A man struggling to reach his doctors called them more than 180 times in one morning but couldn’t make an appointment. David Langford, 64, has chronic psoriasis and needs medication from his GP for treatment.
He visited pharmacists for medicine, but they said he needed to see a doctor. As a result, he tried calling Carlton Street Surgery in Burton, Staffordshire.
The former community volunteer has now filed a formal complaint as he struggles to get an appointment. The time he called surgery more than 180 times happened in August, Live reports from Staffordshire.
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He said: “It’s ongoing and getting worse. It’s typical of surgery issues – it took 182 calls to speak to someone,
“This happens regularly – this is no exception. This day was during covid, but the government had ordered medical practices to see patients face to face.
“I made these calls after the pharmacist at the Carlton Pharmacy examined me and told me that I needed to be seen by a doctor due to the severity of my condition.”
Mr Langford says that after speaking to other people he discovered he was not the only one who had trouble getting an appointment. He said: “I know a lot of people who have to go through this operation. It’s ridiculous how many hurdles you have to jump through.
“Covid has made the situation so much worse. You can’t get an appointment or talk to a doctor. For three years now I’ve been suffering from this and haven’t even been properly examined by the doctor.
“Everyone I know is a patient and they always get the same thing. I understand why people have to go to A&E.
“It goes beyond a joke and people are hurting because of it. I’m hurting because of it.
A spokesperson for the East Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Group said: “We have urgent appointments available every day and our doctors will see people face-to-face or remotely, depending on clinical need. We understand that there Getting on the phone can be difficult at times, and 8am is always the busiest time, the wait can be much shorter at other times.
“Carlton Street is the largest practice in East Staffordshire, serving over 16,000 patients. We ask patients to understand that GP practices in the area are working harder than ever.
“Unfortunately, our staff regularly experience considerable abuse from a small number of patients, which does not improve the situation. We ask people for their patience and understanding.”
There is no evidence that Mr Langford is accused of abusing surgical staff.
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