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Disgusting!

Story from nhs.uk

"Disgusting!"

About: Heron GP Practice (Merlyn Vaz Branch)

The patient is an elderly female that has recently lost her husband. I am a friend who has been trying to call the surgery to get her medications. I contacted the pharmacy that order her meds and get them delivered as she is not mobile, they have said since last week emailed and called but noone responds. I didnt believe it so I rang myself was on hold for 45 mins as caller no:1. I tried again today another hour still no:1 in line. So now the patient has been without meds for possibly a month or maybe 2. She is not able to get to the surgery as she is not mobile, she is also fed up that the Doctors dont care. Now she has lost her husband due to cancer. While he was at home as end of life he got a phone call from this surgery asking to book a flu jab he had passed the phone to me as he couldnt hear properly. Why did the surgery not know he was at home end of life? Flu jab was last on his or her minds while she was in hospital having transfusions! Disgusting! I as a friend of the patient advised her to seek a different GP Practice. At first I didnt believe her that the surgery never answered the phone.. she got another family member to ring they had the same problem waited an hour and the phone was never picked up. It wasnt until I rang last 2 days and wasted hours of my time.. Elderly patient is also not computer literate so cannot log onto a website to order meds hence why the pharmacy is ordering for her it is extreamly vital the surgery checks their emails and responds urgently!. I even rang the merlyn vaz center asked reception to take a note to them to ask to call me. Receptionist also told me they have had so many others ring to do the same as Heron GP receptionists never answer the phones and they get angry with the staff at Merlyn Vaz center. Staff training is very much needed. If the surgery does not respond to pharmacies what luck do the patients have. I will be reporting to the ICB and ask my friend to find another practice! Best to avoid this GP Practice at all costs!

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Responses

Response from Heron GP Practice (Merlyn Vaz Branch) 4 months ago
Heron GP Practice (Merlyn Vaz Branch)

Submitted on 26/11/2024 at 17:05
Published on nhs.uk at 17:05

Dear Patient Friend,

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback and for raising these concerns on behalf of your friend. First and foremost, we want to express our deepest condolences to the patient for her recent loss. We understand that this is an incredibly challenging time, and we sincerely apologise for the difficulties you have faced in trying to contact us and for the delays in ensuring the patient received her medications.

Regarding the patient’s late husband’s circumstances, we acknowledge how upsetting this must have been for everyone involved. As part of our palliative care process, end of life patient care are prioritised by the practice; we would appreciate it, if you can contact us with the patient details to enable us review our records to understand what happened to ensure that this does not happen in the future, especially in cases where end-of-life care is involved.

Your comments about the phone system and communication challenges have been noted. Waiting for long periods and not receiving a response is not the level of service we strive to provide. We are actively working to address these issues, including reviewing our phone system capacity and response times and ensuring that staff training is improved across all levels.

Regarding the pharmacy communication, once we received the patient details from you, we will investigate this incident to understand why emails or calls may not have been answered and work closely with the pharmacy to resolve any ongoing issues. It is our priority to ensure that all patients, especially those who are not able to use online systems or visit the practice, have access to their medications without barriers.

We understand your frustration and why you feel let down by our service. We would like to speak with you directly to address these concerns in more detail and work towards a resolution. If you are willing, please complete the below form with the details of the patient so we can assist further and ensure the patient’s needs are met promptly. https://www.herongppractice.co.uk/contact-us/patient-feedback/

Once again, we sincerely apologise for the distress caused. We are committed to learning from this feedback and making the necessary improvements to ensure that all patients receive the compassionate care they deserve.

Kind regards,

Management Team

Heron GP Practice

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