Elm Hayes Surgery

Reception staff lovely, but GPs didn't listen

The reception team are absolutely wonderful and couldn't be more pleasant, however my experiences with the clinical staff have been disappointing. I have felt dismissed during consultations, with one clinician appearing dismissive of my concerns. Another clinician attributed a long-standing issue to a recent medication change and seemed unwilling to fully consider my perspective, repeatedly suggesting the problem was something minor when I felt this wasn't accurate. I was also told that follow-up correspondence had been sent to me with specific instructions, but I never received any such communication. The reception staff remain excellent, but unfortunately that is where the positive experience ends.

Quick booking and responsive communication throughout

I attended early pregnancy scans on two separate occasions. The booking process was straightforward, requiring only a couple of days' notice rather than an extended wait. The service provided was of high quality, and the communication throughout was excellent. I would strongly recommend this early scanning service to others.

Receptionists lost track of my blood tests

The reception staff were unhelpful and displayed poor customer service. There was a lengthy delay of more than two weeks to receive results from initial tests, only to discover that documentation of certain requested tests appeared to be missing from the system. This necessitated scheduling another appointment for additional samples and facing another extended waiting period of approximately three weeks for those results.

Busy practice but staff really listen

The practice appears to be quite busy at times, but I have consistently received excellent care and the team has been wonderful.

Phone queue issues made booking difficult

Called today to request an appointment and was instructed to phone back in the morning at 8am, which I did. The receptionist informed me that the system was experiencing technical difficulties and asked me to try again in half an hour. After an hour and a half of attempting to book, I continued to encounter problems—the line was either busy or would disconnect while I was waiting. This meant another day of being unwell without being able to secure an appointment. This experience fell short of what I would expect.

Missed diagnosis left grandchildren suffering for months

We have been very frustrated with our experience at this surgery regarding our grandchildren's skin condition. Over an eight-month period, they attended multiple appointments presenting with a persistent rash, constant scratching that caused bleeding, and severe nighttime discomfort. Throughout this time, we were consistently advised that the issue was eczema and prescribed appropriate cream. It was only when we consulted the pharmacy that we discovered the actual diagnosis was different, which came as a significant shock. Our grandchildren have endured considerable suffering during these months when earlier investigation, such as a skin scraping test, might have identified the problem sooner. The treatment plan now requires weekly sessions over an extended period. We were particularly disappointed during one visit when my husband and I accompanied the children, as my daughter was struggling to cope. We felt the consultation was dismissive, with the same diagnosis repeated without addressing our concerns about why all three children would develop the same condition simultaneously. This experience has left us feeling that our questions and observations were not taken seriously, and we are upset about the extended period of unnecessary distress our grandchildren have experienced.

Friendly reception staff made booking easy

An excellent medical practice that I would happily suggest to others.