"Hard to get GP appointments"

I moved to my current surgery 12 months ago, as I moved addresses and so had to change doctors. My old surgery allowed you to make appointments in advance.

However my new surgery will not let you make appointments in advance - we have to phone the day before the appointment. I have to work shifts and this is most inconvenient when before I could fit the appointments around my shifts.

I recall watching an edition of Question Time at the time of the last election when Tony Blair was on and a lady in the audience asked Mr Blair why she could not make appointments in advance. He was most surprised that the practice of making people phone up on the day or the day before went on and promised to get this stopped. However it is still happening at my surgery.

Whenever I question it, the receptionists are extremeley rude and will not accept appointments in advance. I would be interested to find out where to go from here. My surgery is Albion House, Brierley Hill, West Midlands under Dudley Beacon and Castle PCT. Thanks.