"Standing in the rain attempting to get an..."

My poorly mother waited over 30 minuets yesterday morning before the surgery opened attempting to get an appointment for my very poorly father, not the first time this has happened by far, and unfortunately again was unsuccessful.

The practice told us that they simply do not have the capacity. May I make a helpful suggestion? Do you really need to shut the whole surgery down for an hour every day for lunch? Could you stagger your lunch breaks?, this could have a very positive effect on any capacity issues you have. Could you cut your lunch breaks down from an hour? Do you really need this long while your patients are unable to get an appointment?

Also do you really need to leave your elderly, vulnerable and ill patients standing out in the rain before your surgery officially opens and towards the end of your lunch breaks? I have been told by many patients that if they ring they are unsuccessful in getting appointments and this is the only way some of them get them. Is there any way you could simply allow them to sit in the reception in the warm while they wait, surely reception staff would not mind this? I would have thought that a number of your patients with a number of conditions would be pleased to have the use of a toilet also. I would just feel uneasy thinking of anyone standing for that long on my door step in adverse conditions, even if they were in perfect health. Just a thought.