"Completely Incompetent."

When ordering my repeat prescription on 16th March I requested that I would need two months supply both together this time as I am going to be out of the country for a month & would otherwise run out of medication before returning home. I wrote this in the comments section of the Patient Access app, concluding that if this request would cause a problem then please contact me before March 22nd. Sure enough when I went to collect meds from the chemist yesterday (March 25th) only one lot had been authorised. I went to the surgery to see if I could get this resolved, but was told "There's nothing we can do"

I asked if a doctor, or Nurse Practitioner or Physician Associate could just sign their approval so that I could leave & collect it, but no.. this wasn't possible either. I was told that "they (Reception Staff) weren't allowed to knock on the doctors door to interrupt them, even between patients, and anyway" they only sign repeats at the end of the day, so come back later". I came back later (having cancelled one of my clients to do so, being self employed, therefore I've now lost an afternoons earnings) and was told "There aren't any doctors in the building today" so was I lied to one way or the other?

So, now I'm traveling to Australia without enough medication to last until I return. Nobody at Higham Ferrers surgery appeared in the slightest bit concerned that I face a 23 hour long haul flight with the very real worry of Deep Vein Thrombosis.

Would I recommend Higham Ferrers surgery?

Absolutely 100% Not. Incompetent, unfriendly, unhelpful, uncaring, unprofessional, I stood waiting at the reception counter being ignored for ten minutes without even "I'll be with you in a minute", at the end of the day, they just couldn't wait to get rid of me.