Shrewsbury patients praise their GP services but look for improved appointments

Most patients in the town centre were effusive in their praise for they way they had been treated when the Shropshire Star's team met them to probe them on their views.

There was some criticism of individual surgeries, and the main complaint some people had was that it could take far too long to make an appointment.

Sally Bell, aged 64, of Londgen Road, in Shrewsbury, said she received rapid treatment for cancer last year and is full of praise for how the team at Radbrook Green surgery supported her.

"I had an operation in May, followed up very quickly with chemotherapy," she said. "I am now clear and I think I was very lucky.

"I had an appointment within 24 hours and a face-to-face appointment in two days. My treatment was carried out well within the time limits."

Chris Baldwin, aged 66, from Cressage, said the service he received at his local surgery had been "very good".

"I had a thorough examination and my tests came back very quickly," he said. "They worked very efficiently and the system was easy to book."

A woman, who did not wish to be named, said she had to wait one month for a telephone appointment which she hasn't had yet.

But she was in the minority of people we met.

Roy and Patricia Hughes, from South Shropshire, have been married for 56 years and were of one voice about the surgery in Cleobury Mortimer.

Mrs Hughes said she had a scan in January and everything was "wonderful" in the under-pressure NHS, including in hospitals at Shrewsbury and Telford.

"We can't complain at all," she said.

"We know that a lot of people are upset with their hospitals, and every one is suffering at the moment, but they were wonderful with us."

Mr Hughes said: "If they said they would call you, they would."

John Haynes, aged 82, from Monkmoor, said he thought things "could be better" but he thinks they are getting there, with the return of face-to-face appointments.

"The doctors are fine... when you get to see them but they are getting better," he said.

In common with everyone we met in the county town who expressed an opinion, Mr Haynes "did not agree" with plans to combine six GP surgeries in Shrewsbury into one hub.

Mrs Nellie Skinner, aged 81, from Sutton Farm, was blunt about the time it took her to get an appointment.

"The doctors and people who work at my surgery are grand but they need to sort it out," she said. "The system is up the creek."

Agreeing with that sentiment was Paul Ryan, aged 53, from Meole.

He said: "You can't get an appointment for weeks, you can't get in to see them. They should employ more GPs."

John McWilliams, from Shrewsbury, said it was easy for him to get an appointment and he had a "positive view" of his Claremont Bank surgery.

Mrs Lindsay Collins, aged 69, is also a patient at Claremont Bank and praised her doctor for seeing her through a bout of depression during lockdown.

Mrs Collins said: "Like many people I had depression during lockdown. My GP rang me every few weeks to see how I was doing. I've never had a problem at all and haven't needed to use them for a while.

"But by talking to me, he saw me through it."