Patients in Lewisham are finding it increasingly difficult to contact their family doctor over the phone.

A survey of 3,573 patients in the Lewisham Clinical Commissioning Group area shows just 63 per cent of people found it easy to get in touch with their GP’s surgery on the phone – five years ago it was 72 per cent.

This is also below the national rate of 70 per cent.

Nightingale Surgery was the easiest surgery with which to speak to someone over the phone, where all patients said it was easy to get through to someone.

Wells Park Practice was the surgery with the lowest amount of patients finding it easy to speak with someone over the phone, at 29 per cent.

Lewisham’s receptionists were ranked in line with national averages, with 88 per cent of respondents finding their receptionist helpful. Nationally this was 90 per cent.

Nightingale Surgery was also the best in Lewisham for helpful receptionists.

Overall, Bellingham Green Surgery and Lee Road Surgery were the highest-rated surgeries in Lewisham, with 95 per cent of respondents describing their overall experience at the surgery as “good.”

Vale Medical Centre and The Jenner Practice was described as “good” by 92 per cent of respondents.

The rest of the surgeries in the borough were ranked as follows:

Nightingale Surgery: 90 per cent.

Oakview family Practice: 89 per cent.

St Johns Medical Centre: 89 per cent.

Dr S Shri-Krishnapalasuriya’s Practice: 88 per cent.

Woolstone Medical Centre: 87 per cent.

Clifton Rise Family Practice: 87 per cent.

Lewisham Medical Centre: 87 per cent.

Honor Oak Group Practice: 86 per cent.

Grove Medical Centre: 85 per cent.

South Lewisham Group Practice: 85 per cent.

Dr PGV Morant:  84 per cent.

Baring Road Medical Centre: 84 per cent.

Burnt Ash Surgery: 84 per cent.

Deptford Surgery: 83 per cent.

Rushey Green GP: 83 per cent.

Triangle Group Practice: 83 per cent.

Morden Hill Surgery: 83 per cent.

Dr BK Batra’s Practice: 82 per cent.

Kingfisher Medical Centre: 82 per cent.

Amersham Vale Training Practice: 81 per cent.

Downham Family Medical Practice: 80 per cent.

Torridon Road Medical Practice: 79 per cent.

Mr Mog Sarder’s Practice: 78 per cent.

Vesta Road Surgery: 78 per cent.

Parkview Surgery: 77 per cent.

ICO Healthgroup: 77 per cent.

The Brockley Road Surgery: 77 per cent.

Sydenham Green Group Practice: 76 per cent.

Belmont Hill Surgery: 76 per cent.

Lewisham GP LED Health Centre: 74 per cent.

Wells Park Practice: 69 per cent.

New Cross Centre (Hurley Group): 68 per cent.

Hilly Fields Medical Centre: 67 per cent.

The QRP Surgery: 64 per cent.

Woodlands Health Centre: 58 per cent.