East Norwich Medical Partnership

Feedback

• Pointless using the online message service

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  Submitted by Anonymous 19th June 2021

  Hurt my leg. Didn’t want to bother the doctor but two months later it wasn’t getting any better so I called the surgery. Recorded message asked me to use the online message service instead which I did; at the end it tells you that it takes an average of two days for a response. On day 3 I did it again, assuming I made a mistake the first time. On day8 I still had no response so I phoned again. The receptionist told me that the phones were so busy they hadn’t had time to read messages!!!

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Anonymous, The practice is sorry to hear of your experience with the online requests submitted via the website. If you wish me to look further into the points you raise, please contact me at the surgery with your name to enable an investigation. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• This practice needs a serious, urgent review

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  Submitted by Susan Fitt 18th June 2021

  Based on the feedback received on this website, I am disappointed that this practice is not bending over backwards to improve their commitment to the management of patient assessment and care in a flexible way that accommodates both the GP's time AND individual, personalised patient needs and ability/ inability to communicate. I am a recently retired senior health professional proud of our NHS, a service respected and envied by other countries . However, as a result of my own experience as a patient at this practice, I too am appalled at the level of service and the Duty of Care being provided by this practice as a result of, what appears to be, lack of patient choice, practice mismanagement and inflexibility . I have directly complained to the practice by email but received only an acknowledgement but then nothing-no resolve, apology or comment back. I am reliably informed by former colleagues that services such as the Walk In Centre, Minor Injuries Units and even A&E, are being overwhelmed by visits from concerned members of the public who have requested, but have been unable to see or make contact with their own GP. Many have actually been inappropriately advised by a receptionist to take this route as they cannot offer the patient a timely face to face appointment with their own GP ! Unfortunately, whilst many acknowledge the benefits of the Total Triage model, its success and public acceptance of this method needs to be managed effectively and efficiently which, based on feedback and my personal experience, is not happening here. Unfortunately, the risks of patients continually being unable to access routine face to face appointments, at their request, with GP's will most definitely compromise the overall care and support of many vulnerable patient groups. Disappointing.

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Susan Fitt Since the beginning of the pandemic the practice has continued to remain open to allow patients access to clinical services where appropriate. The practice is working under the directive of NHS England (NHSE) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and abide by the Standard Operating Procedures for general practice. We continue to monitor the situation and adjust our services accordingly to work in line with the current NHSE SOP. As we are required by NHSE/DHSC to work a total triaging system prioritising the needs of the patient is the clinician’s decision and they will allocate a face to face appointment as deemed appropriate. We will continue to operate this system for the foreseeable future. This is in line with the current SOP. Protecting our vulnerable patients and staff is our top priority. Our Nursing Team have continued to see patients throughout the pandemic and whilst patients who have a chronic illness are being monitored by telephone by our nursing team these patients are brought into the practice for aspects of that care. We have adapted our model of care, again to comply with the SOP, as we do not wish to place our more vulnerable patient at additional risk. The workload at the practice has increased three fold this past year, putting a great deal of pressure on all staff who are still working and have the same anxieties as our patients. Indeed, we have had staff who have contracted COVID and we currently have staff in isolation. Working through this Pandemic remains challenging and those challenges will continue, particularly as the COVID-19 infection rate is rising. We have also been required to participate in the work necessitated by the national COVID vaccination programme, which again has put us under severe pressure. Thank you again for your message, should you require support from the practice which is not urgent please contact via the website or for more urgent needs by telephone. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• i have pain in lower right side which has got

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  Submitted by Barbara Cannell 2nd June 2021

  tried calling can never get through. did email wanted examination. waited 8 days finally got back saying sorry for delay but buzy, call to get call back or go to a walk in centre . Please god this abismal i will be attempting to get another surgery.

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Mrs Cannell We are sorry to hear of your disappointment when attempting to contact the surgery. Due to the current pandemic our telephone system is under a great deal of strain, and it is taking longer for us to answer the telephone. Should you require more urgent treatment, the telephone is still the best way to contact us. As we are running a total triage system, we do not necessarily see all patients but signpost patients to the WIC/Pharmacy for the more minor illness. We would be sorry to lose you as a patient should you decide to register at an alternative surgery. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• We need face to face appointments too

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  Submitted by Anonymous 2nd June 2021

