"Appointment system is very concerning"

Writing this hoping GP practice listens and changes. 

We understand about pressures in NHS as many in our family and extended family are NHS professionals. We don't call the GP /NHS 111/999 unless there is absolutely no other option. But we also have very vulnerable young and older family who have needed a GP appointment and to be seen and have been refused or declined. And as a direct result ended up admitted to hospital and the GP and NHS 111 have both ordered emergency ambulances . These are 2 examples and we could include more . This has now gone on for well over 2 years.

My very young daughter has a serious condition and there is a treatment plan from the hospital with the GP as is NHS policy . This is because if not treated in time she will become very unwell with a very high temperature and breathing difficulties and it is there to stop this from happening. She has now been admitted 5 times after numerous attempts to get a planned GP face to face appointment where the GP could have physically examined and the treatment plan followed. This is extremely distressing for her.

My dad has had a stroke plus he has serious lung disease and cannot communicate on the telephone to explain when he is unwell. He has been refused telephone appointments by reception and they cant tell us why and they don't keep track of how many are told no appointment, and if they did the practice would have a better idea of how the appointment system is failing .Then telephoned by GPs who didn't recognise the need for him to be seen. He lives alone and him even trying to call should have been a red flag. The GP practice insists on a system where every single patient has to be telephone assessed by a GP to decide if they need to be seen. It is extremely stressful to try and ever contact the practice over anything.It is an extension of what happened at the height of covid and we don't feel they have learnt anything about what happens when you don't see patients.

Patients now know if they can't manage a telephone appointment - we have all learnt this from NHS lockdown and this should be respected and you can't assess someone safely unless there is clear 2 way communication. You can't even get any appointments planned, or emergency appointments most days, and when you double up in this way then it seems obvious that the capacity to operate safely is pushed to the maximum when it shouldn't be. The online consult system never worked when we tried it and now is at best open 2/24 hrs a day. This telephone triage system seems to be there for very simple illnesses only and everyone else with chronic conditions have to wait until it reaches health emergency status. This is our lived experience.

Strep A outbreak and industrial action means they have decided now to refuse all planned appointments and tell everyone who cant get an emergency appointment to ring 999 or go to A&E as they can't offer duty GP appointments most days. When the ambulance service and nurses and other hospital staff are on strike. If they stopped this system then appointments would be better utilised- our family is an example that should be learnt from.

We have told the practice managers this and the individual GPs but after years of absent GPs we are at the stage of absolute desperation at times and that is from a position of being better informed than others.

Sad, frightening and traumatic for our daughter in particular and for us as parents and caretakers.