Carrington House Surgery

Frustrating gp service that fails patients completely

Update; we've been compelled to switch primary care providers. Relocating just 10 minutes further by car apparently disqualifies us from our current practice because a doctor might struggle with home visits?! Fortunately, the nearest GP in town is accepting patients, as during weekdays I'd rely on public transport. Alternative practices are 3.6 and 4.2 miles away, more distant than Carrington House!! These locations are practically inaccessible, especially with neurodivergent children. Make it make sense. I'm attempting to escalate my complaint, but the NHS consistently avoids accountability, bouncing you between departments with no meaningful resolution beyond a tepid 'sorry', based on past experiences, so I'm skeptical anything will change. Best wishes to current and prospective patients! Receptionists arrogantly play doctor or triage nurse despite knowing nothing about patient medical histories, dangerously risking patient deterioration, particularly challenging for a carer managing three neurodivergent children. Appointment availability is virtually non-existent (seemingly only if you're near death, and even then you'll likely be dismissed as having a viral condition or told to lose weight or start contraception - the GP's universal prescription). After 16 plus years as a patient, the service has progressively declined. Utterly abysmal primary care.

Worst medical practice ever with impossible booking system

If I could rate lower than zero, I absolutely would. This GP surgery is hands down the most frustrating medical practice I've ever encountered. Supposedly, you can book online through patient access at 8am, but every single time I attempt to do so precisely at that hour, all appointment slots have vanished. When I then ring at 8:30 when they officially open, I'm greeted as caller number 20-30, and after an interminable wait, they claim no appointments are accessible. Today, after battling to even connect with them, I called around 9am, only to have the receptionist inform me I must call on the day for an appointment. But if it's already 9am, when exactly am I supposed to call? The system is nonsensical: 8am online yields no slots, 8:30 phone calls result in no available appointments, yet they insist you must call on the day. It's a complete logistical nightmare.

Frustrating booking process that wastes your time

Scheduling an appointment here is incredibly frustrating. At 8:30 AM, I attempted to book a slot for my daughter and found myself at number 36 in the queue. Just 20 minutes later, a message announced that all appointments were gone! I persisted and tried booking for three consecutive days, but each attempt was unsuccessful.

Frustrating healthcare experience with terrible appointment system

I'm reducing my rating because this general practitioner's service continues to decline. Today, I discovered the absurd policy of not allowing advance appointment scheduling. Instead, patients must call on the day and cross their fingers for an available slot, which means completely rearranging daily plans at a moment's notice. If no appointment is secured, you're forced to repeat the entire frustrating process the following day. This system desperately requires substantial reformation!

Terrible customer service at local medical practice

I'm utterly exasperated by this experience. Mere moments after the clinic opened, I dialed their number seeking help for my daughter. The moment Destiny picked up, I requested an appointment, only to be curtly told, "No appointments available today. Try again tomorrow." Her dismissive response came without even checking availability. It's absolutely ridiculous that supposedly all slots vanish almost instantly after opening. This approach is fundamentally broken and fails patients who urgently require medical attention.

Terrible service from unhelpful front desk team

Terrible front desk personnel, discourteous and consistently uncooperative about scheduling meetings

Compassionate nurses made my copd experience better

The two COPD nurses provided excellent care and were very helpful during my visit.

Frustrating healthcare experience with endless appointment struggles

Getting a medical appointment here is practically a futile endeavor. You meticulously dial precisely at 8:30 am, only to discover you're positioned around 40th in the waiting line. After enduring a grueling 40-minute wait, you finally connect, just to be informed that no appointments are available, with their suggestion being to attempt the entire process again the following day - a frustrating cycle that continues. While their service was previously acceptable, the quality has dramatically deteriorated since the pandemic hit.

Terrible medical practice with zero patient care

For over 10 days, I've been battling a severe, persistent cough that's causing significant chest pain. I've been attempting to secure a medical appointment since Tuesday, calling the practice daily at 8:30am, but each time I'm told no appointments are available. The staff don't even inquire about my medical condition. I've also contacted 111 multiple times, and they've repeatedly redirected me back to my GP, who still refuses to provide an appointment, simply suggesting I visit the urgent care centre. Moreover, I consulted a pharmacist who recommended a chest infection assessment and sent a report to the GP, yet still no appointment was offered. This medical practice is absolutely terrible. They demonstrate zero patient care, provide no meaningful medical guidance, and their sole solution is to direct patients to urgent care. I strongly advise anyone to steer clear of this practice entirely.

Dangerous receptionists and terrible medical service

This medical practice has been a complete disaster for an extended period. The doctors are compassionate, but securing an actual appointment is incredibly challenging. The front desk staff are exceptionally discourteous and are making administrative decisions far beyond their professional scope - to the point where they essentially control the entire operation. During the pandemic, after having my bag stolen and losing my inhaler, I attempted to obtain a replacement. The receptionist refused to help without an appointment, dismissing the urgency of my situation and only offering a booking three weeks later (despite my daily inhaler requirement). When I became visibly distressed, she accused me of being rude, which left me speechless due to my poor confrontational skills. Ultimately, she denied me an inhaler, resulting in two days without medication and a subsequent asthma attack that required emergency hospitalization. The Stoke Mandeville doctors confirmed this was clear negligence, stating the receptionist should never have been permitted to make such a critical decision. I received an inhaler that day and was told replacing it should always be straightforward. I'm not typically someone who makes significant complaints, so I initially remained silent. However, experiencing similar treatment again prompted me to share my experience. UPDATE: A Wycombe hospital physician specifically advised me to change medical practices, noting Carrington House's notoriously poor reputation. When a doctor suggests the practice is widely known as problematic, you know something is seriously wrong.