  I really wish they would see people face to face when needed. Both myself and son have been prescribed antibiotics we didn't need as the conditions turned out to be other things. A face to face appointment would have insured we were given correct medication and not have to go through the rigmarole of calling early, waiting in a queue, waiting in all day for a phone call(which you have one shot at if for any reason you miss the call) and being prescribed various things each time in an attempt to eventually get it right. It's really not safe to operate in this way. It's putting people's lives at risk. Something important can easily be missed when patients are not seen face to face in certain circumstances. Other doctors surgeries are more relaxed about this so why can't you be? Please listen to your concerned patients. I'm not asking you to see everyone as normal but it is virtually impossible to see a doctor face to face now and certain circumstances require it. Giving out antibiotics willy Billy isn't safe for anyone. I would like to say, however that Dr Few is fantastic if you can actually get him as you can't really request Doctors.

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Anon Thank you for your feed back, the practice operates a total triage system. In the first instance the clinician will triage the patient by telephone in line with the directives from NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care, should the clinician find it appropriate they will invite the patient in for a face to face appointment. The practice will continue to monitor the situation on a regular basis and adjust its working practices accordingly, keeping our vulnerable patients and staff safe is paramount. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• 45 minute waiting for 5 minute appointme

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  Submitted by Anonymous 28th May 2021

  today 28/05/21 I had an appointment for a shingles jab, I arrived at 10.46 my appointment was at10.55. I waited for 25 mins,In that time 2 persons when to see the nurse both arriving after my appointment time. After 25 mins I asked the person the deck how long I had wait I was told the nurse had finished the last appointment, I still had to wait another 20 mins to see her. As I have a hearing problem I needed my ears checked for wax , then to be told to go private to have the wax cleared it would cost £60 for 2 ears and £ 40 for 1 ear. I can wait to have them done but it would be a long wait. With hearing problems wearing hearing aids and tinnitus this causes problems in every day why a 10min procedure can not be done by a nurse .As I waited 45 mins to see a nurse. I did get my shingles jab . In total an hour of time for 5mins

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Anon Thank you for raising your concerns, may I ask you to contact myself at the surgery where i can look into the points you have raised in greater detail and to ensure you have received the care you require. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• Interactive message

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  Submitted by Robert Slack 12th May 2021

  After tying to get though and continually being told the line was full and call back later I decided to use the interactive messaging service 16 days later I received an “e”mail message with an appointment call back for the following day. Very disappointing service is this how it will always be like . No wonder people go straight to A&E.

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Mr Slack, Thank you for your comments, I have taken a look into the points you have raised. The telephone service is very busy at 8am in the morning as this is the time patients ring to request a telephone appointment with a Doctor/Nurse Practitioner. We recommend for non-urgent enquiries to call later in the day. Currently we are working a total telephone triage model as advised by NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care. I have looked at the request you placed via the website, I noted that this is the fourth time you have requested help from the practice this way. Reading through the form you submitted you agreed to the practice sending you a message via text to include appointments and also possibly an email. When we responded to your latest enquiry with an appointment for the next day we did apologise for the delayed response. May we suggest should you feel a more urgent response is required you persevere with the call queuing system first thing in the morning. Hopefully we will be returning to a more ‘normal’ service once the pandemic has receded. Please accept my apologies on behalf of the practice for the frustration you have contended with. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• telephone unanswered

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  Submitted by Anonymous 10th May 2021

  I have just got off the phone having waited 1hr 45mins only to get to number 1 and then it not being answered. I started at 12.30 (when I was 13 in queue) not realising that the phone wasn't answered over the lunch hour. Got stuck at number3 for half an hour and then at number1 for a further half hour. When it got to 2pm I thought I would be first in the queue but no. It started to ring and a mans voice came on saying please continue to hold which I did for a while and then finally gave up. On ringing the practice back immediately I found I was 13th in the queue the position I found myself in Ihr 45mins earlier. Why is there nothing on the phone when you are in the queue at lunch time to say that it will not be answered for an hour. The web site does not mention that it closes for lunch, who does these days. Have you not heard of rotas. The whole system is terrible and needs a complete overhaul. I can see why lots of people get annoyed and frustrated, I have every sympathy with them.

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Anon, Thank you for bringing the problems you have had with the practice telephone system to our attention. We have had some ‘issues’ with the telephone which should now be rectified please accept our apologies for the frustration you experienced. There is a telephone message which ‘clicks’ in at 1pm informing patients that the surgery is closed between 1 & 2pm, if you are already in the system before 1pm you would not hear this message. It looks as if the phone system wasn’t checked at 1pm to ensure all calls were cleared. Apologies again for that oversite. The reason the surgery does not received calls between 1 & 2pm is to allow for cleaning of the waiting areas and equipment due to the pandemic. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• Terrible!

