GPS Healthcare - Park Surgery

I find Park Surgery pretty good. It can be difficult to get a face to face appointment but the reception staff are very helpful and do their best to get you in if your symptoms are serious or it's an urgent matter.

There is a long telephone queue every time I call up, and it is normal to be holding in a queue for over 30 minutes. Face to face appointments are almost impossible to get.

I have not had any problems getting an appointment but I have experienced great difficulties with being referred on for specialist treatment. I have paid privately for a number of joint operations which I should have been able to access through the NHS.

My wife who lives with a health condition was very unwell and I tried to get an urgent appointment. It was on a Friday, and despite explaining how unwell she was I was told to call back on Monday. No advice or alternative advice was given. We ended up in hospital that evening, and had to call 999.

The surgery is still closed and we are still being sent to other practices in the partnership.

I have ongoing mental health problems making sleeping difficult. The medication prescribed makes it difficult for me to function the day after taking it, causing problems for me looking after my family and working. I have continuously visited my GP and have desperately asked for counselling services but I am told that the waiting list is very long. I feel very trapped on medication and want alternative options.

The surgery has been closed for ages making access difficult. We are being sent to other GPS surgery's which are not always convenient due to locality, transport and working full time.

They are good but they have very long waiting times.

I ordered a repeat prescription and submitted online as usual. I expected to go to the pharmacy a few days later to pick up my items. However I received a text from GP Surgery stating the following :

Dear xxxxx,

You have requested a medication(s) that is available over the counter. We now ask that patients (or family) purchase these items over the counter.

Please see the below link for information-

https://www.birminghamandsolihullccg.nhs.uk/your-health/over-the-counter-medicines

Thanks, [Dr Name]
GPS Healthcare

There was no reference as to which of my 2 medications it referred to, no explanation why after over 4 years the situation has changed and the link they provide doesn't work. I think it is an irresponsible response from GPS Healthcare and as it is impossible to get through to them on the phone without taking half a day annual leave from my job (as an NHS employee) to wait to be answered I have guessed which one it refers to prior to collection. I cannot believe GPS Healthcare think this is an appropriate response to the only way to order repeat prescriptions (ie online). They ought to be ashamed of themselves.

Registered with the surgery for a year but haven't had any contact.
No reminder for flu injection or covid vaccines.