'I’ve had enough now': Terminally ill Northampton man left frustrated after struggling to see GP
A terminally ill man from Northampton says he has “had enough” after repeated failed attempts to get a face-to-face appointment with his GP.
Henry Wickers, 73, who is wheelchair-bound, has multiple serious health conditions including OCPD, Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
He said he called his GP at Mounts Medical Centre several times recently, only to be told to phone back at 8am – a system he says is failing patients like him.
He said: “I’m not well. I haven’t been asleep for a week. All they say is, ‘phone at eight in the morning.’ But by the time they answer, there are no appointments left.”
Henry said his GP had recently added an alert to his file instructing that he should be seen promptly, but he believes the message was not passed on by front-line staff.
He said: “They’re not listening to my partner, who has power of attorney. And they don’t listen to me because of my Alzheimer’s. I’ve had enough now. It’s not right to treat people like this.”
The Mounts Medical Centre is more than a 45-minute walk from Henry’s home in Dallington. He relies on taxis to get to appointments, which he says cost him around £15 – 20 each time.
He said: “I can’t just get there. I’ve got a walker, a wheelchair, and a full ceiling lift at home. I have to get cabs everywhere – and I’m a pensioner.”
The day after Henry spoke to the Chronicle & Echo, he said the surgery got in touch.
Henry said the problems with accessing care began during the pandemic, and have never gone back to normal.
He added: “Since Covid, I’ve seen my doctor twice. When I call, they just say, ‘call an ambulance.’ But why should I waste an ambulance’s time when I don’t need the hospital? It’s wrong.”
In response, Mounts Medical Centre said: “Due to patient confidentiality and data protection regulations, we are unable to comment on individual patients without their explicit consent. We can confirm this patient has since been contacted directly prior to your email.”
Henry disputes this, insisting he received the call after the Chronicle & Echo made contact.
He did, however, praise his doctor, who he said is now trying to sort the situation internally.
He said: “My doctor is sorting me out. He’s going to have a word with the staff about how it’s being handled.”