"Great doctors, processes need significant review"

When you are able to see a doctor in the practice the service is great. I had excellent service helping to diagnose asthma and the follow up and referral process was also excellent. However, making an appointment for a non-urgent matter is nearly, or maybe actually impossible. I phoned in the middle of the day and was told I needed to phone at 8am another day for a same-day appointment as they will not give appointments in advance. When I managed to get through the next day (phoned at 8am, got through at about 8.10) I was told they had run out of ‘emergency’ same-day appointments. You cannot make appointments by e mail or on the web site. So, how do you make a non-urgent appointment? I still don’t know. I had already by-passed the GP and gone direct to (and paid for) a qualified professional who had advised on the treatment I need, which I need to get via a GP referral. On the first call I was told I needed to see a doctor to confirm this and on the second call I was told that if I provide written confirmation of the treatment recommendation hopefully a doctor can refer me without the need for a face to face appointment. I am left completely confused about what the procedure actually is, or whether there even is a procedure. Five years on from COVID this really needs to be addressed and clarified. Staff are pleasant and, as stated above, the doctors are all great, but for non-urgent matters it feels as if the Practice actively makes things difficult. I am very fortunate that I can afford to, and do, pay for services direct where I can by-pass the GP system, but surely this is not the way a NHS service should work.