A PENSIONERS’ group had told health bosses their telephone system is failing frail and elderly patients.

Last week, Clacton MP Giles Watling lambasted the “appalling” Care Navigation telephone system used by Epping Close surgery in Clacton, Frinton Road Medical Centre in Holland-on-Sea, Caradoc surgery in Frinton and Green Elms surgery in Jaywick.

Patients have been left angry at being forced to wait more than 30 minutes to book appointments, order prescriptions and get test results.

Mr Watling has asked the Government what can be done to hold Anglian Community Enterprise, which runs the surgeries, to account.

Sheila Hammond, secretary of the Tendring Pensioners’ Action Group, said: “After reading comments from ACE’s managing director Lynne Woodcock in last week’s Gazette, we would like to inform her that the phone bank system has not improved and is still failing patients.

“The new system does not tell you how long you will have to wait to be answered and for those of us who only have mobile phones it is worrying to have to be charged for up to an hour waiting time on the phone.

“We fear for the elderly and frail patients in Tendring.

“The lack of staff in doctor’s surgeries controlled by Ace is awful, yet another example of cost cutting.

“If ACE is to be awarded contracts from our clinical commissioning group then they must provide an adequate service.

“They are not doing so at the moment and should be held to account.”

Dave Hudson, from Brent Close, Frinton, added: “The time to answer calls may have fallen, but that is only when you get in the queue. Try ringing at 8am and the line is permanently engaged.”

Mrs Woodcock said she was troubled to read of Ms Hammond’s concerns and would be happy to meet with Tenpag.

She added: “However, we would like to provide assurance to the patients we serve about some of the concerns Ms Hammond raises.

“We do acknowledge that the system is still not as good as we want it to be. However, it is improving and we are doing more to make it better.

“We track all calls and this allows us to collect statistics on our performance. These statistics clearly show better performance.

“To ensure that a patient gets to see the correct medical professional, we now operate a triage system. This means those people phoning in are asked a number of questions by the care navigator, which can result in a longer telephone call.

“Where callers have had to wait an excessively long time to get through, we have paid their telephone bills.”

“People should not be seeing their GP when presenting with emergency conditions. However, people using the system can choose an option indicating a medical emergency.”