Bowling Highfield Medical Practice

Friendly receptionists made the visit welcoming

I have only visited this surgery on a couple of occasions and would certainly recommend it to others. The level of care and compassion demonstrated by the clinical staff, combined with the warm and approachable manner of the reception team, has been outstanding. The entire experience has been exceptional and I hope the practice continues to maintain these high standards.

Receptionists made booking straightforward and easy

I have been a patient at this practice for a considerable time and have found nothing to criticise about my experience. The team consistently manages to accommodate appointments for myself and my family when required, and the front desk staff are consistently friendly and approachable. They keep the appointment booking process straightforward without unnecessary questioning. The mental health specialist I have seen has been excellent and demonstrated genuine understanding throughout our interactions. 10/10

Can't get appointments, always suggests A&E

This practice is extremely frustrating as it is nearly impossible to secure an appointment, whether seeking care for young patients or adults. The standard response appears to be directing people toward emergency services, which seems counterproductive given how stretched that department already is.

Couldn't get through on the phone today

I have been trying to secure an appointment at short notice without success, as I am unable to reach the practice. Based on this experience, I believe it would be beneficial for me to consider registering with a different medical practice.

Phone lines constantly busy and unresponsive

The practice opens at 8am, and I began calling at one minute before the opening time. By ten minutes past eight, I had made numerous unsuccessful attempts to reach someone without receiving any response. This was extremely frustrating.

Impossible to get through on the phone

This practice has been very difficult to contact. I have been attempting to call since Thursday, and it is now Tuesday, but have only encountered an engaged tone repeatedly. Getting an appointment has proven to be extremely challenging.

Phone queue system causes unnecessary patient stress

The automated telephone system is extremely frustrating, particularly when facing lengthy queues for routine enquiries. The experience at the other location appears similarly problematic, and the phone system requires significant improvement. I communicated clearly to the reception staff that the pharmacy had specific medication in stock, yet a different medication was prescribed that is unavailable. This issue has persisted over several days, and there seems to be a lack of awareness regarding the time required for the pharmacy to order medication and for authorisation to be processed. The situation has caused considerable stress, especially given my existing health concerns, and the overall experience has added unnecessary pressure rather than providing relief.

Finally felt listened to and taken seriously

I've recently registered with this practice and have found the experience far more positive in just a short time compared to my previous surgery, where I felt my concerns were not properly addressed.

Impossible to book an appointment by phone

I have been attempting to secure an appointment over an extended period, but have encountered persistent difficulties. The telephone lines are consistently unavailable when I try to contact the practice. Additionally, I have experienced technical issues with the online consultation system. The overall experience has been frustrating, and I feel that access to care has been inadequate. The service does not meet expectations.

Reception refused emergency appointment for unwell infant

I was extremely disappointed with the service received. When I contacted the practice in the early afternoon after my daughter had unsuccessfully attempted to secure an appointment over the previous two days, I was informed that no slots were available. My daughter had already called on two separate mornings to request an appointment for my young grandchild, who was displaying concerning symptoms including elevated temperature, lethargy, altered sleep patterns, and changes in nappy output. She had communicated these details to the receptionist both times, only to be told to ring back in the morning as appointments were fully booked. When I made my own call to advocate for my daughter, I was given the same response. I pressed further, asking whether the child could be added to the emergency duty doctor list, but was told this was not possible as the doctors had requested no additional patients be added due to capacity constraints. I emphasised that this appeared to be a medical emergency requiring urgent clinical assessment or at minimum a telephone consultation with the child's mother. I requested to speak with a manager, but was informed nobody was available. I was instead advised to contact 111 or attend accident and emergency. I expressed my concern about expecting a seriously unwell infant to wait extended periods in a hospital environment. The receptionist confirmed there were no appointments available and reiterated the doctor's position on the patient list. I mentioned my own experience working in healthcare administration, noting that in my workplace, we would never refuse to escalate a potentially serious case involving a young child. I was told this was simply not how the practice operated. My daughter subsequently called 111. After asking minimal questions, they arranged for an ambulance to be dispatched, arriving within minutes and transporting my grandchild to hospital with emergency lights activated. This level of urgency suggests the situation could potentially have been managed differently had our initial concerns been taken seriously and the child been added to the doctor's list when my daughter first called.

Reception unhelpful when managing prescription issues

When medication prescribed for my young daughter became unavailable at the pharmacy, I contacted the practice for an alternative. The receptionist's response felt dismissive, as I was directed to contact the pharmacy myself and then call back. After spending considerable time at the pharmacy, I discovered my daughter wasn't registered there, which required additional registration steps. When I returned to collect the adjusted prescription, I was informed that the final supply had also run out, which felt frustrating given the back-and-forth involved. The appointment booking system appears to be experiencing difficulties, with persistent busy signals throughout the week and limited availability when calls do connect.

Results withheld despite repeated requests

I had a disappointing experience when attending an appointment where I felt information was not provided as promptly as it should have been, despite having made several attempts to request it beforehand. I found this frustrating given that the practice did not appear to be particularly busy at the time, and I felt the service fell short of what I would expect from an NHS facility.

Phone lines repeatedly disconnected during morning calls

I would rate this lower if possible. My partner attempted to reach the practice repeatedly yesterday morning between 8-9am but encountered only beeping sounds before the line disconnected. The same issue occurred again today during the same time window. I have also tried calling myself with identical results. It is frustrating to have a phone system that appears inaccessible. We are urgently seeking an appointment but are unable to connect. Based on this initial experience, I have concerns about the practice's accessibility.

Phone queue system needs urgent improvement

When calling at 8 o'clock, the system should place you in a queue rather than delivering a message stating that the call cannot be processed at this time and asking you to try again later. This seems counterintuitive, as attempting to call back later may result in all available appointments already being booked. The automated telephone service experience is quite disappointing.

Reception staff went above and beyond for me

I love the reception staff they go above and beyond to try help, still difficult to get an appointment but staff are fantastic. Especially one member of the team who was particularly helpful 😁

Stuck on hold with the automated message

Unable to progress beyond the automated message system. Multiple attempts to reach the practice result in hearing the same recording followed by being unable to connect. This is unfortunate, as the online application had initially seemed promising. The situation feels quite frustrating.

Struggling to get face-to-face appointments when needed

I have been a patient at this practice for many years and manage ongoing complex health concerns. I am finding it increasingly difficult to arrange face-to-face appointments with a doctor. Remote consultations do not work well for my situation and what I need to address. I have experienced lengthy waits for medication reviews, and feel that matters discussed in a recent consultation were not adequately followed up. This situation is contributing to my anxiety levels, which was not an issue before. Today I waited several hours for a scheduled call, only to receive a text message instead, which has been frustrating.

Loyal patient valued by caring practice team

I have been a patient at this practice for over three decades. The team here is excellent. My preferred clinician has consistently gone above and beyond to address my healthcare needs and those of my family members since they were very young. I hope they continue to be part of the practice for many years to come.

Impossible to reach anyone by phone

Extremely disappointing experience at this GP practice. The telephone system only offers automated messaging, and it proved impossible to reach a live person. I attempted to arrange an appointment for my child but was unable to connect with any staff member to complete the booking.

Receptionist sorted urgent medication same day

My elderly father misplaced some important cardiac medication recently. It was a Friday afternoon when I contacted the surgery about this issue and I genuinely expected we would need to wait until the following week for a replacement prescription. I spoke with a helpful receptionist who promptly arranged for the on-call clinician to issue a new prescription. We received the replacement medication within an hour! I'm extremely grateful for this swift response as my father is in the recovery phase following a cardiac procedure and could have experienced complications without these tablets. Thank you once more!