This week, Richard Fuller MP met with Saffron Health Partnership following his call for local residents to share their experiences of accessing GP appointments.
Speaking after the meeting, Richard said:
I had a constructive meeting with Saffron Health Partnership last week with our conversation covering the wide range of points raised by constituents either through Facebook comments or emails to my office. I’m very grateful to everyone who took the time and effort to communicate their own experiences, frustrations and in some cases suggestions for how things could be improved.
I was also pleased to see that a sizeable number of those who contacted me delivered praise for the medical staff at the practice for providing a high level of patient care, but sadly, only once the individual had finally managed to get an appointment.
We discussed many issues including the 8am phonecall and call back lottery, the terrible situation of ill patients feeling that their only way to get an appointment is to queue outside in the cold and wet from 7am onwards, the lack of capacity for standard blood tests, Sandy, Langford and Biggleswade patients being sent to different practices, the problem of a single phone line covering all possible appointments (urgent, non-urgent, test results, vaccinations etc), the failure of the online Klinik booking system and the problem of patients being asked to make an appointment for a repeat medication review but being unable to do so.
A number of ideas and possible solutions were aired, including a number that are already being worked on by the practice. As a next step, I have asked Saffron to come back to me with a plan that will drive significant improvements and thereafter I will convene a follow-up meeting with Saffron, the Integrated Care Board and invite representation from the Patient Participation Group.
I will continue to update on progress through Facebook, my website and direct communication to those who have emailed me.
