Wallace House Surgery

[James007]

Is it me or does anyone else actually get through to this surgery by telephone?

I have been listening to the most boring voice-automated system for 38 minutes, in queue position 1 from the start, which tells me that "the delay is due to the volume of calls that we are currently experiencing."

38 minutes of waiting in "call position 1"

[Footfruit]

That's one very needy "customer"

[dutch knight]

I have had to phone up for appointments 3 times in the last 2 or 3 weeks. I have only had to wait 2 or 3 minutes each time. Was in queue position 8 one time but quickly moved up to being answered. They are very busy at the moment with non-urgent appointments being 2 or 3 weeks away.

[dutch knight]

There is this message on their website at the moment

The Partners wish to apologise to patients for the recent problems with the telephones and would advise that a new telephone system is being installed. This will go live early in the New Year with more incoming lines. More staff are being recruited to answer them promptly.


So looks like they are having problems with the phone system

[Kateg28]

I wanted to organise an appointment for a clinic (so not urgent and via the nurse) and the first time I called, I waited for 22 minutes and then told they would call me back. Two weeks later, no call back. Second time I called, I waited 27 minutes to be told I would be sent an appointment in the post and then conversation ended.

This annoyed me as I work full time in London and wanted to arrange the first or last appointment so that it had minimal impact on my day, even if I had to wait some time for it.

So I waited another couple of weeks and phoned again, 21 minutes waiting and then they said someone would call me back. This time I got cross as I work in an open plan office and did not want to discuss my medical issues whenever they called me back but this time they managed to get the appoinments person to call back at a convenient time and she was very nice and we got an early appointment fairly soon after.

I do hope they sort this out. I know you can book appointments online but you have to go in and register which is difficult to organise.

[Darcy Sarto]

I registered but then found I couldn't book appointments with the nurse

[Drama Queen]

Might I make a suggestion that if and when you get any appointment you a) mention this in your appointment situation and b) you write to the Practice Manager at Wallace house Surgery with your complaint. The forum is lovely to have a whinge, but if you really want to get things done to improve yours and other surgery users lives, then let those that need to know know! At the very least if they don't have any complaints to them directly they will assume their systems are working well.......

[Kateg28]

I am always too scared of Doctor's receptionists
When I tried complaining to them on the phone they were quite scathing of the fact that they had a doctor of sick, it wasn't a nurse I needed but a doctor and I wasnt the only one needing appointments.

I must add that when I did have the appointment, the doctor was lovely and I had a good laugh with her over many things, she was one of the best doctors I have ever known.

[dutch knight]

I registered but then found I couldn't book appointments with the nurse

I have usually found that if you ring up early in the day you can usually see the nurse later that day

[codek2]

i said before on the old forum, so will repeat here, I think their appointment procedures are utterly appalling, its a terrible place to go.