Central Surgery

Reception staff were dismissive and unhelpful

I was very disappointed with my experience today. The receptionist's manner was unhelpful and dismissive. The explanation for why I couldn't have a telephone appointment with a clinician of my preference was inconsistent, changing multiple times during the same call. I need to contact the surgery regularly every few months for routine monitoring and prescription renewals. I find it frustrating to repeatedly deal with reception staff who seem uncooperative and obstructive. This has been a poor experience overall.

Passed around with no one listening

The practice appears to have lost sight of its commitment to patient care. I was passed between different departments without receiving the support I needed, and ultimately nothing was resolved. No one seemed to listen to my concerns, and the experience felt entirely unproductive and frustrating.

Hard to book appointments with dismissive reception

The clinical team members are genuinely skilled and competent, provided you manage to secure an appointment with them. Unfortunately, the reception team can come across as quite abrupt and unhelpful, particularly when dealing with callers attempting to book same-day slots over the phone. They seem to lack empathy in these interactions. There is one younger member of the reception staff who stands out as being more pleasant. If it were possible, I would rate this aspect much lower. It appears that some staff members may not be well-suited to roles in healthcare settings. The experience was disappointing overall.

Reception wouldn't address multiple health concerns in one visit

I attended my appointment and specifically requested to see a doctor as I felt this would be most appropriate for my situation. During the consultation, I explained my concerns but was informed that only one issue could be addressed per visit. I found this approach confusing and asked how this could be the case given that I was seeing a doctor. I was advised that if I needed to discuss multiple matters, I would need to book a longer appointment slot. This is an arrangement I have never encountered before and found quite frustrating. I only typically seek medical appointments when absolutely necessary, preferring to manage minor issues with over-the-counter remedies from the pharmacy. I have been waiting to hear back from the practice management team regarding this policy, as I was told this is being implemented as a new procedure across the service.

Reception staff unhelpful about appointment availability

I am very disappointed with this surgery. My mother requires regular injections every three months. The clinician advised not to exceed this timeframe. However, when three months had passed, no appointment was available. Upon contacting the surgery, the receptionist indicated my mother would need to wait her turn, but could not provide any indication of when an appointment might become available as there were currently no clinics scheduled and no information on future availability. This left my mother in considerable discomfort with no clear timeline for treatment. I found this to be inadequate patient care.

Receptionists unhelpful and appointments hard to access

I found the patient care experience to be very disappointing, with significant issues across several areas. The appointment system proved difficult to navigate, and I struggled to obtain support for managing ongoing medication needs, which resulted in an abrupt change in my dosage. Concerns about pain management were consistently directed toward physiotherapy without exploring other options, and the underlying issue remains unresolved. I felt that my requests were not prioritised appropriately, with limited availability for appointments. Communication has been problematic, with promised callbacks not materialising and some interactions with reception staff feeling dismissive and curt.

Receptionist unhelpful, impossible to book appointments

The service at this practice has been disappointing. Obtaining an appointment has proven to be quite difficult, and the reception staff have not been particularly accommodating. Due to these experiences, I am considering switching to a different surgery.

Easy to book appointments at this practice

Registered in June and have had no complaints, appointments are readily available, calling around midday appears to be the most effective time to get through.

Reliable appointments but prescription follow-up frustrating

I've never experienced any problems at this practice and have consistently been able to secure same-day appointments for both myself and my family member. The waiting time varies depending on the day—occasionally there's a queue at reception, while other visits are completed very quickly. My one concern is that there are instances where prescriptions aren't forwarded to the pharmacy as expected, which means I need to follow up repeatedly with the reception team to resolve the matter, though I recognise this isn't within their control.

Phone lines repeatedly go dead when calling

Disappointing experience at this practice. When calling, the line cuts off, which makes me wonder if there's an issue with the phone system. Visiting in person at 10am, the staff seemed unhelpful and suggested returning the following morning at 8am without being able to confirm an appointment would be available. This meant paying for two bus journeys at £5 total. I enquired about the flu vaccination and noticed the information displayed on the screen showed October dates rather than November's walk-in slots. When I mentioned this, the response suggested they may not have updated their systems. Overall, the service fell short of expectations.

Online booking system makes appointments harder

I have been a patient for over eleven years and previously it was possible to call and receive an appointment the same day. However, the current online booking system has proven problematic as it frequently experiences downtime, making it difficult to book appointments. When attempting to contact the practice by phone, it can be challenging to get through, and callers are sometimes redirected to alternative numbers. That said, when appointments are successfully obtained, the clinical staff are genuinely pleasant and professional. I do have concerns about how this new appointment system might impact patient outcomes in the longer term, as I believe it could lead to serious consequences for healthcare delivery.

Getting through by phone feels nearly impossible here

Getting through by telephone or using online contact methods proves to be quite challenging. The phone line tends to be busy and the online booking system shows availability only between 8am-11am, and even then access is inconsistent, with the service frequently being unavailable. The clinical staff themselves deliver excellent care, however the difficulty in making initial contact is a source of frustration. Visiting the reception desk in person remains the most reliable method of getting through to someone. This practice has been my healthcare provider for over five decades, and I have followed them through various locations around the area. They have consistently provided good service historically, though the experience has noticeably deteriorated in more recent times.

Helpful staff but long waits are normal

Good practice with capable staff and healthcare professionals. All medical facilities face similar challenges to this one. You simply need to accept these issues and remain patient.

Reception staff made booking straightforward and easy

After relocating to the area two weeks ago, we registered with the local practice. Just two days following registration, I scheduled an appointment with a nurse practitioner. During the consultation, the practitioner brought in two additional clinicians to assess my condition, followed by another nurse practitioner. I have never experienced such outstanding care at any other surgery throughout my life. The entire team, including the nurse practitioners, doctors, and pharmacy staff, deserves my sincere gratitude and admiration. You have all restored my confidence in the national health service.

Reception staff weren't helpful or caring

Unhelpful, uncaring, I'm unable to continue with this service.

Easy to book appointments with helpful staff

I have never experienced any difficulties when booking appointments. The team members are excellent and consistently provide helpful assistance.

Doctors were good but practice needs improvement

I struggle to identify positive aspects of this practice, with the exception that the clinical staff are highly competent.

Friendly reception staff made the visit pleasant

Excellent medical practice

Couldn't reach the practice by phone

I found it extremely difficult to reach the practice by telephone. Despite making repeated attempts over an extended period, I was unable to get through, and subsequently required hospital admission for a serious respiratory condition.

Staff didn't follow through on promised callbacks

Disappointing experience overall. The service felt inadequate in many respects. The reception staff frequently came across as unhelpful, and there were instances where they indicated they would follow up with a clinician and call back, but this didn't happen. This created confusion during subsequent interactions as there was no record of previous conversations. The appointment system was extremely difficult to navigate, with availability seeming very limited even for urgent matters. I had a particularly negative encounter with one clinician whose manner I found rude and dismissive, which led me to request not to see them again. I have since transferred to a different practice, and I am in the process of moving my family member's care as well, as I felt the overall standard of service was unsatisfactory. I also felt that pandemic-related circumstances were sometimes used as a blanket explanation for service limitations.