Gwent residents on the difficulties of booking a GP appointment

That is the struggle many in Gwent and indeed across the entire UK face.

The pandemic brought numerous challenges to the healthcare system, though many are still facing difficulties in seeing their GP.

Argus readers had their say recently with a huge amount of people describing their experiences in trying to book an appointment with their doctor.

Some were positive, but a large amount recounted negative experiences.

One recurring issue is phone booking problems, with many not having the time to spare to sit around on hold only to be told that they would have to call back the next day.

Phone appointments were made more popular during the pandemic as attempts were made to keep people away from possible sources of Covid infection as much as possible.

While the pandemic is technically still going, restrictions have been lifted and life is, for the most part, continuing as before.

However there is a shortage of medical professionals in the UK, particularly GPs with many choosing to work as locums instead of in permanent roles.

Some readers suggested that for non-urgent cases, booking should be done weeks in advance if that is not already the policy.

Julie Price, a Newport resident, described how one booking policy at a surgery appeared to defy logic.

Her husband had managed to get an appointment at their clinic, but found booking a follow-up almost impossible on the day.

Ms Price said: “He (her husband) stood at reception saying ‘the doctor said I need to make another appointment’ and they say ‘no, you can't, you've got to ring in.’

“He said ‘but I'm here now’ but they told him that he had to ring in at a particular time.

“They told him and he released four appointments per day, it’s just absolutely ridiculous.”

Ms Price did say that her husband was eventually successful in securing an appointment, but that the family will be changing surgeries as soon as possible.

That wasn’t the only issue Ms Price raised though, as she complained of being passed along to the pharmacist when she was having severe health issues but could not get a GP appointment.

She said that the pharmacist was “absolutely horrified” at the state Ms Price was in and immediately went to call the GP to get her an appointment.

Unfortunately, the pharmacist did not have a direct line to the GP, so they had to ring the same number as everybody else – so effectively Ms Price was back to square one.

This is another recurring theme in Argus reader’s complaints about GP services in Gwent – sending patients to other healthcare professionals unnecessarily.

Some Argus readers suggested that this could be one of the reasons that A&E departments are struggling, with one saying that they had been sent to A&E because of a sore throat.

However, it is not all doom and gloom.

A number of Argus readers have said they have only positive things to say about their GP, which just shows how wildly experiences can vary in a small area.

One reader, Lisa James in Monmouth, explained how her experience with her GP improved during the pandemic.

Ms James said that she was not able to get an appointment when she had covid symptoms in February 2020, but “once we knew what covid was, if [she] needed anything from [her] GP surgery, they were more than willing to help”.

Indeed in April 2021 when Ms James experienced suspected Covid symptoms again, her surgery “instantly” arranged to see her.

Since then, Ms James said she has had no problems trying to see a doctor.

Ms James said: “Yesterday morning, for example, I phoned them at 9am and asked to speak to a doctor.

“ At 10am the doctor phoned me back and we had a chat.

“He said ‘do you want to come in’ and I said ‘no, you reassured me’.

“In the last six weeks, I've been able to physically see a doctor four times with no problem whatsoever getting an appointment.”

A spokeswoman from Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said: “We apologise to any patients who have experienced difficulties or delays when accessing GP services.

"As demand for these services is 20 per cent higher than pre-pandemic levels, we are taking a range of measures to improve access for our residents.

“It is important to remember that there is also a UK-wide shortage of permanent GPs, with many choosing to work as locums, placing a further strain on local surgeries.

“In spite of the difficulties they are facing, our GP practice staff continue to go above-and-beyond to improve access and quality of care for their patients.

“Across our health board region, GP practices are employing additional staff such as advanced nurse practitioners, pharmacists, physiotherapists, paramedics, mental health practitioners and occupational therapists to help meet demand and therefore patients will be seen by the most appropriate health care professional to suit their needs.

"Many of our GP surgeries offer online appointment systems to offer further accessibility, and we are also continuously working to improve our phone systems, as well as employing additional staff to answer calls and enable more people to get through to our surgeries.

“We are continuing to work with GPs and the public around attending the most appropriate hospital for the patient's needs.

“We would encourage people to consider other options available to them before contacting their GP surgery where appropriate, such as visiting their local pharmacy for free advice as a first port of call, or contacting NHS 111 Wales if they are unsure where to go.”