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Phone system Posted or Updated on 12 Jul 2023

The most common complaint we receive at Leander is how long patients have to wait in the phone system to book an appointment, and when you finally do manage to get through all the appointments are gone.

We completely understand the frustrations, and agree that our telephone system simply cannot cope with the amount of calls we receive daily. We have employed more staff to help support our patients, and we are also waiting for an upgraded phone system to be made available to us by South West London CCG. We currently have 8 lines in & out of the surgery but hope that by having a cloud-based telephone system provided this will improve. Presently, with reception answering calls from patients, hospitals and other organisations, and Doctors, Nurses and other staff making calls to patients, our telephone system is in use from 08.00 in the morning until we close at 6.30 at night.

We have been told that the new system will be provided to us soon, but we haven't been given an exact date.

In the meantime, there are easier ways to book an appointment, order your repeat medication or even check something on your record rather than waiting in the telephone queue. You can download the NHS app today, and sign up using the required ID, which will then give you access to available appointments day & night, every day of the week, even when the surgery is closed. You can also use the online triage service to complete a form, telling us what you need, and this is guaranteed to get a response from us within 48 hours. Please click on the link on the front page of the website to access this system.

The link below is for a very short video on how to use the NHS app:

Why I use the NHS App | NHS Digital - YouTube

You can find more information about the app, including the download links, at https://www.nhs.uk/apps-library/nhs-app/

Download the app today and avoid long telephone queues or standing waiting at the reception desk.

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