Poor experiences outweigh the good
I really dread having to make an appointment! The stress and frustration of the call just isn't worth it - I have been suffering for years with several ailments that I am trying hard to ignore as the stress of getting an appointment is not worth it. Even before lockdown, going to the doctor was rarely a positive experience, I usually (with some notable exceptions) felt as though the appointments were generally rushed and I was only half listened to. There are some excellent doctors and I have had some good consultations - you just need to be lucky to get one - unfortunately the poor experiences outweigh the good and reception / admin are the worst part of the overall service. The nurses are wonderful - but why does it take 2 weeks to get a blood test done when the results can be back in less than 6 hours! Like many others, I do feel as though lockdown has been used as an excuse for not seeing patients. Also, the app has functionality on it to book appointments but despite trying dozens of times, there are never any appointments available - I am guessing it just isn't used but if that is the case, why isn't there a comment telling the user that they are wasting their time trying to get an appointment using the app. Finally, I think there is a problem with the prescription process, I get the impression that doctors believe prescription process cycle complete next day. In my experience it normally takes 4 days from the doctor telling me he has sent a prescription across (to Boots) to me receiving the text that tells me it is ready for collection.