Frustrating visit with no help for sick children

visited clinic with my children, explained they hadn't eaten for 48 hours and were covered in mouth sores, physician diagnosed foot and mouth disease and stated no treatment was available, when I inquired about their eating difficulties, doctor claimed he couldn't assist, I suggested antibiotics and was firmly rejected, felt the entire consultation was futile and frustrating, might as well have received this information via telephone instead of spending time at the clinic, the healthcare professional provided absolutely minimal support and essentially left me to manage my kids' condition independently, extremely disappointing and unhelpful service

Terrible booking process needs serious improvement now

The appointment booking mechanism is completely inadequate and fails to serve its intended function.

Terrible medical care for urgent breast health concern

The service here is abysmal. When I contacted them about a critical breast lump that requires ongoing monitoring, I was forced to repeat my entire medical history instead of receiving a simple referral. They impose ridiculously long wait times, scheduling me two weeks out, only to cancel the appointment arbitrarily, claiming it was "necessary". Attempting to reschedule results in another eight-day delay. Clearly, they don't comprehend the urgency of investigating a potential breast abnormality. My experience with this practice has been nothing short of infuriating. The entire staff, from receptionists to management, demonstrates profound unprofessionalism and a complete lack of compassion. Their disregard for patient care is shocking - they treat individuals like inconvenient nuisances rather than human beings requiring medical attention. The level of disrespect is unacceptable. I strongly advise anyone considering this surgery to look elsewhere. Their approach to healthcare is deplorable and potentially dangerous.

Terrible service and confusing medical referral nightmare

Getting an appointment for my child has been incredibly challenging. The receptionist turned me away, forcing me to spend four exhausting hours at a walk-in centre with my toddler. First, 111 redirected us to our GP, who then sent us to the walk-in centre. Upon arrival, they confirmed we shouldn't have been sent there and that Carrington should have accepted us, though they ultimately agreed to see us. This medical practice continues to offer bare-minimum service. I've become so skeptical that I will only believe information if it comes directly from a doctor, not from their administrative staff.

Frustrating medical practice with impossible appointment system

Scheduling an appointment here is an exercise in futility. The online booking system has been gutted, leaving only blood tests available—but catch-22, you need a doctor's appointment to even get a blood test referral. When the phone lines open, available slots vanish instantaneously, forcing patients into a perpetual cycle of trying again the next day, and the day after that. What was once a functional system has devolved into a frustrating gauntlet of near-impossible appointment access.

Terrible healthcare experience with dismissive medical staff

I'd rate this experience zero out of ten. Certain medical professionals demonstrate a lack of compassion towards new mothers and individuals struggling with mental health challenges. They seem more interested in rapidly dismissing patients than providing genuine care. Patient privacy and personal dignity appear to be completely disregarded. The administrative leadership is shockingly incompetent. If a patient attempts to voice concerns, the physicians will fabricate narratives, and management actively supports these deceptive practices, even when their own documentation or surveillance footage contradicts their claims. I would much prefer seeking treatment at a minor injuries unit, where I've consistently received more attentive and thorough medical care. At least those facilities actually address infections instead of summarily declaring nothing is wrong.

Terrible doctor with poor communication skills

failed to inform me about a medication they prescribed. it took more than four weeks to provide me with my complete medical documentation.

Worst medical experience of my life

Terrible medical procedure. I have since relocated.

Disappointing decline of once excellent local surgery

I've been a patient at this medical practice in Wycombe for a quarter-century. Previously, it was an excellent facility with top-notch physicians. As many others have noted, securing an appointment has become nearly impossible, even when calling the moment they open. I experienced challenges managing my Asthma and was ultimately directed to consult with a Pharmacist in the afternoon. Then, I endured a two-hour wait, only to have the Pharmacist recommend a doctor's examination - which was entirely predictable. All general practitioners seem to be struggling with similar problems, resulting in patients overwhelming A&E departments. It's truly disheartening to witness such a once-reliable surgery deteriorate so dramatically.

Terrible nhs experience with misdiagnosis and uncertainty

Singling out this particular surgery might not be entirely fair, as my experiences with the NHS have been consistently subpar across multiple interactions, which I typically try to avoid (a perspective shaped by my background in a post-communist Eastern European country). At this specific facility, the shortage of competent medical professionals was glaringly obvious. I was once misdiagnosed and received inappropriate treatment for a skin condition, which actually exacerbated my symptoms. In contrast, when I opted for private healthcare, my issue was resolved comprehensively within just 15 minutes. I chose private care because it was evident that the medical staff at the surgery were uncertain and repeatedly searching online for potential diagnoses during my consultation (something I could have easily done myself at home). It's a disheartening situation that reflects the current state of the NHS - perhaps people should be less hesitant about transitioning to a subsidized private healthcare model. After all, could the situation realistically deteriorate further?