Chapelford Medical Centre apologises for long phone waits

Patients registered at Chapelford Medical Centre have been reporting problems with the phone lines when calling up to book appointments.

The issue was raised with the surgery by Cllr Paul Warburton, Warrington Borough Council representative for Chapelford and Old Hall.

He has received a response from the medical centre which has moved to reassure patients that technical issues causing the delays have now been resolved.

The response read: “We are sorry that patients have been experiencing long wait times when attempted to contact the practice via phone.

“The staff here at Chapelford are aware of the delays and we are working together to ensure calls are responded to within reasonable timeframes.

“Chapelford Medical Centre has recently reviewed the telephone system and has altered the process for incoming calls.

“This change has unfortunately led to a number of technical issues, often leaving patients waiting on a line that is not connected to the practice.

“The telephone system provider has assured us that all technical issues have now been resolved.

Chapelford Medical Centre

“We continue to log and escalate all concerns raised and we appreciate your patience whilst these issues have been worked out.

“The practice continues to monitor the telephone lines and work closely with the appropriate teams to ensure continuous improvements are made, and we are sorry for any extended waits patients have experienced.”

Cllr Warburton has encouraged any patients that continue to experience issues to inform the medical centre directly either online or in person.

He added: “After receiving a number of comments relating to Chapelford Medical Centre, I have met with the practice this week and discussed a range of issues, including the recent difficulty with getting through to the practice by phone.

“The practice is working hard to continue to improve the service that it delivers to patients and is keen to hear any feedback and concerns patients may have about their experience.

“To support the practice, it would be appreciated if comments or concerns could be shared directly with the practice rather than through other channels that the team do not monitor, and are therefore unable to respond or investigate.

“Informing the practice directly also helps them to resolve issues and ensures that patients are able to receive a response.”

Any comments, feedback or concerns can be shared with the practice via chapelfordhealth.co.uk, the reception desk at the surgery or over the phone.