A man in High Wycombe has said the way a GP receptionist treated him and his seven-year-old daughter was ‘disgusting’.

Vakas Shafique, 44, visited Wye Valley Surgery at Wycombe Hospital at around 11:30am on November 22 to make an appointment for his wife.

But after being told they were fully booked, the father claimed he was verbally abused by a receptionist.

He told the Bucks Free Press: “It was clear that she wasn’t there to help. She had a very bad attitude, a very rude demeanour, a very condescending style of talking.

“It was as though because I am not doing what she wants me to do, she was now even more determined to make it as difficult as she can and close every door.”

The surgery was repeatedly approached for comment and eventually refused to provide any response.

Vakas, who has been a member of the practice for more than 30 years, still does not have the appointment for his wife.

But he is not alone in feeling let down by the practice. His experience is echoed by a string of poor Google reviews of Wye Valley.

While the surgery is rated 1.5 stars out of five, based off 30 reviews, a couple of people do praise the service given by a receptionist and the consultation they received from a doctor.

However, most reviewers complain they were not able to get through on the phone, that appointments were fully booked and that staff were rude, with a couple saying it was the ‘worst GP they have ever come across’.

In a review last month, Linda Lynch said she rang day after day for an appointment for her ill one-year-old grandson, before the family eventually resorted to calling 111.

Like others, Vakas and his wife were unable to get through on the phone on multiple occasions and were stuck in long waiting lists and often disconnected.

He eventually went to make the appointment in person as he happened to be passing the hospital and was told by the receptionist when he went in, she thought it might be a physio issue.

Although not clinicians, GP receptionists can guide people to the right care, however Vakas was unhappy with the opinion not coming from a GP.

He told the receptionist he could wait to make an appointment in the afternoon, but said she told him they were fully booked, despite phone lines not having opened yet.

The phone lines for the practice open for morning appointments at 8:30am and before reopening again for afternoon appointments at 2pm.

The father also tried to make an advance appointment for the next available day, but was told there were ‘no pre-booked slots available’ and that his wife should visit the hospital’s adjacent urgent treatment centre for minor injuries and illnesses.

Vakas explained he was ‘frustrated’ by this point and told the receptionist he did not appreciate her tone, especially as he had his young daughter with him.

He said: “She just erupted. She started shouting. I said, ‘It is disgusting, the way you are behaving. You should be ashamed’.”

The father said the receptionist was shouting at him to ‘get out’ which ‘upset’ his daughter, before the pair started to leave the surgery while still allegedly being shouted at.

Vakas said the reason for the appointment was ‘within the remit of a GP’ and he did not feel the issue was ‘serious enough’ to bring to the urgent treatment centre.

The surgery has allegedly been claiming for months it has problems with its phone lines, as patients frequently wait over an hour in the queue.

On one occasion, Vakas was on the phone for so long he was able to walk to the surgery with the phone and ask the receptionists why they were not answering his call.

He said: “There were two of them. Neither of them were on the phone and I said, ‘Look I am calling your number. It’s ringing. I’m in the queue. You guys are both sitting here and no one is answering the phone’.”

Vakas added: “It feels like you have to literally go there, chase them and fight your corner to get an appointment.”