GPs surgeries vary in Peterborough. Mine ... I can USUALLY ring up and get an appt with Dr I want to see even if is up to a week in advance, if I need same day then although they are usually booked up they do fit in emergencies. Colleague has has no end of problems as she has to ring up on the day and that's no fun when it is one of her children that needs to see the Dr and then trying to work in the appt round work. My husband is with local surgery and he has to ring up on the day as well (I split from that surgery over 10 yrs ago as never saw the same Dr twice over a 3 yr period AND they refused home viist when I had leg pain and couldn't walk ... My dad came over to ferry me turned out it was a DVT!!! But moved to the Dr my hubby was doing IT work for as it covered them discussing my medical history). I couldn't cope with having to ring up on the day ... I would have to get into work first then ring, then rush around like a headless chicken getting across town and back then having to make up the time at work!

I think it is not the GPs themselves that you should be complaining to but the Practice Manager. I would have thought that Tracey's social worker should already liaising with all concerned. However, I have worked as an admin assistant in Social Services office in the past and I know that the social workers are just so pressured even though they care their bosses don't give them the time they need to deal with all their case loads properly. Talking of local authorities I don't think Senior Management in any of them are in touch with the needs of the staff at the bottom ... I know ours isn't, talk of major redundancies in the weeks to come. It is getting ridiculous as in the last 2/3 yrs THEY have taken on loads of management and interim management/consultants and cut, cut, cut the admin. Better stop there ...

My sister had problems when Mum was still alive. All the social worker wanted to do was have her put Mum into a home, sell up Mum's house (her home) and that was it. Friend at work is worried as her 8 yr old has special needs and can get violent. They are coping at the moment but she is really worried at what will happen when daughter gets into her teens as unlikely to cope in a mainstrem secondary school then what will happen after that?