I felt that the new site for the practice that was improved during the pandemic was really good. It was very responsive.
But now, it is useless. I have submitted blood pressure readings which is fine but I wanted to inform a GP that I had stopped a medication due to side effects. Previously I could just send a message and avoid taking an appointment. Now, everyone is channelled through the appointment system with no alternatives, only to get a message (unsurprisingly) to say that it is exceptionally busy for appointments and please call the practice. It feels like we have gone back to the stone age again. I do understand the government requirement for face to face appointments but surely there can be some sort of middle ground when some issues do not actually require a face to face appointment. It feels like the practices response to the governments request is to penalise the population by not offering a range of ways to contact the practice. This means that people who really need an appointment cannot get one.
I have been a patient at Wymondham medical practise for a long time now. I went to order my prescriptions recently with my regular pharmacy but had a message to contact my doctor to release my medication prescription. I then went onto the website to go through the prescription request form (as we now aren’t allowed to call about that either) only to find out all of my medication has been taken off of my prescription list! Because of this I couldn’t fill in the request forum and have to use the question form and hope for a response. You have to tick the ‘my request isn’t urgent’ box to be able to summit the form which means I may not hear beck for 2-3 days. When I called to query this I waited to get through for 40 minutes and was told they can’t do anything and I have to go through the website.
I wouldn’t mind having to use the website if it was more responsive, easy to find what you need and didn’t have the restricted times to send a form. However that is not the case and the website is in serious need of an update if you want it to replace patience’s being able to talk to their doctors. I am in my 20s so I can work out how to use the website and system one for my patient information, however I can imagine the older community must be really struggling. This digital way of working is starting to take away the human care needed in medical needs for patients and I know I will not be the only one who is getting frustrated with having to go through at least three online forms/messages before being able to talk to my actual doctor.
I am also meant to be on the register for a flu vaccine every year due to childhood illnesses. I have recently gone through my patient records and realised that system one has not processed my hospital letters properly so all on my medical history is not accounted for correctly. What is going on with system one?
I’m disappointed and frustrated with how long the process to get seen is, and the online system is not performing the way it needs to to replace the face to face services. Please take this review seriously and maybe have a review of the service procedures and found out what isn’t working for your patients.
Why can I not complete a repeat prescription form at the weekend and why can it only be submitted between 0600 and 0815 Monday to Friday? What a ridiculous system.
I work in London and have to drive down there on a daily basis, I'm usually in the car by 5.45am and get out again around 08.30 the last thing I want to be doing is sitting on my laptop trying to get a repeat prescription whilst negotiating the daily drive to work.
Why is the system closed on a weekend how much more unhelpful as a practice can you be? People do work different hours to you so why are you not catering for everybody. Would the poor prescription person be overwhelmed if they had multiple requests if that's the case employ more staff.
I note a number of people have commented on the time it takes to get through to you. Could it be your online service is so shocking the only way to get through is to call. Maybe if you made your online system much easier to use you may not get as many phone calls or failing that employ some more people to answer your phones that way we wouldn't have the regular 30 to 40 minute wait to get to the front of queue.
You really don't help yourselves and in the process frustrate the hell out of your clients.
I agree with the below. And the practice is making far too many mistakes. And they seem capable of reading the first line in a multiple issue. The online form process must be the most long winded, time consuming process ever, there is often no option to respond to a message, the forms ask for information which I don’t have facilities to provide at home, ie heart rate and blood pressure. Often it takes multiple messages through the day to then be offered an appointment, which could have just been offered in one phone call. When I did try to call the surgery there was a wait of 13 people. People like to speak to people not an online system. Just frustrating and a waste of time. Often I’m then offered a random appointment which doesn’t work for me as surprise surprise some people do go to work, which then ultimately results in me calling the surgery. Then to be told there are no appointments to suit for something I need resolved asap. The receptions default answer to everything is just use the online form.
The online form process must be the most long winded, time consuming process ever, there is often no option to respond to a message, the forms ask for information which I don’t have facilities to provide at home, ie heart rate and blood pressure. Often it takes multiple messages through the day to then be offered an appointment, which could have just been offered in one phone call. When I did try to call the surgery there was a wait of 13 people. People like to speak to people not an online system. Just frustrating and a waste of time. Often I’m then offered a random appointment which doesn’t work for me as surprise surprise some people do go to work, which then ultimately results in me calling the surgery. Then to be told there are no appointments to suit for something I need resolved asap. The receptions default answer to everything is just use the online form.
I have been Extremely Vulnerable or was and each year have been contacted by text advising of Flu Injection date and times, not this year looks like I have either been forgotten or ignored, today a friend advised the Postmill surgery in Wymondham gave flu jabs on Saturday 1st October but I was not texted, what is happening at this surgery, always plenty of vehicles in the Staff carpark but no-one serving the patients apparently, the Wymmed consulting room is not available to ask a question unless you are awake at06.00 and Systmonline gives no indication when the 2022 flu jabs will be available, these are the only way we are able to see when things are happening as we are told not the ring the surgery and to go online, pity and can easily see why the NHS is falling apart.
We were all informed to attend at specific times according to the first letter of surname. Arriving at 8 15 am having been queuing to park we then we’re at least 100 patients in the area behind the dentist building. It took approx 2 hours to gain access to the surgery. The majority of people in the queue were senior citizens some with difficulty standing and walking. Nevertheless less these stoic people continued to stand to protect themselves at the nhs request. There were many people arriving before their allotted time which was not helpful or fair. I know it is a big undertaking to vaccinate so many people but the crowd control was greatly understaffed and this aspect should receive more careful in depth thought before the next mass vaccination occasion.
I personally am 81 yrs old and stood for 2 hours with serious spine problems . There was no consideration for this situation.
I joined the practice as a patient less than a year ago and have received nothing short of the best care that the NHS can offer, in my experience. Thank you.
I would like to suggest an improvement. Can the website be open 24 hours, 7 days a week, to use please. I go to work at 6:00 am and get back at 6:00 pm. That leaves me and, others most likely, 2:15 to cook, have and evening meal and contact the surgery. I can think of no reason why it would be so important to restrict access to the surgery for those of us burdened with long and busy work days. The practice may be closed when I am not working but does the website need to be for leaving requests, other than for prescriptions, too?
Unable to get advise from a Clinician because the Wymmed Consulting Room window does not work and according to the information it is and I quote open from 06.00 to 08.15, the reception tell me this is not so, well they are wrong, looks like the Wymondham Medical Centre looks after all others except its registered patients NO stitches, eye issues what next heart problems? what a let down.
My partner would like to express her thanks to a receptionist by the name of Fran who was very helpful and patient regarding an issue I was having. She phoned back when she said she would and was very professional. Well done Wymondham medical centre.