Liverpool Waterfront
FEWER than half of GP surgeries on Merseyside can offer an appointment on the day a patient needs it, a Daily Post investigation has found.
We conducted an in-depth survey of 50 practices across Merseyside, West Lancs and Cheshire, posing as a patient with a routine illness.
Only 23 were able to see us that day, with six surgeries saying we would have to wait five days or more for an appointment, and the longest saying we could not be fitted in for two weeks.
Last night, Dr Rob Barnett, secretary of Liverpool’s Local Medical Committee (LMC), admitted the appointments situation is “a mess”, which he says is not aided by Government targets.
Of the 23 surgeries able to see us on the day, 12 were surgeries which offer a “same-day” appointments service, where patients have to ring at around 8.30am in the morning to try to secure a slot.
But, when advised about the service at three other practices, we were unable to even get through, which left us with a wait of between five days and two weeks.
Two GPs offered us appointments of longer than five days, but we were unable to assess their same-day service because we needed to register details.
Most practices appear to operate their own, individual appointment systems as they try to balance patients’ needs for advance bookings and same-day appointments.
We also found that only a handful of surgeries offer appointments outside the 8.30am-6.30pm working day. Dr Barnett said: “The Government created targets because the system needed to be measured, but this meant practices were put under pressure to meet those targets, as opposed to meeting the needs of patients, and this is part of the problem.
“Many had to change or tried out new appointment systems.
“You have to be able to provide emergency appointments within 24 hours, and so surgeries try to keep slots available.
“But then everyone rings up at 8am to get appointments and the phones are jammed.
“No one system works well because it is difficult to predict when people will be ill.
“Also, you do not know how long a consultation will last, hence why some practices operate a one problem per appointment system, but then patients get upset.
“It is a mess.”
During our investigation, we saw the issues pinpointed by Dr Barnett.
At St Joseph’s Medical Centre, on Upper Parliament Street, Liverpool we were offered a booking eight days in advance, or told to ring back at 8am the following morning, to arrange one on the same day.
But, throughout the morning, we were unable to get through.
Appleton Village Surgery, in Widnes, offered an appointment six days in advance, and again we were told to ring back the next morning.
However, when we finally got through at 8.40am, there were no appointments left and we were told to ring the next morning.
And at Chester’s Northgate Medical Centre, we were told the next appointment available was the week after next, but that same day appointments would be available at 8am.
But the phone there was also engaged several times. When we rang again later, we could not get any answer.
Many receptionists were keen to get us to firm up appointments because they said the slots would not last long.
At Blundellsands Surgery, near Crosby, when we declined the offer of an appointment three days in advance, the receptionist said: “You don’t want to book that? It won’t last long”.
At The Health Centre in St Helens, we were offered an appointment two days in advance, but the receptionist said it was the last available slot for the week and that they do not hold any appointments back.
The situation for other patients was more straightforward. Many surgeries were able to offer us slots on the day, including Aintree Park Practice, where we got through at 9am and were offered a 2.30pm appointment; Drs Wainwright and Caudwell in Southport, where we got through at 8.30am and were offered a 11.30am slot; Hunts Cross Health Centre, where the next slot was 4.50pm on the day of calling and at Park Medical Centre, in West Kirby, where a 3pm slot on the day was offered.
Some practices were also offering extended hours. Chapel Lane Surgery, in Formby, which offered an appointment at 3.30pm on the day of calling, has slots from 7am on certain days and Grove House Practice, in Runcorn, has started to open Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings.
Our investigation offers a “snapshot” in time, and the results may have been different on different days but it highlights the difference in service patients can receive across the region. Appointments are also likely to be even harder to secure in the winter months.
Dr Barnett believes govern- ment targets stipulating patients should be able to get an appoint- ment within 48 hours are unhelpful. “A 48-hour treatment target does not take into account the urgency of the problem.
“My practice does not run an appointment system, so people get seen on the day but they have to wait.”
And he does not feel pressure to extend hours from Whitehall will benefit patients.
In June, the Daily Post revealed no Liverpool surgeries were on record as opening in evenings and weekends, with the picture the same in Warrington, West Cheshire and West Lancashire, and little different in Knowsley. In Sefton, six were extending hours and, in Wirral, 15. Today’s results show little has changed.
Dr Barnett said: “This idea that we should be dictated to by central government – it is quite spurious.
“You cannot have blanket policy over the whole country, people living in a commuter belt will need different opening hours to many areas of Liverpool.
“The LMC conducted a survey answered by 75% of Liverpool practices. The vast majority were sympathetic with patients who wanted a service outside GP hours. However, they were not happy with government terms.
“Many feel keeping a surgery open until late at night with only one doctor and a receptionist is unsafe.”
HOW did your surgery do? Reporter Liza Williams with a full report on her efforts to get a doctor's appointment >>>
