Donnington Medical Partnership

Receptionist refused appointment despite feeling unwell

I attempted to book an appointment as I was feeling unwell. When I spoke to the receptionist, I was informed that no same-day slots were available. I asked about alternative dates, and was told that I would receive a text message with appointment details within a week. After waiting that period, I received notification of an appointment scheduled for a future date. I found the wait time concerning given my health concerns at the time, and felt frustrated about the delay in receiving care.

Everyone here is genuinely helpful and kind

I really have no complaints about this practice. The staff are consistently pleasant and accommodating, and they make a genuine effort to assist patients.

Reception staff were helpful and friendly

Everything went well and I have no issues to raise. The service provided was satisfactory.

Helpful admin but pharmacy needs improvement

My mother has been a patient at this GP practice for more than 45 years and has always spoken positively about it. Recently she made several requests to the administrative team. The staff members she dealt with were extremely helpful and provided clear, thorough communication in assisting her with her needs. Unfortunately, the pharmacy team did not meet the same standard of service.

Symptoms dismissed and never properly documented

I recognise that the healthcare system faces significant pressures and that staff are undercompensated. However, my experience here was unsatisfactory. I presented with concerning symptoms that were affecting my daily functioning over an extended period and attended multiple appointments. On each occasion, I was informed that my symptoms were likely attributable to anxiety, stress, or psychological factors. I was not offered any physical examination or therapeutic intervention. Upon reviewing my medical records months later, I discovered that none of my reported symptoms or complaints had been documented. Subsequently, I sought medical attention in my home country, where I was assessed by several practitioners, received a diagnosis promptly, and will undergo surgical intervention to address the underlying issue. When I described my experience in England to these doctors, they expressed concern and questioned why I had been managed in this manner and why the condition had not been identified and treated, allowing it to deteriorate to the point where surgery became necessary. I understand the healthcare system is under strain, but I question why I was not directed towards private healthcare options. Why were my symptoms not recorded in my notes? Why was my presentation not acknowledged? Why was I not informed that treatment existed but faced lengthy waiting periods? Why was I not treated with basic respect and dignity? Instead, I felt dismissed and invalidated. I began to doubt my own experience and felt ashamed for taking up time. This significantly affected my psychological wellbeing. Additionally, my physical health has deteriorated due to the delayed diagnosis, though surgery should provide improvement. How can such care be provided? Why are patients managed this way? If this is how patients are treated, what is the purpose of the role? I recognise the system is overwhelmed, but dismissing patients' concerns and persuading them their symptoms are unfounded seems counterproductive when they could access care elsewhere. Patients deserve to understand their condition. This approach seems fundamentally wrong. I would advise others to seek care elsewhere. I hope this practice is not reflective of broader approaches within the healthcare system.

Reception failed to notify about cancelled appointment

How can anyone have confidence in this practice? There appear to be significant concerns regarding administrative processes and overall management, with the reception staff seeming poorly informed. This represented another disappointing visit. I arrived several minutes ahead of my scheduled appointment, registered using the digital system, and waited in the reception area. Fifteen minutes past my appointment time, and mindful of previous occasions when appointments had been missed, I approached a receptionist who reassured me that I would be seen and encouraged me to wait. After sitting for a further fifteen minutes, someone called my name only to inform me that the clinician I was scheduled to see had a planned hospital appointment and would be unavailable. The practice stated they had attempted to contact me but were unsuccessful. I had received no notification of the cancellation—no call, no text message, and no information upon arrival, nor was any offered when I inquired after the initial fifteen-minute wait. They proposed rescheduling, but given the circumstances, I felt uncertain whether the same situation might recur. The apologies provided seemed insufficient, and there was no attempt to verify which contact details they held, investigate what had gone wrong, or discuss how similar situations could be prevented in future. As this has occurred on multiple occasions for both myself and my family members, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that the practice is experiencing significant organisational difficulties.

Receptionists gave wrong information and blamed me

I have repeatedly contacted and visited the surgery due to receiving incorrect information, and on these occasions the reception staff have been dismissive and unhelpful. Even when errors have occurred, the responsibility seems to be placed on patients rather than acknowledged as a service issue.

Friendly reception made the visit pleasant

An excellent medical practice.

Phone queues make booking appointments difficult

Getting through by telephone proves extremely difficult, with wait times consistently placing callers well down the queue. This represents a noticeable change from previous experiences. Additionally, there appears to be no facility available to book appointments via the NHS app.

awful dr

Please do not see Dr McNally under any circumstances. Choose ANY other doctor. Absolutely no empathy, unkind, cold.

Felt unheard and dismissed by staff

The medical staff at this practice do not appear to listen to or show concern for patients' needs. The surgery seems to operate with a business-focused approach rather than prioritising patient care. A detailed review was previously submitted but appears to have been removed, which raises concerns about transparency. This practice is best avoided.

Reception gave conflicting information without care

Disappointing experience 😑 I received inconsistent information from the administrative team, with conflicting messages provided on different occasions. One member of staff acknowledged that certain information should not have been shared with me in the way it was. The administrative team appeared to provide assistance selectively, and I felt their level of care was inconsistent. I won't go into detail about all my interactions. While I recognise the NHS faces significant pressures and staffing challenges, this

Unhelpful practice that relies on internet searches

The practice has not been particularly helpful with my concerns. I have found that searching online for information has been more useful than the support provided during my visits.

Consistently disappointing across multiple visits

Our family of three has experienced consistent disappointment across multiple visits. We found the overall experience to be unsatisfactory.

Adequate but nothing special really

It's acceptable, I suppose.

Long waits and difficult parking situation

Appointments frequently run behind schedule, and the staff conduct could be improved. Additionally, there are significant difficulties with the car parking facilities at the practice.

Friendly staff made me feel heard

A welcoming and supportive neighbourhood healthcare facility.

Appointment booking let me down badly

I arranged an appointment a couple of weeks prior and spent the morning waiting for a call that was supposed to come before midday. When I followed up in the afternoon, I discovered the appointment hadn't actually been scheduled. While they offered to assess my situation, my concern wasn't time-sensitive. The experience was disappointing and frustrating.

Confusing advice about travel jabs left me frustrated

Poor service experience. I attempted to obtain guidance regarding travel vaccinations. I was instructed to contact a travel clinic initially to determine which vaccinations I would require, and then to call the practice back to verify whether they could be provided through the NHS. Upon calling back, I spoke with a member of staff who provided information that contradicted what another staff member had previously told me. When I raised this discrepancy, the staff member checked with their colleague and subsequently stated that I had misunderstood, without offering an apology for the confusion and repeated back-and-forth communication. The staff member also mentioned that their colleague had already passed my details to another team member who would contact me, though this had not been communicated to me beforehand. Additionally, the staff member made a statement about the timeframe for vaccination effectiveness. I questioned whether this type of medical information should be provided by reception staff. This is not an isolated incident, as I have experienced similar service issues with this practice on previous occasions. I would not recommend this practice to anyone considering registering.

Getting through is harder than seeing the doctor

When I have managed to secure an appointment, the clinical staff have been pleasant and helpful. That said, contacting the practice for guidance or to discuss concerns proves to be quite challenging. While I recognise that various services have faced disruptions in recent times, the practice appears to lack a functional digital consultation system, even though they advertise having one available. The online platform has technical issues, with navigation problems and broken links that lead to the wrong pages.