Longton Health Centre

You simply can no longer arrange appointments anymore at this surgery. It is no longer an option to call an arrange an appointment even for in a months time. Instead you have to complete a form for them to contact you back so as if you can have an appointment and the best bit is you can only complete this form is you have internet and are available as soon as the surgery is open 1st thing in the morning. If your unfortunate enough to work for a living and don't log on to the site at 8:00 in the morning they simply decide to remove the form (for me the option) was gone by 8:30 as they had too many requests apparently so you the have to wait until the next day being a Friday means now Monday. I can try again then and if you manage to get the form another 72 hours they may look at it and come back to book the appointment in a months time. Then if its a telephone appt they don't call on the time stated but later (again not helpful when working) let it ring a couple of times and don't ring back so you've miss the appointment, need to make another and start all over again (recommendation never do telephone appts. with this surgery for this reason if you need help). If you finally get seen and sent for tests you will hear nothing and have to follow up, hence start the whole process again to speak to the doctor and then go for a different test awful better service in Halfords!!! Oh and to chase up where you referral is they give you the wrong number no reference and who it has been made with, I had to phone 6 different numbers and waste 2 hrs on hold to find where the referral was made to before finding the correct person to resolve the issue that turns out was sent to them as a route check so hadn't arranged the appointment for 2 months while I am in pain. Its like they are trying purposely to make you go private in all my years needing assistance from your GP has never been as bad as it is today but you can't get mad or frustrated as we will remove you from the surgery not actually improve what is obviously a poor broken system.

I must be one of the few who find this surgery a nightmare. I rarely go but when I do I need to give at least two weeks notice that I am going to be ill because that's how long it takes to get an appointment. I missed a call from the GP and have been trying to get back in touch after 10 minutes of being the first in the queue I gave up, on ringing back I was second in the queue but after 15 minutes my call still hadn't been taken. This is not what I called good service. Doctors are not the only people who are busy. I also called to request a repeat prescription for my husband but was informed I couldn't because of patient confidentiality but when I called in because the prescription hadn't been forwarded to the chemist I was told he need to make an appointment and could I notify him of the fact, surely they need to maintain patient confidentiality in all matters not just the ones that suit? You are obliged to tell a receptionist of your problems where you can be over heard by anyone in the vicinity which is in my opinion not acceptable - receptionists are not doctors, they don't need to know.
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