East Norwich Medical Partnership

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• Need to see a physical person

  2

  Submitted by collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff 16th October 2023

  You cannot get an appointment to see a doctor it has been a nightmare since covid - very difficult. I need to see a physical person - I nearly had my cancer missed if I hadn't been sent for a scan by the locum doctor at Thorpe - he was brilliant and he saved my life.

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Patient, Thank you for you comments given to Healthwatch at your flu clinic appointment. Most GP/Nurse Practitioner appointments telephone triaged with a face-to-face conversation where appropriate. The clinicians can deal with more patients each day than they did before the pandemic. It would be unfair of me to comment on your diagnosis without further information. I am sorry to hear of your results and do hope you continue to make a good recovery. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• Hit and miss

  3

  Submitted by collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff 16th October 2023

  They are hit and miss, sometimes there is no one on reception. The nurses are ok. You go and sit and wait 20 minutes and there is no one there, no one comes out and then you get called in so what are they doing? The nurses are always in a rush, it is not how it used to be. There is never a crowd in there. You can sit on your own for half an hour, with no one there - what is going on? To improve I think they should always have the reception desk open and to see doctors there. I have only had phone calls for two years, eventually they sent me for a scan but I have had no GP follow up. Today at the flu day they have been brilliant, I was in and out but I didn't get my blood pressure or weight or pulse done this year

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Patient, Thank you for talking with our colleagues from Healthwatch regarding your experiences at Thorpe Health Centre. As you have probably heard on the news there are challenges facing the NHS regarding staffing, this has impacted on the service we have provided at Thorpe Health Centre. The doctors and nurses are holding their clinics as normal. When the reception is closed, patients can check in using the check in screen available by the main door. The reason for the reception desk closure is usually due to challenges within the reception team with both planned and unplanned leave. We are in the fortunate position of having just recruited a new receptionist which will enable the Thorpe reception desk to be open on a more regular basis. On the occasions we do close the reception we send a text message to patients informing them. The first contact with the doctors and nurse practitioners will continue to be by telephone triage, should they wish to see a patient face to face due to clinical need they will arrange an appointment at the time of the call. Using this system has enabled the practice to treat and care for more patients. If you would prefer to see a clinician at Thorpe Health Centre, please let the receptionist know when booking an appointment. With regard to your blood pressure and weight, it may not have been offered at this year’s flu clinics as we may have already had a current record of these. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• Staff very nice, polite and helpful

  5

  Submitted by collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff 16th October 2023

  They always are lovely, I never have no trouble - never get a "What do you want?" The staff are very nice, polite and helpful. The only thing is sitting on the phone at 8am - sometimes for up to 40 minutes. Then I just hang up and call again later.

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Patient Thank you for taking the time to speak with one of our colleagues from the Healthwatch Team. In response to your comment of ringing the practice at 8am, it is difficult to advise as there are so many variables. For a same day need it is best to call at 8am and remain in the queue, we have additional staff trained to answer the phones at this time. For non-urgent enquiries and routine appointments, we advise to ring later in the day. Thank you for your understanding and appreciation of the staff of the practice. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• I can get by on the phone

  5

  Submitted by collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff 16th October 2023

  I have got a lot of complications - it would be nice to see face to face but I can get by on the phone. They have been excellent today at the flu clinic too.

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Patient, Thank you for the positive response you gave to the Healthwatch team when attending for your recent flu vaccination at Sprowston Surgery. Most appointments are by telephone triage with the doctor/nurse practitioner inviting the patient to the surgery if there is a clinical need. We have continued using this type of appointment as it enables the clinicians to help and support more patients. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• Can't get anywhere

  3

  Submitted by collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff 16th October 2023

  If I could change and go to a different surgery I would go somewhere else. I feel I can't get anywhere with them. I want to have a face to face consultation and see a doctor - how can they tell how ill you are on the phone. There are not enough doctors - you can't get anywhere. And they wouldn't do a home visit for my husband after he had a heart attack, they phoned and said see how he is in a couple of days.

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Patient, Thank you for sharing your experience of the surgery with our colleagues from Healthwatch when attending for your flu vaccination. Without further information we are unable to comment on the individuals’ experiences. We do have some directly bookable face to face GP appointments however, most of our patients are telephone triaged by the GP in the first instance. Should the clinician require a face to face, appointment either in the surgery or by the home visiting service this will be assessed at the time of the call. Since initiating the telephone triage during COVID we have been able to look after more patients as we have found we no longer have patients not attending for a pre-booked appointment. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• excellent today

  4

  Submitted by collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff 16th October 2023

  I have not been to the doctors much lately, 2 years ago it was hard going but I have no problems getting an appointment now when I need one. They have been excellent at the flu clinic today.

