Crawcrook Medical Centre

Impossible to book an appointment here

It is extremely difficult to obtain an appointment with a healthcare provider at this practice.

Online booking made all the difference

I have decided to leave this practice after reaching a point where I felt I needed a change. I've found an alternative surgery nearby and the difference is striking. The new practice offers online booking options, good appointment availability, and a well-organised team. It's unfortunate because the difference is quite substantial, though I wouldn't say the issue lies with the frontline or clinical staff themselves. Rather, it appears to be related to how the practice is managed overall. It might be worthwhile for the leadership here to consider how other surgeries operate, as there are clearly practices in the area that are performing at a notably higher level.

Phone queues long, staff lack accountability

I have witnessed a concerning deterioration in the standard of service at this practice. Telephone access has become increasingly difficult, and when I did manage to speak with staff members, they appeared reluctant to take responsibility for addressing my concerns. I paid a fee for an administrative form to be processed and stamped. After waiting approximately six weeks, the task remained incomplete. I submitted a formal complaint, which was not acknowledged or progressed. When I followed up by telephone, I was informed that the complaint had been received but had not been addressed due to workload pressures. My form was eventually returned after reportedly being located in an unprocessed state and was then dealt with urgently. Currently, I am attempting to locate a prescription that has been issued to me. Despite multiple calls, staff have been unable to provide clarity on its status or expected delivery to the pharmacy. I have been given assurances on consecutive days that it would arrive, but this has not materialised. Based on my experience, I would recommend considering alternative healthcare providers. The quality of service and administrative processes at this practice have noticeably declined, and this trajectory may impact patient retention.

Impossible to reach by phone consistently

It is difficult to reach the practice by telephone as calls often go unanswered, leaving callers waiting in a queue. Even when positioned first in the queue, wait times can extend beyond 30 minutes without connection. Blood test results typically take longer than a week to become available through the NHS App. The other practices within the group experience similar challenges and share the same telephone system.

Long waits and poor communication here

If relocating to the area, I would recommend considering alternative practices. The service provided here fell significantly short of expectations and raised concerns about quality of care. Other local practices may offer a more satisfactory experience.

Receptionist rudeness overshadows otherwise acceptable care

Overall, the service at both locations has been satisfactory based on my experience, with one healthcare professional at Crawcrook in particular who has provided excellent care for my son, and is the primary reason this rating includes any positive stars at all. What has negatively impacted my experience is a member of the reception team. When contacting the practice for assistance, this individual has been dismissive, tends to interrupt, and displays what I perceive as an unhelpful attitude with limited customer service approach. For instance, there was reluctance to process a repeat prescription request over the phone for my son's specialist formula, despite my explanation that online ordering is not feasible for me and my work commitments make visiting the practice difficult. Additionally, when I sought an urgent appointment for a significant personal health matter, I was initially told that such appointments are reserved only for emergencies, and only after I questioned this decision was I offered an appointment following consultation with a manager. The overall experience has been disappointing.

Practice ignored complaint for months without response

I raised concerns with the practice regarding their administrative service and experienced a lengthy delay in receiving a response. I subsequently engaged an independent advocacy service to represent me in pursuing the matter. The practice did not adequately address my concerns or maintain communication throughout the process. As a result, I transferred to a different practice. The advocacy service was unable to achieve a satisfactory outcome and recommended escalating the issue to the ombudsman. I am relieved to have moved on from this practice.

Repeat prescriptions rejected without explanation or warning

My son, who has a significant ongoing medical condition requiring continuous medication management, has been a patient at this practice for over seven years. He submitted a repeat prescription request through the NHS app, which was subsequently rejected without any communication regarding the reason for rejection. Upon visiting the surgery in person to seek clarification, he was informed that a medication review was required, despite having received no prior notification about this requirement. As of that point, he had not received his essential medications, which are critical to his health and wellbeing. I am very frustrated by this situation and plan to visit the surgery to discuss this matter further. I feel that the prescribing clinician should have provided an explanation or explored the clinical reasons for the medication requirement rather than simply rejecting the request without engagement. I intend to pursue this matter further through appropriate channels.

Impossible to book an appointment in advance

The team members are competent and fulfil their responsibilities well, however, the process for securing an appointment of any description is problematic. Update to review 15/09/25 To illustrate the difficulty in obtaining an appointment, I visited the practice this afternoon to request a routine booking. I was informed that appointments cannot be arranged in person and that I would need to contact the practice by telephone at 8am. This presents a challenge for me as I am unable to make calls at that time of day due to other commitments, leaving me without a viable way to book an appointment. It seems unusual that the practice does not offer alternative methods for scheduling appointments.

Helpful appointment despite busy practice

I had an appointment today with a clinician who was genuinely helpful and supportive. I recognise that with the increasing population in this area, the NHS faces considerable pressure, but the staff are clearly making a genuine effort to provide good care despite these challenges.

