A PATIENT who visited a GP surgeries’ call centre says dozens of people trying to book an appointment gave up because it was taking too long to get through.

Derek Gutteridge, 76, is one of many patients at Caradoc Surgery, in Frinton, who believes the experience of booking appointments has “fallen well short” of what is expected.

He says from November 2018 until March this year he was unable to secure an appointment with a doctor, often spending up to an hour on the phone.

Appointments are booked at Epping Close Surgery, Frinton Road Medical Centre, Caradoc Surgery and Green Elms Surgery by calling Anglian Community Enterprise’s Care Navigation Hub.

Mr Gutteridge, who worked for 20 years as a telecommunications technician, was invited to visit the centre in April and shared his thoughts with the Gazette.

He revealed he saw four “care navigators” answering calls for more than 22,000 patients on the books of the four surgeries.

He said: “Not all terminal devices were being used, whereby I was informed by the manager some care navigators were on their lunch breaks.

"I also saw that there were 24 calls that had dropped out so far that day, presumably those callers were fed up of waiting on the phone for their calls to be answered.”

He was also surprised to witness call handlers and other members of staff singing Happy Birthday to one employee.

He said: “I couldn’t believe it - it was only three minutes, five minutes max, but that wasn’t the point.

“There were patients, in need of treatment or an appointment, unable to get through while this was going on.

“Surely with a celebration like that you wait until the end of the day?”

“This is a healthcare issue."

Mr Gutteridge said he wrote to Anglian Community Enterprise about his concerns, but the organisation had failed to respond, following which he contacted Clacton MP Giles Watling and the Gazette.

Mr Watling said: “I have made no less than 17 contacts the Clinical Commissioning Group and the new chairman, Ed Garrett, understands there are issues with it.

“I have confidence in him to make a difference. This is to do with management.”

A spokesman for Anglian Community Enterprise said a “series of three-month old anecdotes” does not paint a true or fair picture of the service.

He said: “The visit referred to in your article took place almost 3 months ago, so we are surprised the issues registered with you are only just now surfacing. 

"Over recent months ACE has taken several steps to strengthen our care navigation system for primary care. 

"For example, we have increased the number of staff within our Care Navigation Hub, such that staffing levels are now higher than when calls were answered within our surgeries.

"This ensures more calls are answered, as well as those calls being directly clinically navigated so that the safest and most clinically appropriate outcome is obtained for any patient accessing our primary care services. 

"Our most recent figures also show that, on average, calls are being completed, with full care navigation, in just over five minutes and four-fifths within ten minutes. 

"We also regularly reimburse where telephone call lengths are excessive." 

He added: "ACE has worked recently with other GP Surgeries in Clacton to provide additional primary care appointments at the minor illness hub in Clacton between the hours of 12 and 8pm and on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

"We are not claiming our service is running perfectly, but equally neither does a series of three-month old anecdotes paint a true or fair picture. 

"Nor does it take into account the national picture. 

"This shows that ACE is not alone in encountering the sort of challenges your article points to. 

"The national GP Survey, published on July 12, shows that one in three people in England do not find it easy to get through to their practice by phone, and one in four were not satisfied with the type of appointments they were given. 

"Almost one in two failed to see or speak to someone at a time they wanted (or sooner). 

"The people of Clacton can be assured that we are continually seeking new ways to strengthen the service and improve the experience of the residents we serve. 

"However, this is neither a  straightforward challenge, nor is it one unique to ACE’s practices.”