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  Submitted by Anonymous 29th April 2021

  Terrible service. I understand and respect that we are in a pandemic and pressure is on NHS Staff. However when a telephone triage is missed because an unrealistic window of 4 hours to wait for a call, 5 hours after the initial call is made, it is impossible to get another call back...even though the Dr left a message to call back as soon as possible!!! Called back after less than 1 minute of missing the call, only to be put on hold for an hour and then told ‘sorry it’s a one call policy and you missed it’ Call the Walk In Centre, they get back to you in an hour or call 111, who again are quicker. As for this Surgery, you’d struggle to book an appointment to get a death certificate in 50 years!!

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Anon, Thank you for comment. I am sorry you have had an unfortunate experience, as I do not have your details I am unable to look into your concerns and respond accordingly. The Walk-In-Centre is a same day service for minor illness no appointment necessary, a different service to your Doctors surgery who run an appointment based service, in the first instance telephone triage with an appointment should the clinician decide this is required. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• Furious once again!

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  Submitted by Louise 24th April 2021

  After many years of suffering from the same issues the respiratory nurse advised when my condition was at a bad point to contact the doctor and ask to be put on a trial for a medication she thought would really help me....easier said that done. In a new job 9-5 my lunch is at 1pm - surgery closing time for lunch! Day after day I tried to get through at 8am as told I would have to do, finally on Friday after 4 times calling (there were too many people in the phone queue so I kept getting cut off) , finally yes 28th in line.....35mins later I was number one, phone rang the other end again, again and again, another 20mins later....yes finally I got an appointment for that day, I explained I would take the afternoon off work could I please have an afternoon appointment...I was told a note would be made but it could be anytime throughout the whole day, very impractical and unnecessary, I can’t answer my phone at work. The mobile phone reception at my house is not great, 3.35pm a ping comes through...voicemail from the doctor, ‘Was unable to reach you and have tried house phone’ I though this was strange as my house phone didn’t ring either, once again the surgery had phoned my mothers house, I’m 47 years old and moved out of home a long time ago, this has been a previous issue and on many occasions I’ve told the surgery I do not live at home please take mums number off and use my house phone number which I have provided 10x plus. I figured I’d call the surgery back, 35mins later I finally get through and explain the situation, ‘I’m sorry but the doctor called and there is nothing I can do about it’ I explained that I cannot do anything regarding a mobile phone network however if he’d have called my correct house phone I would have got my appointment, the receptionists response was ‘The doctor called your mobile phone and you didn’t answer I cannot ask him to call again’ I gently asked the receptionist how many times it would take me to ask them to not call my mothers house. The response was pretty much it is what it is...... I’m not going to lie I was so angry I cut the receptionist off threw my phone on the floor and howled like a baby. I was so desperate for this appointment and done everything and more taking the afternoon off, sitting by my phone waiting. All I can say is it’s a good job I wasn’t suicidal as I may have just topped myself! I now do not have a day off for a while so cannot call for an appointment which I really need. Do I need to take time of work sick and get the government to pay me sick pay, just to get a phone appointment, is that how it works?.. If you weren’t depressed before you called you certainly will be after you’ve called. I don’t blame the doctors I blame the whole system and the frustrating receptionists, who to be quite honest with you if they cannot even amend a phone number after being told numerous time what hope do they have managing appointments.

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Louise, The Practice is very sorry to hear of the service you received. Please contact me at the surgery where we can discuss the points you have raised and I can look into your concerns in more detail. Please accept my apologies on behalf of the practice. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager

• GP told me my symptoms were just wear & tear

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  Submitted by Anonymous 19th April 2021

  I'm now 58 and I was working fulltime but in severe pain but GP he could see no reason to refer me after over 12 months of extreme pain in lower spine and hips, morphine patches did not help the pain. Finally referred but Covid delays. I have psoriatic arthritis, maybe 10 years of pustular psoriasis was a dead give away. Cannot wait to get away from this practice.

• Reply from East Norwich Medical Partnership

  Dear Anonymous, Thank you for posting your concerns regarding the discomfort you are in. It would be inappropriate to comment further via this means, should you wish to contact me at the surgery with your full details I would be happy to look into the matters you have raised. Yours sincerely Carol Postle Compliance Manager