Repeat prescription left in box went unprocessed

I would give this practice the lowest possible rating based on my recent experience. I submitted a repeat prescription request through the designated box approximately a week ago, but it was not processed. As a result, I ran out of several of my regular medications and experienced uncomfortable symptoms over a weekend period. When I followed up on this matter, I received no clarification about the delay, and the situation was not treated with the urgency it required. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident, as I have found myself in similar circumstances previously with this practice. I am very concerned about both the standard of service and the potential impact on my health. I anticipate receiving a standard response, as appears to be the case with other complaints. I am actively seeking an alternative practice.

Struggling to get through on the phone

I'm astonished that this practice continues to operate.

Practice didn't follow up on promised callback

My husband attended an appointment on a Wednesday and received a prescription. We live in one area so travelled to a local pharmacy, only to be told that the medication on the prescription was no longer available, having been discontinued for a considerable time. We were advised to contact the surgery. We returned to find the surgery was closed for training. I was able to ring the following morning and speak to a receptionist, who said she would arrange an alternative medication with a clinician and would send a text message to confirm when I could collect it from my pharmacy. It is now Friday evening and we have received no contact from the surgery. This is very disappointing. Firstly, I question why a prescription would be issued for a medication that is no longer in production. Surely the prescriber should verify availability before issuing. Secondly, the surgery has not followed up as they said they would. The practice is now closed for the weekend. I would appreciate contact from the surgery explaining what has happened and why the promised action was not taken on either occasion.

Reception staff went the extra mile

I had a really positive experience at the surgery today. The receptionist was exceptionally helpful and went above and beyond to assist me with my enquiry. Their willingness to help made a real difference to my visit.

Appointment access poor, one symptom only allowed

I have struggled to obtain appointments and found that only one symptom can be addressed per visit. This has resulted in me being prescribed medications for multiple conditions and being referred to a specialist. I was informed that my various symptoms may not be connected, though a specialist surgeon expressed surprise at this assessment, suggesting they likely are related. The process has taken approximately two years of back-and-forth appointments, with the specialist providing more thorough investigation than I had previously received, spending considerable time reviewing my full symptom history, which I appreciated. I intend to change practices as I now have clarity on my health concerns and would not recommend this surgery to others. I have been a patient here for many years and recall it being a well-regarded practice previously. The current experience has been disappointing across multiple areas including appointment availability, online consultation responses, and reception staff interactions, though I have found the clinical doctors themselves to be competent. The overall experience has been frustrating, with me needing to contact emergency services multiple times last year to secure timely appointments. I would advise prospective patients to consider alternative practices, as I do not recommend this surgery.

Appointment disappeared after weeks of waiting

After experiencing a lengthy wait to secure an appointment, I discovered that my scheduled visit for today is no longer available. I have been patient through multiple occasions, yet whenever I attempt to book either a consultation or a test appointment by phone, I encounter extended hold times only to be told that all available slots have been taken. I feel I need to seek care at a different practice.

Reception staff didn't listen to parent concerns properly

The diagnostic accuracy at this practice has been consistently problematic. We attended with our young child presenting with symptoms that appeared characteristic of a specific viral condition, yet were informed it was simply viral in nature, which we found troubling. We sought a private second opinion the following day at additional expense, and this assessment confirmed the initial suspected condition while also identifying an additional respiratory concern that had been missed. Had we relied solely on the initial assessment from this practice, we could have inadvertently exposed other children in a childcare setting to illness, potentially causing wider transmission. This experience has left us very disappointed with the standard of care provided.

Phone queue blocked urgent antibiotic prescription request

I have noticed a significant deterioration in the standard of care at this practice. When I contacted them during a period of severe discomfort requiring urgent medication, I was informed that no appointments were available and was unable to obtain a prescription or speak with a clinician. The NHS 111 service was able to provide a prescription promptly, and my symptoms improved shortly after. On another occasion, when experiencing acute symptoms, the practice declined to accept a diagnostic sample. It took intervention from NHS 111 to facilitate this. It is disappointing to see the quality of service at this practice decline in this way, particularly given how vital access to healthcare is.

Appointment booking frustration with rushed triage questions

How is it even possible to book an appointment anymore?? And the receptionist triage process is questionable. Just reading from a script on screen. Is this what modern healthcare looks like in the 21st century? I mentioned I believed I had a respiratory infection, having experienced one previously. The receptionist then proceeded with their questions - does your chest hurt. Yes, so ring 999 😂 I'm not having a heart attack but the system flagged to ring 999 despite only asking me a single question. The response was that there were no available appointments and to try again the next day. Congratulations on your triage approach.

Phone queues too long, records went missing

I have significant concerns about this practice since relocating to the area three years ago. As both a patient and someone working in healthcare, I find the way this service operates troubling. The practice misplaced my medical records at one point and interrupted my partner's ongoing daily medical management, which required continuity of care. Reaching the practice by telephone is extremely difficult, often taking over twenty minutes to connect. The recorded messages focus on joining a patient group or warnings about unacceptable behaviour, which does not reflect well on the service. It is understandable that people become frustrated when experiencing such lengthy wait times. The practice requires face-to-face appointments for routine matters that could reasonably be addressed through a telephone consultation instead. This approach seems to consume appointment slots unnecessarily. I am genuinely worried about how this service is being administered. Given the significant number of older residents in the area, I question whether they are receiving the standard of healthcare they deserve. Based on my experience, I suspect many may not be.