Sir – I read, with interest and amusement, Mr Clarke’s letter (May 15) concerning booking a GP appointment. If his surgery has ‘same day’ appointments, they are very lucky.

Our surgery no longer offers this facility, but one may speak to one of the doctors who will decide if you need an urgent visit. I have just had to cancel a booked appointment, as it coincided with the date for my husband’s much-needed surgery at hospital.

The next available date with my own GP was eight days later. Obviously my husband’s operation was the priority date, as I needed to go with him.


However, having said that, I unfortunately seem to require the health centre a good bit, and can honestly say that receptionists are always extremely helpful and pleasant when I need to see a doctor, going out of their way to slot me in if at all possible, as soon as possible.

The problem being, it seems, an acute shortage of doctors — we have two new ones coming fairly soon, I’m led to believe.
Obviously, Mr Clarke’s receptionists are not as helpful as our lovely ladies are.


And, yes, I agree with him the reason people clog up A&E is because getting an appointment is so much more difficult that it used to be in all surgeries.


What bugs me with appointments is when hospitals issue one for the crack of dawn and if you live out in the sticks it can make life quite difficult — cancel at your peril unless you really can’t manage it.


Certainly our surgery date will be a very early start indeed way before public transport is up and running. Praise the Lord for good friends with cars. I hope Mr Clarke eventually gets to see his doctor.
 

Dorothy Holloway, Minster Lovell