Lakeside Healthcare's chief executive says phone access at Stamford surgery still 'not acceptable'

Lakeside Healthcare’s new chief executive has told patients phone access to the Stamford surgery has improved but is still ‘not acceptable’.

Jessica Bawden confirmed what many people already thought at a patients’ meeting in Stamford on Tuesday.

About 60 patients of the Sheepmarket surgery in Ryhall Road gathered in the All Saints’ and St John’s Unity Centre hall to hear Ms Bawden’s report on the past year and to ask her questions.

During the discussion she was addressed by a mum-of-two who has a husband with complex health needs.

The mum, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitive nature of her job, said she had stood in her children’s playground before work, 70th in the telephone queue for the surgery next to other mums who were also waiting, listening to the same on-hold music for Lakeside.

One arrival at work she had to ask her boss to delay matters, so that she didn’t lose her place in the queue.

Responding, Ms Bawden said: “We have to improve that. We have improved our phone line a bit but not enough.

“If you’re waiting two hours that is not acceptable. We are working on it and need to get it to be better.”

Teri White, hub manager for Lakeside Stamford, said they are trying to recruit another member of staff to the reception team.

Those at the Stamford Patient Participation Group annual general meeting received information from Ms Bawden that Lakeside Stamford has 14 receptionists, 14 GPs, 13 nurses, who work alongside healthcare assistants, administrators, dispensary staff and three managers.

The practice handles about 1,700 calls a week and nearly 4,000 appointments - although not all of these are in-person.

Lakeside Stamford’s inspection by health watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in March last year found the practice to ‘require improvement’. It was re-inspected in November but the results of this have not yet been shared with the five GP partners who own the practice, or Lakeside’s salaried managers.

A spokesperson for the CQC this week said the amount of time being taken between the Stamford Lakeside inspection and the report being shared was ‘normal’.

Details of how phone access will be improved at the practice were not discussed at the meeting.

One of the roles of the Stamford Patient Participation Group, under new chairperson Julie Clarke, will be to provide ‘strategic feedback and advice’ to the practice and allow patients to make constructive suggestions.

At the meeting, Ken Otter from Tallington, and John Morphy-Godber and Pete Opacic from the Stamford area joined the patient group committee. Outgoing chairman Bill Proudlock will also remain a member.

The group will now hold quarterly meetings open to all Lakeside patients in Stamford, rather than holding an open meeting only once a year. The committee will continue to meet monthly.

Anyone wishing to put forward feedback, advice or suggestions about the running of the Lakeside practice in Stamford can email Julie at: stamfordlakesideppg@lshg.co.uk

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