Sirs,
I attended the presentation at the Town Council meeting by Dr. Jenny Campbell & Amy Lacey, the Patient Services Manager. It was informative, clear & concise – certainly not “meandering”.
Some Councillors asked questions. But apart from one comment, by myself, no members of the public spoke, so I wonder if Terry Baldwin was actually there.
If your appointment is routine you can book to see your own Doctor and yes, you may be allocated this appointment in two or three weeks. This is because you are requesting a specific Doctor because it is ROUTINE, NOT urgently requiring to see a GP.
The Doctor stressed that we must take responsibility for our health needs and pointed out that we do that with routine dental appointments.
Regarding attending your appointment: Mr Baldwin is on time. Maybe some people are late which can disrupt the schedule. The consultation time allocated per patient is fine for some & woefully inadequate for others. Would he like the Doctors to curtail appointments so the schedule is adhered to?
The Triage system ensures that you will be seen the same day if you need urgent medical attention. I and many others have experienced this, but it is usually complaints and not praise which we hear.
Why doctors may choose to work part time is none of Mr. Baldwin’s business. He should be glad that we have our full quota of Doctors – many surgeries do not.
He can voice his concerns to the Surgery or through Councillor Richard Allen who is on the Patient Participation Group.
As I said at the meeting, if you cannot wait for your allotted appointment and walk out of the Surgery then you are not ill enough to need a Doctor.
Yours,
Janet Louth
Marlborough