'I rang my doctor 87 times and gave up' - The Yorkshire Post readers give their verdict on GP surgeries and availability of appointments

Read the letter here: GP surgeries ignoring phone calls putting lives of patients at risk – Yorkshire Post Letters----

Here's what you had to say:

Paul Wilson. This is why people feel the need to flood overstretched A&E departments with relatively minor ailments when GPs and local medical centres should be dealing with them instead.

Coire Smith. If you’re 87th or whatever in the queue that’s fairly good evidence you’re not being ignored but there’s 86 other people at least also calling.

Margaret Bean. I have had several text messages asking me to call back to book for vaccine etc. Never been able to get anyone to answer phone no matter when I call.

Sheila Ognissanti. They send you a text saying you’re due a check up and then you pass an hour hanging on the phone in a queue of 10! Are they prepared to reimburse my extra BT costs?

Marie Marcroft. Seen the nurse twice, but no doctors. Lazy I think, but still get a full wage.

Denise Walker. Why have they not returned back to normal working practices? Everyone else has had to.

Ca Stead. I actually spoke to a doctor on Thursday (telephone consultation) and he requested to see me for a face to face but I had to ring reception back to book as he was unable to do It. Needless to say I still haven’t been able to get through!

Yasmine Brown. 87 times I rang in one day to book appointment. Gave up.

Barbara Cunningham. So what are they getting paid for?

Marianne Smith. Instead of phoning, go into the surgery (if you’re able to). I never phone up.

Janette Dingley. I was on the phone for one hour and 27 minutes to be told nothing was available.

Julie Honeybourne. I get told to call at 8am which I do, only to be told by an automated message that they are extremely busy and to call back. Did this for four days, in the end had to go into hospital for eight days.

Craig Chalmers. Our surgery has a call back service when you get nearer to the front of queue.

Dorothy Rayner. Last month well over a million people who had an appointment neither cancelled nor kept the appointment.

Chris O’Rourke. I’d put off ringing my GP. Thought it was a waste of time. But gave in and someone rang me back in afternoon asking me to go down to the surgery at 5.30pm. Was seen by a paramedic and he was absolutely brilliant./ I felt really lucky to have treatment like that, far better than a doctor.

Janet Daws. Something needs to be done and quickly.

Graham Brown. This is getting frightening – not getting to see a doctor or receive a phone call back. What have some of us that have worked and payed our social security and stamp duty for 50 years. Then being unable to receive treatment when needed. This is appalling robbery.

Deborah Oxspring. This is true – my daughter was waiting for a call back regarding my granddaughter and never got a reply.

Kirsty Armstrong. They are people too but underfunded. Huge workload, understaffed, nobody wants to work in surgeries due to the abuse.

Duncan Morris. As long as the Government let them not have face to face consultations they will get away with it.

Tracey Limbert. 45 minutes waiting on phone.

Jay Birch. Last year they were praising the NHS but this year they are going in on them. The question people have to ask themselves is why? I think we know the answer to that.

David Christine Brackley. Not enough GPs. The thing is people are expecting so much from so few.