Fuming Hucknall woman slams 'total lack of service' at town medical centre

Gemma Webb, 40, slammed Whyburn Medical Practice after trying to contact them due to suffering with her asthma, only to spend more than half an hour waiting on the phone and then being told she should go to a walk-in centre six miles away or ‘ring 111 to see what they think’.

She said: “It really touched a nerve and I think it will with a lot of people.

"The fact is, this isn’t the first time this has happened with Whyburn. At the start of the year, it took six weeks for my father-in-law to get a blood test.

"During that six weeks, he collapsed. We found out he had cancer, and he died on July 30.

"From my personal perspective, trying to get through to the Queen Mother on the phone would be easier than trying to get through to the practice, and she’s been dead for 20 years.

"The electronic system for making appointments is not always available and it can sometimes take up to 35 minutes to get through on the phone.

"I went in again this week to try ang get another appointment because I’m still not right.

"I called the 111 service and they wanted to send an ambulance out to me.

"I ended up at NEMS and spent four hours trying to get a prescription at 10.30pm at night for antibiotics and steroids that I could have quite easily self-diagnosed.

"The people at NEMS were distraught I didn’t have a rescue pack that apparently everyone with asthma or chest conditions should have.

"But when I asked about this at Whyburn, the woman behind the counter said I wasn’t eligible and I had to see a doctor, so it’s a vicious circle because you can’t get an appointment to see a doctor.

"I think the practice needs an overhaul or some sort of support in there because something needs to be done because it’s not just me complaining.

A spokesperson for NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, said: “We cannot comment on a patient’s individual case.

"However, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss this in more detail if the patient wishes to contact us directly through our patient experience team."