GP access is sore point

HUNDREDS of patients have complained about lack of access to GPs, saying they can’t book appointments or see their doctors face to face.

Medical chiefs say more appointments are being booked than before the pandemic across Birmingham and the Black Country, but patient group Healthwatch insists many people are not being seen in the way they expect, leading to frustration about quality of care.

Healthwatch believes new ways of seeing patients have not been communicated well enough. An increasing number of consultations have been conducted remotely since the start of the pandemic, while patients are not always being seen by their usual GP.

The group carried out a survey of more than 1,000 adults in Birmingham about access to GP services. The main concerns centred around booking appointments and not being able to physically see the doctor.

Others say they have been left waiting on the phone unable to book an appointment, and Healthwatch says telephone systems at some surgeries simply aren’t good enough.

Andy Cave, chief executive of Healthwatch Birmingham, said: “Rather than see the same GP at their local surgery, patients may now be referred to a different specialist in the Primary Care Network, and asked to wait for a telephone call instead of attending in person. Feedback suggests these changes have not been adequately communicated to the public, leading to feelings of confusion and frustration.”

Dr Richard Mendelsohn, chief medical officer at Birmingham and Solihull CCG, said: “This change in how we are working is proving to be really successful in many areas. However, we also recognise that as demand increases and in many practices, the number of calls increase, the harder it may feel for individuals to get in touch with their practices as quickly as they may be used to.”