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Patient Thank you for the positive feedback you gave to one of the Healthwatch team at the time of your flu vaccination. Maintaining the service of the practice during the COVID pandemic and after was a challenging time for the practice, with the need to protect staff to ensure services were maintained such as repeat prescriptions as well as ensuring vulnerable patients were protected when visiting the surgery for a face-to-face appointment. I am pleased you were happy with the service provided with regard to your flu clinic experience. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• I just want to be able to see a Doctor

  1

  Submitted by collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff 16th October 2023

  You can't get an appointment. I call up in the morning and they say there are no appointments. I had a mouth infection and was told to go to the walk in centre. They told me I needed to go and see my doctor. I ended up calling 111 and they got me an appointment here. The Doctor was very dismissive. I just want to be able to come and see a doctor.

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Patient, Thank you for giving your feedback to a member of the Healthwatch team when visiting the surgery for your flu vaccination. I am unable to give you a direct answer as to why you were not able to visit the surgery without further details. However, I can give you a general answer should you contact the surgery requesting an appointment. The on-call doctor and nurse practitioner look after the same day appointments, once these have been allocated the receptionist will explain capacity has been reached and will direct the patient to another service such as 111 for advice or the Walk In Centre for treatment. Both services have access to the patient record to enable the patient to be supported. The patient may also be referred to their local Pharmacy for advice. Most of the same day appointments are telephone triage, the clinician will discuss your concerns and should there be a clinical need will make a face to face appointment. We have found using this system we are able to support and care for more of our patients. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• Thorpe branch never open

  2

  Submitted by Collected by a Healthwatch Norfolk member of staff 12th October 2023

  Today at this surgery was fine, I like this branch. But it's a different story at the Thorpe branch. I only really go for regular blood tests and try to book the next one while I am there but I need to go six weekly and the booking only goes 5 weekly. I have a long term condition and have not been seen by a doctor for 4 or 5 years, I feel I should have had a check by now. I went to collect a BP monitor there but no one was on reception as it has been unmanned. It used to have lots of chairs in the waiting area now there are only 8. It feels like they are closing in down as there is nothing in there. Confidence in the surgery is what I want.

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Patient, Thank you for sharing your experience of Thorpe Health Centre with our colleagues from Healthwatch, I am sorry to read of your disappointment with the services offered. Recently we have been successful in recruiting another receptionist, this has enabled the reception desk at Thorpe to be opened, past closures have been due to recruitment difficulties, staff holiday and illness. The waiting area at Thorpe is a shared facility with patients waiting to be seen by the GP clinical staff and other member of the public visiting one of the community services based at Thorpe. There is no suggestion that this surgery is closing. Patients with a long term condition are normally monitored by a member of the nursing team who will advise seeing a GP if required. I am unable to discuss individual circumstances. Please contact the surgery by telephone and speak to one of the receptionists for further guidance. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• Once here it's fine

  3

  Submitted by Collected by a Healthwatch Norfolk member of staff 12th October 2023

  Once I can get here it absolutely fine and I am satisfied with my appointments but getting an appointment is really hard, they tell me to go to A&E or the walk in centre. I appreciate the extra housing has made it busier but that's not the patients fault. Sometimes it feels like they are not always listening when they are taking notes during the appointment, I realise they have to take notes but it's difficult. Today's flu clinic was brilliant, did not even get the chance to sit down, before I was called in, no complaints at all.

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Patient Thank you for taking the time to talk with our colleagues from Healthwatch when attending our October flu clinic. At times it can be difficult obtaining an appointment there are several factors that come into play such as time the patient rings, whether it a same day need, staff on holiday even to the day of the week. In general, for a same day appointment, it is best to ring at 8am and wait in the queue as we have additional staff to help support the reception team at this busy time of day. We would only send patients to A&E should there be a clinical need such as an x-ray or something that we are unable to do in general practice. Once we have reached capacity, we will then direct the patient to another service such as the Walk In Centre for minor illness, your local pharmacist for medication advice, 111 for general health advice. These services have been set up to support general practice. Thank you for your positive comments regarding your flu clinic experience. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• Never see the same doctor twice

  2

  Submitted by Collected by a Healthwatch Norfolk member of staff 12th October 2023

  Had problems when I came out of hospital with the doctor giving me the wrong antibiotics, so I had to stop taking them. You never see the same doctor twice so there is no follow through.

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Patient, Thank you for your comments on your experiences with the practice given to the Healthwatch team when they visited at one of our flu clinics. It would be unfair of me comment on individual concerns without further information. The GPs of the practice do not have personal lists which gives the flexibility for patients to see their preferred GP. If a patient wishes to see a particular doctor, they may have a wait for an appointment as half the GP’s work part time. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager