A DOCTOR’S surgery in Basingstoke is urging people to download its mobile app after complaints from patients about long phone queues.

Camrose, Gillies & Hackwood (CGH) Partnership says more than 10,000 patients across Basingstoke of all ages have signed up on the Dr. iQ app since June. 

It is encouraging more people to install the mobile application in the face of increased demand for its services. 

Several residents have raised concerns about large phone queues which have sometimes also seen them disconnected.

READ MORE: Operose-run Basingstoke surgery features on BBC Panorama

Basingstoke and Deane Borough councillor Paul Harvey said residents have been in touch and he himself has experienced the problem. 

“If you ring up the surgery at 10am on a Monday morning, you get an automated message that tells you there are over 100 people in the queue,” Cllr Harvey said.

“And it tells you to call back later and disconnects. You haven't got a hope of either staying in the queue, or even making contact with the doctor’s surgery. 

“I know people who've rung back later and found again that over 100 people are still in the queue. They can't get through to their doctor's surgery when they need to. The whole accessibility issue for this practice is a problem.”

CGH recently revealed that its staff answered more than 19,000 phone calls to its surgeries, and its doctors and teams provided 7,180 face-to-face appointments, during the previous month.

The partnership also said there were 4,227 telephone appointments. 

There were more than 3,500 patients contacting the surgeries via the free Dr. iQ app.

A spokesperson for CGH said: "We know getting through on the phones, especially on Monday mornings, can be frustrating for our patients.

"Last month, we took over 19,000 calls and, like the rest of the NHS, it's getting busier as the weather gets colder.

"To help patients contact us more easily, we have now rolled out our free Dr. iQ app so patients can avoid using the phone and contact our team directly. 

"Since June, over 10,000 patients of all ages have signed up and the feedback has been positive so far. 

"We are also taking other steps to help patients get the help they want as quickly as possible." 

They said they will be publishing monthly updates in the Basingstoke Gazette and they encouraged patients to share feedback with the surgey directly or through its patient participation group.

SEE ALSO: Partnership considering buying land to extend Basingstoke hospital

Dr Charlotte Hutchings, clinical director for North and Mid Hampshire at the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board, said the surgery was not alone in seeing a high demand for its services.

She said: “Staff at many practices across Hampshire are seeing increasing demand and despite the fantastic efforts of their teams we are aware that there have been access issues, particularly on the telephone.

"Patient access continues to be a focus of our regular conversations with Operose and the practice to help ensure quality of care.”