A man who thought his wife had meningitis has voiced fears about the growth of Halstead after having to call the town’s GP surgery 80 times before getting through.

John Carter, 65, dialled nonemergency helpline 111 on Sunday after his wife Mary, 64, discovered a rash and lumps and bumps all over her body.

John, of Chapel Hill, Halstead, said: “111 advised us to see the doctor the next day.

“I rang when Elizabeth Courtauld Surgery opened at 8.30am the next morning.

“I had to ring 80 times before I could get through, just redialling and redialling – I have it on my phone to show how many times I rang.

“I didn’t say it to Mary, but I was worried it could be meningitis.

When I did get through, the receptionist at the doctors’ said therewerenomore appointments available.

“It is unbelievable.”

Instead, the receptionist arranged for a doctor to call Mrs Carter later on that day.

Mr Carter said: “He rang at about 1.30pm and told us to come in at 4pm when he realised it could be something serious.

“It was very worrying and frustrating.”

Mr Carter said he has had issues getting through to the surgery before and said more houses in Halstead would exacerbate the situation.

“I am diabetic and I am overdue my check-up, but I just can’t deal with the hassle of trying to get an appointment.

“They are going to build another 300 houses in Halstead, but where are all the patients going to go?

“When you do get an appointment, the doctors are very good, but I always say it is easier to get an appointment at Three Counties Crematorium than it is at the GP surgery.”

David Shedden, practice manager, said: “At a time when GPs in Mid Essex are under great pressure, to be able to offer a telephone assessment call by 1pm followed by a face-to-face appointment on the same day is a sign of a surgery dealing well with high demand.

“The surgery in Halstead takes on average 732 telephone calls a day, looks after 16,000 patients (many of whom are frail and elderly) and copes admirably despite an average of 184 patients who do not attend their appointments each month.”