there are big administration issues at the surgery. There's been a large number of resignations, especially from nursing staff. It's all extremely frustrating. If you're a bit timid and don't speak up you just don't get the care you need. It's not good at all.

• Reply from East Harling Surgery

  Thank you for your feedback We are very disappointed that your recent experience of the Practice has not met your expectations. We would very much welcome the opportunity of discussing the points you have raised. Please contact the Practice if you would like to discuss further, or if you feel that the Practice can be of any assistance.

• Problems At The Top

  2

  Submitted by Collected by Healthwatch Norfolk Staff 7th November 2023

  I had to fight to get in to see someone. I told the doctor I was suddenly getting breathless and they said "that's just how it goes" and didn't take my concerns seriously. Turns out I have heart issues and am now under the hospital and awaiting an operation. The problems with the practice seem to be at the top. The staff aren't happy and they don't stay. They often get my prescriptions wrong and I have to follow up multiple times.

• Reply from East Harling Surgery

  Thank you for your feedback. We are sorry to hear that your experience of the Practice has not been positive. We will continue to strive to provide the best possible care to each of our patients. In respect of your feedback about your prescriptions, please do contact the Practice to discuss with our Dispensary Manager if you have any residual concerns.

• We All Just Want It To Be Better

  2

  Submitted by Collected by Healthwatch Norfolk Staff 7th November 2023

  It seems like the surgery has major staff retention issues. There's no continuity at all. I've had to wait 3-4 weeks for an appointment. People have to be very assertive to access care now - it's so difficult to get through and see any service. The state of the practice is a big local issue here. The practice held a public meeting that was very well attended. The practice manager ran it, but none of the partners attended. I am aware of the difficulties the NHS is having - but even in that climate the services they offer could be much better. It's so hard to get through on the phone and they seem to have taken down the online forms I liked to use. We all just want it to be better.

• Reply from East Harling Surgery

  Thank you for your feedback Our telephone lines are busiest between 08:30 and 09:30 which is when we deploy more staff to answering calls wherever possible. The volume of calls does mean that, even with additional staff deployed, there will at times inevitably be telephone call queues. Please do let us know which online forms you are currently unable to access on the Practice website so that we can review this.