Why is it so hard to get a GP appointment? by Ian Aikman for Which magazine

Ian Aikman, from Which? magazine, came to Haughton Thornley Medical Centres and interviewed staff as well as seeing patients to see how we deliver care as he wondered why it is so hard to get a GP appointment. He learned a lot about how we are encouraging patients to go online to help you do as much as you can to help yourself through accessing your records and gaining a better understanding of your healthcare needs via the practice website and what we do in the surgery. You can read the article here.

‘Don’t let difficult times make you forget your blessings.’

When I ask a roomful of receptionists at Haughton Thornley what patients could do to make life easier for them, without hesitation one of them says: ‘Remember we’re human, too.’

It’s better to seek help early …. and potentially prevents a bigger problem down the line – for you and the NHS. So here’s how to get started:

1) Get to know the best way to book an appointment
2) Use online services
3) Make use of local alternatives
4) Don’t give up