Thornton Medical Practice - Ratings and reviews
Reviews
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Review titled effective barriers to patients
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Clive Graham Price - Posted on 02 February 2024
The only way to request an appointment to see a doctor is by phone from 8am. There is a recorded message with an invitation to press 1 for an appointment. Invariably what follows is an apology that all their lines are busy. If one calls again in 5, 8, 12, 15 minutes and so on repeatedly, one receives the same message. This shows a deep contempt for patients who at no point can speak to a human being. This method of funneling patients through the one phone might be efficient in keeping less serious patients at bay. However, it also discourages people who are unwell and adds to their stress. In my own case, I had been ill for the whole of January with relatively mild flu symptoms plus persistent coughing, nocturnal sweats, pains in the chest, shivering and nausea. As I wasn't bed-ridden I didn't want to take up doctors' time thinking it would pass. After a month I needed medical intervention but the Thornton hurdles put me off. After phoning about 10 times, I was put on a call-back queue and was called back by someone who sounded disinterested and dismissive of my symptoms. The whole process is disgusting. When I was young, this impersonal system didn't exist; and I know of several other surgeries that do not treat patients this way. As I age, I need better than this.
Visited January 2024
Thornton Medical Practice has not yet replied.