Bentley Medical Practice

Appointments mostly at inconvenient secondary location

I have been a patient at this surgery for over a year and a half without being seen by a doctor, as all my appointments have been with practice nursing staff or nurse practitioners. The main surgery location requires significant travel to access, with most available appointments being at an alternative site that necessitates multiple bus journeys or taxi fare if you rely on public transport from certain residential areas.

Hard to book appointments here

I would recommend looking elsewhere. Scheduling availability is limited, and the practice's processes tend to be inefficient and time-consuming.

Prescription refused over rescheduled appointment

I would recommend considering alternative healthcare providers. I experienced difficulties obtaining my prescription renewal when I needed to reschedule my routine review appointment. The waiting time for the next available appointment with clinical staff was considerably lengthy at several weeks. I have found it challenging to secure appointments with clinicians at this practice. I feel the service does not meet adequate standards and believe the practice may be oversubscribed relative to its capacity. If the practice cannot provide timely appointments, it may not be in a position to accept additional patients.

Impossible to book a nurse appointment

Unable to secure an appointment with nursing staff to have stitches removed, let alone see a doctor. Will need to remove them myself.

Staff went the extra mile when I called

Outstanding medical and administrative team; they have consistently made exceptional efforts to help me promptly whenever I have contacted them by phone or visited in person.

Frustrating phone system makes getting help difficult

Frustrating experience with the appointment system. The phone lines operate on a restrictive schedule that makes it difficult to reach the practice before 2pm unless booking an appointment, and calling after 2pm means issues cannot be addressed the same day.

Reception staff refused to listen about medication request

I normally find the reception staff to be helpful and accommodating. However, I recently called regarding an upcoming trip and mentioned that I would need a particular medication to help manage anxiety during travel, as has been arranged previously. The receptionist declined the request. I explained my situation again, but received the same response. I remained calm and was simply trying to communicate my needs, though I was feeling quite vulnerable at the time due to ongoing physical discomfort. The interaction left me upset, as I felt my concerns were not being taken seriously. Typically, I would be offered a telephone consultation with a clinician to discuss such matters, but on this occasion I was told I would need to attend in person instead. Given my current physical difficulties, I'm uncertain how I will manage this appointment. I felt dismissed and would have appreciated a more sympathetic approach to my request.

Hard to book appointments when calling early

It is difficult to obtain an appointment, even when attempting to book early in the morning.

Dismissed after two months of delays

I experienced a two-month period of being redirected between services, which resulted in me having to leave work due to my health concerns. However, the eventual outcome was that my issue was deemed minor, and I was simply directed to obtain standard medication from a pharmacy. I would recommend seeking care elsewhere. Throughout my visits, I found the staff to be unwelcoming and disengaged. Getting through to the practice has proven difficult on most occasions, with responsiveness only improving when attending in person at the surgery itself.

Easy to book and friendly reception

The team here are welcoming and it's straightforward to book an appointment.

Urgent care response was really impressive

I have been with my previous practice for many years and after switching to this surgery a couple of months ago, I have found it to be excellent. When I have required prompt care, the service has been outstanding.

Phone lines constantly engaged at opening time

This is the worst surgery I have ever attended. Getting an appointment is extremely difficult and feels like you have to plead for one. The practice appears dishonest. They claim there are no available appointments. I called at opening time in the morning, the line was engaged for 15 minutes, and when I finally got through, I was told no slots were available. ???? I later discovered they seem to allocate appointments selectively to certain patients. If they do not consider serious health conditions worthy of timely access, it suggests a lack of genuine care for patients. I also had to wait 2 weeks to receive paperwork from them, which cost £15 and turned out to be unnecessary by that point. I am switching to a different surgery as soon as possible.

Impossible to book appointments here

It is extremely difficult to secure appointment slots, and reaching the practice by phone is challenging in itself. On a recent attempt to book, I was informed of a substantial waiting period for availability.

Reception dismissed concerns about appointment timing

I contacted the surgery to arrange an appointment for a specific day and was informed that a clinician would call me back on that date. When the call came through, I was offered a time slot that conflicted with my work commitments, which I had clearly communicated. I had specifically taken time off work in anticipation of being seen on my preferred day. Following the call, I rang back to express my concerns about the appointment being scheduled at an unsuitable time, particularly given that the clinician could have contacted me earlier in the week when I was available. When I spoke to reception staff about this, their response felt dismissive and unhelpful. I requested an appointment for my original preferred time, but the lack of support and understanding left me feeling frustrated. Due to this experience, I have decided to seek care elsewhere as I do not feel the service meets my needs.

Friendly reception made us feel welcome

The practice has demonstrated a pleasant and welcoming approach towards us as patients.

Reception staff diagnose before letting you see doctors

I have had a long association with this practice, having registered my family here for many years, but I feel it is now time to seek care elsewhere. Accessing appointments with clinical staff proves difficult, as requests are frequently redirected to alternative services rather than being addressed locally. The reception team appears to make preliminary assessments before patients can be seen by a doctor. The approach to patient care seems inconsistent regardless of age or circumstances, and the overall experience suggests that financial considerations may be prioritised over individual patient needs.

Reception confusion led to missed appointment

I had a very disappointing experience after relocating to the area and registering with this practice. The diagnostic process for my sleep-related condition was prolonged, during which I received treatments that did not address the underlying issue. It was only after I advocated for myself that I was eventually referred for specialist assessment. More frustratingly, there was a significant issue when attempting to bring my young child for an appointment. The practice provided an appointment time, and we arrived shortly after the stated time. Upon arrival, reception was unmanned and we had to use the bell to get attention. When we were subsequently told the appointment could not be accommodated due to our arrival time, there was confusion about what the actual appointment time had been. It became apparent that there may have been a scheduling error, as another patient present also had the same appointment slot. We left upset and returned to enquire about the complaints procedure. At that point, it was noted that another patient with the same appointment time still had not been seen. We were informed the practice manager was unavailable and that we would need to contact the practice on a weekday. Following this incident, my child developed symptoms that required emergency care, which was an extremely stressful situation. We have since decided to transfer our care elsewhere and would not recommend this practice to others.