The Portmill Surgery is now present on social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, where you will find regular updates on practice information and general advice.
As most people are aware, the NHS as a whole has been under pressure for some time, not only due to the pandemic, however, the backlog of routine appointments during the pandemic has resulted in a ‘catch up’ phase that will take some time, on an already, under pressure service.
The Portmill Surgery is doing everything it can to keep patients informed, safe and healthy, despite working with increased levels of absenteeism due to staff sickness and resignations – particularly in the reception area. It is understood the frustrations that patients feel when it takes time to get through to the practice and so, Portmill have set up social media pages to try and help make access to information easier.
The aim of the social media pages is to provide another channel of communication to patients, which may reduce the volume of phone calls focussing on general or administration queries. This, in turn, should reduce waiting times on the phone to allow those who need to get through to speak to someone, or the elderly who may not have access to online systems, to get through within a reasonable timeframe.
Comments on the social media pages have been switched off as these pages are solely for information only. It has been agreed that the time taken to monitor and reply to comments on social media pages would not be the best use of NHS time.
The Portmill Surgery hopes that you find the social media updates useful, and to please be mindful that the surgery is doing everything it can to provide the best possible service for patients. All staff are working to their maximum capacity and it is asked that you please have patience and be kind.
Find The Portmill Surgery on Facebook and Instagram – @portmillsurgery