Taverham Surgery

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• So hard to get an appointment

  2

  Submitted by Collected by a Healthwatch Norfolk member of staff 4th February 2025

  Getting through on the phone is so hard and then getting an appointment is not easy. My 4 year old has not been well and couldn't get an appointment for them, just get sent to the walk in centre or the pharmacy. My wife has gone into the surgery today and just waited an hour and a half to talk to someone on reception to just try and get him seen. There is even long waits on the phone in the afternoon not just at the 8am rush, I phoned at 3pm and still 30 minutes wait before the call is answered. The care once you are in is good, but getting it is so hard. We are looking to change practices.

• Reply from Taverham Surgery

  I am sorry to hear of the difficulties you have experienced in getting an appointment. Unfortunately this problem is symptomatic of wider issues within the NHS. I am pleased to hear that you were signposted to other suitable services such as Pharmacy First and the Walk-in-Centre. These are valid points of care and have been established to help alleviate the overwhelming demand on General Practice surgeries. We do provide a telephone callback service that retains your place in the queue and saves patients holding on the phone. Thank you for your kind comments regarding the care you receive. We do take note of all feedback received and consider it when reviewing our service delivery.

• Please do something about the telephones

  3

  Submitted by Anonymous 13th December 2023

  The staff at the surgery are lovely helpful & friendly, however something needs to be done about the phone system. I have had to contact the surgery 3 times recently - 1st time, 1.5hrs trying to actually get in a queue then a further 30 mins in a queue. 2nd time, 1hr trying then 45 mins queue. 3rd time, 1.5 hr trying then 1 hr in a queue. How can it take that long??? Just to even get in the queue? I can understand the queue a bit as each call is different, some take longer than others. For the sake of mine & everyone elses sanity PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do something about this as the system in place does not work.

  
  
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• Think they are good

  5

  Submitted by Collected by a Healthwatch Norfolk member of staff 28th July 2023

  I think they are good. The people are brilliant and get to know you which makes a difference. I can get an appointment. I think they work really hard and we need more good people like that.

  
  
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• Staff are nice and Friendly

  4

  Submitted by Collected by a Healthwatch Norfolk member of staff 28th July 2023

  They always accommodate my health needs. The staff are nice and friendly. The wait on the telephone can be long, once I was waiting for an hour and a half. I have moved house and this is not longer my closest practice but I have chosen to stay here and they have been fine about it.

  
  
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• Staff are brilliant

  4

  Submitted by Collected by a Healthwatch Norfolk member of staff 28th July 2023

  It's good, if I phone in the morning feeling ill they see me. The staff are brilliant. It would be good to see the same doctor as locums do not read your notes before your appointment. It has changed over the years starting about 7 or 8 years ago when all the doctors started retiring.

  
  
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• Always Friendly

  5

  Submitted by Collected by a Healthwatch Norfolk member of staff 28th July 2023

  The staff are always friendly and willing to help. I have been coming for 84 year so it can't be bad! They are all friendly, from the reception team, nurses and doctors and go out of there way to get me in if they can.

  
  
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• Appointment on time

  5

  Submitted by Collected by a Healthwatch Norfolk member of staff 28th July 2023

  This is my first time coming here. I phoned this morning for an appointment and had one 30 minutes later and did not have to wait when I got here. The doctor was very good

  
  
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• No problems

  5

  Submitted by Collected by a Healthwatch Norfolk member of staff 28th July 2023

  I can get an appointment when I need one. They always phone when they say they are going to. The staff are brilliant, all of them are polite. If you go in and ask a question it's sorted straight away. My daughter is impressed with how well they look after me, she lives away so it reassuring for her to know I am being looked after.

  
  
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• Lack of Doctors

  1

  Submitted by Collected by a Healthwatch Norfolk member of staff 28th July 2023

  All the doctors have left! There used to be 7 and now there is only 2. You only ever get to see locums. There is no communication from the surgery you have to come down here to find anything out as you can never get through on the phone.

  
  
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• Wait a long time on the phone

  3

  Submitted by Collected by a Healthwatch Norfolk member of staff 28th July 2023

  When you ring in, there is a long queue so you end up having to just come down. the care is fine but you rarely get to see a doctor. Like today I was told I was seeing a doctor but he is a physician assistant, he is very nice and very thorough but I get home and get a call from him to say the doctor has looked over the appointment and I don't need half the things he has sent me for. I would like just to see a qualified doctor as I think they are trained to pick up on things. I think the staff are good.

  
  
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