Basingstoke man's five-hour ordeal to secure GP appointment

Julian King, from Hatch Warren, contacted his family's GP practice - Gillies Health Centre in Brighton Hill - on Tuesday, August 20, as his wife, Lynne, showed extremely high blood pressure reading, just before she was about to go for a dental appointment. 

However, what should have been a straightforward process quickly turned into a frustrating ordeal for the couple, both in their 60s, as they faced great difficulty in accessing timely healthcare.

The day began like any other until a blood pressure (BP) reading of Mrs King showed 181/114. She had been seeing high BP for the past several days, but this was the highest.

READ MORE: Basingstoke woman describes 70-day battle for GP appointment

Gillies Health Centre in Brighton Hill (Image: Newsquest)

Mrs King was heading out early in the morning for a dentist appointment, and she decided to attend despite the health concerns.

Shortly after she left, Mr King decided to call their GP surgery, concerned about his wife's blood pressure.

He soon found himself in a long queue, and despite leaving a message for a call-back, he was caught in a loop of busy phone lines and repeated attempts to get through to the surgery.

By mid-morning, Mrs King returned home, but her husband was still unsuccessful in getting hold of anyone at the surgery.

So he decided to input her blood pressure readings into the Dr IQ app - a tool designed to help patients manage their health remotely.

The app alerted that her blood pressure was dangerously high, advising her to seek immediate medical attention by either calling 999 or NHS 111.

Mr King opted to call 111, where he was connected with a representative.

"Damian was great, really thorough," he said.

"He took us through a long list of questions, and we felt like we were finally making some progress."

However, after another doctor from NHS 111 called back sometime later, the couple was told that they would still need to make an appointment with their GP surgery.

Frustrated and anxious, Mr King attempted once again to contact their practice, only to be placed again in a long queue.

"It felt like we were being passed from pillar to post," he said.

"After nearly an hour on hold, with 30 people ahead of me, I just gave up and we drove to the surgery."

When they arrived, the scene was quite surprising for the couple.

"Despite the long wait times on the phone, the surgery was almost empty, with only a couple of patients in the waiting room," he said.

"It was baffling. But to be honest, the receptionists were really nice to us, but the surgery was rather empty and they were not on the phone. So how can the phone lines be so busy when you call them?" he asked.

After explaining their situation to the administrative staff, Mr King finally managed to secure a promise that a doctor would call them later in the day.

It wasn't until early afternoon that a doctor phoned and reassured them that Mrs King's blood pressure was not an issue as there were no symptoms, but advised them to continue monitoring it for another week.

By that time, however, her blood pressure had spiked even higher, reaching a concerning 197/116.

"I was worried sick," Mr King admitted. "The whole process was five hours of stress and worry, trying to get someone to take us seriously."

High blood pressure, particularly readings over 180/120, is a serious condition with a significant risk of complications, including a high chance of mortality within a year if not properly managed.

Reflecting on the ordeal, Mr King said it was disappointing to know how patients are treated in case of emergencies. 

"All we wanted was to be heard and to get the help Lynne needed," he said.

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"It shouldn’t be this hard to get medical attention, especially when someone’s life could be at risk."

Mrs King is now cutting back on salt, which is helping, Mr King is using the NHS Weight loss app as his blood pressure is too high as well. 

"Ultimately this isn’t about us, it’s about the problems getting an appointment, phones not answered, and an empty surgery when they say they are overwhelmed."

Camrose, Gillies & Hackwood (CGH) Partnership has been contacted for a comment.