Practice service being monitored by CCG

Patients have claimed they sometimes had to make dozens of calls before staff answer at Wellington Medical Practice in Chapel Lane. They have also made complaints about being able to see a GP.

During a meeting of Telford & Wrekin's Clinical Commissioning Group, chief officer David Evans said that it was the "least doctored practice" across the borough, and that is partly responsible for the issues with patient access.

Mr Evans said: "Wellington is the least doctored practice in terms of number of doctors per hundred thousands registered patients in Telford & Wrekin.

"We're actively working with them on how to address that, because that's part of the issue around patients' access. They need doctors there."

The board said that it was currently checking on the practice on a monthly basis, and that the phone system was among their highest priorities.

Christine Morris, executive nurse and lead for quality and safety for the CCG, said: "We are very aware of issues raised by patients in Wellington and we're working with the practice to address those issues.

"We're working with them on a regular basis. We've prioritised the phone system because that's one of the areas patients have said has been a challenge for them.

"We know they've taken a number of patients that were previously registered at the Malling Surgery and we want to support the practice to deliver the best possible care for patients.

"Hopefully the telephone system will be a big improvement, but we're working with the practice to keep an eye on the service."

Wellington Medical practice has long been the target of criticisms from patients, although bosses have said that improvements are being made.

One patient claimed he had tried to call the practice 97 times last September, only to find it was engaged each time.

At a meeting of the CCG in June, partner at Wellington Medical Practice, Dr Derrick Ebenezer, told health chiefs there were issues with retaining GPs at the Chapel Lane practice, but that a new advance nursing practitioner had been employed to ease the pressure on the doctors.

Three salaried GPs had left due to the heavy workload and efforts were in hand to train the receptionists to signpost patients correctly to the right services, he said.

The CCG is due to install broadband phone lines in all its doctors’ surgeries after NHS England was successful in attracting funding for the scheme. Wellington will be the first medical centre to receive the new system when it is launched.