Telephone overload 

I wrote to the surgery suggesting that callers wait for ages before being informed that they are twelfth etc in the queue.

This letter [without being decimalised], of course came:

My additions are between [ ...] and in italics.

1   The surgery reply

Dear Mr [sic] .......

1. Thank you for your letter of 9 December 2020 that has been passed to me for response.
2. I am sorry you have had problems trying to contact the surgery, we know our appointment system is not ideal. 
3. As the surgery can have as many as l-500 calls going in and out of the surgery a day, it may help to understand why it can be difficult getting through to our hard working navigators.
4. We have had issues with our phone system of late. 
5. Without getting into too much detail the system has collapsed several times over the last 2-3 weeks and we have been working closely with the system provider.
6. I apologise as it's this issue that has probably been the reason why the 'number in the queue' message wasn't playing.
7. [I never stated that this was the situation when I phoned.  I was umpteenth in the queue which is the reason for the original suggestion.]
8. We've had to adjust our provision of service numerous times over the last few months, often at very short notice but always with the intent of making the centre as safe as possible whilst ensuring open access for our patients. 
9. This has been exacerbated by the fact that secondary care in Oxfordshire has been one of the last, nationally, to reopen. 
10. Put simply- in many cases we've had nowhere to refer patients to - or very limited choices. 
11. The effect of this is that many patients are having to call back many times to enquire about progress.
12. We do not offer online booking of consultations as this was not a safe and viable way of managing appointments.
13. The role of our care navigators, is not only taking a call (as a receptionist once did) but to ensure that they navigate the patient to the person best to manage the problem the patient is calling in with. 
14.  [They did that anyway. Why otherwise were they there?]
15. Telephone/video consultations have, in many cases, replaced a face-to-face appointment. 
16. [Isn't this the case even now?]
    
17. Reasons for this are to reduce footfall (social distancing, and reduce risk of Covid), only bringing in patients who need to be seen and also to try and prioritise appointments at a time when demand has quite simply gone through the roof. 
18.  [Hence 3 and other items.]
19. Additionally, the health centre has not been immune to the issues of staff absence due to isolation, childcare and shielding that other businesses and organisations have also had to manage. 
20. Virtually every day we are shuffling staff rota's ['sic] around to deal with our staff's parental and family care responsibilities.
21. The challenge of ensuring the practice stays open for our patients has not been easy. The team are tired and stressed, but still absolutely focused on patient care. 
22. This year already we've vaccinated over 6,000 patients for flu, and still have another 1,000+ to do - over twice the number of previous years. 
23. All of this was carried out with staff volunteering to work weekends. We have now started the Covid vaccine campaign. This could easily be over 20,000 vaccinations over the next few months.
24. On a positive note, clinicians are able to handle more telephone conversations every year than face-to-face. So our patient engagement numbers have increased.
25. Our data on 'continuity of care' (patients seeing their own GP) are at an all-time high. 
26. [I want to see my GP but have been compliant when no appointment was offered.] 
    
27. And, whilst we had cases of staff isolation, we've had zero cases of Covid transmission within the centre. The surgery is still as safe as ever to visit.
28. To summarise it's been a very challenging year, and it's not over yet. 
29. Has it gone perfectly - no, can we improve, yes, are we complacent, no! 
30. And please do not believe any media/press that infers that GP health centres aren't taking it easy'. 
31. At this surgery we have a team who are going over and beyond every day - long may it continue.

Yours sincerely

Administration Manager

2  My response

You know where I live.  Our prescriptions are mainly delivered.  I told the person about the situation. She told me that the local surgery had had numerous complaint.  Callers now hear about their position in the queue immediately.

6  I apologise as it's this issue that has probably been the reason why the 'number in the queue'                  message wasn't playing.

A good example of plucking "facts" out of the air to support argument against an assertion.

More at 

The Alibi Society

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