A LACK of face-to-face doctor appointments will see GP surgeries named and shamed in league tables, it has been announced.
It comes after GP's faced criticism for conducting consultations via telephone rather than seeing patients in person.
Dozens of residents in Reading say they have experienced this, expressing how difficult it is to see a doctor in person.
Official figures show that 58 per cent of GP appointments in England in August were face-to-face.
Before the pandemic, in August 2019, four in five appointments were carried out in person.
The NHS states that due to Covid-19 GP appointments are likely to be by phone or video.
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These types of appointments can 'save you time waiting for a face-to-face appointment and means you do not need to go into a GP surgery'.
We asked our readers on Facebook if they had any problems booking face-to-face appointments in Reading, or if they had faced no issues at all.
More than 80 of you responded with the majority of readers saying it is 'impossible' to get a face-to-face doctor's appointment.
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Della Arabella: "Impossible…. We have actually, really been “let down” by the “doctors surgeries” during this pandemic.Yet hospitals, and dentist (who I would have thought were more “at risk” of catching anything) have been incredible. It almost seems like they don’t want to do deal with patients anymore and have given up. It’s quite frightening really."
Sidra Faheem: "Impossible and totally ridiculous as Gps are still under strict lockdown while rest of people have gone back to work they are still hiding behind the doors it take them weeks to sort a repeat prescription even."
Darko Petrovic: "It's easier to get to Hawaii than to GP"
Jenny Williams: "Jeez!! Ridiculous... my daughter has to wait a whole month for just a telephone appointment."
Chus K Kobreros: "Squid Game seems easier."
Amanda Panda Jones; "It's not easy but even getting a referral for another medical profession like a scan or an ultrasound is impossible."
Suzi Hamblin: "I can’t even get them to answer the phone!"
Lynn Suzzy: "It's very difficult and they can't give you a time they will call back which isn't easy if you can't have your phone with you at work."
Sabrina Bailey: "I was sick of ringing over 170 times to be told call back or no appointments! So I turned up with no appointment and surprise, surprise the waiting room was empty! It’s a joke!"
However, Kasey Cheema said: "I can get a face to face appointment with my Gp it’s not a problem but I do like a phone appointment because it saves time unless I really need to see the gp."
Darren Seward: "I called. Spoke to doctor and had appointment face to face half an hour later."
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