Grange Medical Centre

Poor service and long waiting times

One of the least satisfactory healthcare providers I have encountered. I would strongly encourage improvements to the service offered.

Reception staff interrupted and talked over me

I had a very negative experience during a recent phone interaction with a member of the practice management team. During a conversation about a missed appointment, I felt the staff member was dismissive and spoke in a manner I found upsetting. I was unable to complete my explanation as I felt I was being interrupted throughout the call. When I asked for clarification about their role and reporting structure, I received responses that left me feeling frustrated. The staff member suggested I submit a formal complaint if I wished to escalate the matter further, and made comments about their position within the practice hierarchy that I found unhelpful. Overall, this interaction fell significantly short of the standard of service I would expect, and it has contributed to my concerns about the practice's approach to patient communication and complaints handling.

Receptionists improved but still need better customer service training

The clinical staff are approachable and helpful once contact is established, however the front-of-house team would benefit from additional training. I recognise they manage challenging interactions regularly, yet professional customer service and patient respect should remain fundamental to their role. The reception team often appear unwelcoming and dismissive, particularly towards those unfamiliar with practice procedures, and frequently request callbacks citing staffing availability issues. It would be helpful if they acknowledged that patients also have work commitments and may need to make multiple contact attempts, especially when directed to call at specific times when the relevant person is unavailable. I have requested online prescription ordering on numerous occasions and have been unable to reach the appropriate administrator, receiving conflicting information about when to call. There was also an incident where a family member received test result information from reception staff with inaccurate explanations of what the results indicated, with no further clarification offered. Additionally, when requesting to speak with a doctor, clinical support staff have not clearly identified their role, instead using vague terminology such as "clinician" which could refer to various positions. This lack of clarity about professional qualifications is concerning when patients specifically ask about who they are consulting. I would encourage the practice to invest in training for support staff, as their approach is diminishing the positive work carried out by the clinical team and affecting overall patient experience. Update: The rating has improved to reflect recent positive changes. The reception team have become more approachable, appointment availability has increased, and issues are now being resolved more promptly and effectively.

Ignored while waiting, ignored during appointment

I had a disappointing experience with the service and care provided. When I arrived ahead of my scheduled appointment time, I was asked to wait. Despite arriving early, I found myself waiting considerably longer than expected to be seen, while I noticed other patients who came after me were called through. I attempted to check on my appointment status with the reception team on multiple occasions, but felt my inquiries were not acknowledged and that staff were unavailable. I felt frustrated by this lack of responsiveness. During my consultation, I had hoped to discuss concerns about my health following a period of illness, including symptoms such as headaches, dizziness and nausea. I felt these concerns were not adequately addressed during the appointment. This experience was particularly frustrating as I had experienced similar delays during previous visits, and the extended wait time meant I was running late for other commitments, despite having booked an early slot. Overall, I found this visit to be unsatisfactory and would have preferred to receive more attentive care and acknowledgement of my health concerns. I would consider exploring alternative healthcare providers that might better meet my expectations for respectful and responsive service.

Long wait despite quiet surgery

Arrived for a 9:45 appointment and waited until 10:20 before being seen. Despite appearing to be the only patient present, the delay was frustrating. The service fell short of expectations.

Helpful and cooperative practice staff

The practice demonstrated a helpful and collaborative approach to my care.

Long phone waits made booking difficult

I attempted to book an appointment and had to make multiple phone calls, with each call requiring a wait of at least 45 minutes before someone answered. What I found particularly frustrating was the frequent changes to prescription and appointment times, which made the process of securing an appointment unnecessarily difficult. The overall experience felt overly complicated for patients trying to access care. I felt the reception staff's manner towards patients could have been more professional and welcoming.

Reception staff dismissive when requesting appointment flexibility

I would not recommend registering at this practice. I found the staff to be unhelpful and unwelcoming. When I requested an appointment at a different time due to work commitments, I was made to feel that my request was unreasonable. I struggled to understand why someone in a customer-facing role would respond in such an unfriendly manner. During our interaction, I felt dismissed and sensed frustration with my questions. This experience has significantly affected my confidence in attending appointments in person, particularly given my anxiety concerns, and has left me feeling quite distressed.

Couldn't get through on the phone all morning

Extremely disappointing experience with accessibility. Spent a considerable portion of the morning attempting to reach the practice without success. During an extended period, I made numerous attempts to get through, with the phone line consistently busy throughout. It was frustrating that guidance directed patients to call during what appeared to be an overwhelmingly busy time window.

Long phone queue left me frustrated and unheard

I found the experience quite frustrating. I spent a considerable amount of time waiting to reach someone by phone, and when the call was answered, the interaction felt difficult. There appeared to be communication issues during the conversation, with repeated statements about not being able to hear clearly, despite my understanding that the message was coming through. The tone of the exchange became tense, and when a colleague was brought into the call, the conversation ended abruptly without explanation. Overall, I felt my time was not well spent and found the manner of the staff unhelpful and dismissive. I would have appreciated a more courteous and professional approach to resolving my call.

Couldn't get urgent help when needed

Required an urgent appointment but was unable to book one in advance. Found the reception team unhelpful in addressing this matter.

Long waits and unhelpful appointments

Disappointing experience at this practice. The staff and clinicians did not provide the level of support I was hoping for, and I found the overall conduct of the surgery to be below the standard I would expect.

Impossible to reach by phone when needed

This practice has been very frustrating to deal with. I have been attempting to contact them repeatedly throughout the morning without success. I was advised to call back at a specific time, but when I did, there was still no answer. I have continued trying to reach them multiple times since then, but have been unable to get through on each occasion. My young infant is unwell and I am unable to secure an appointment. I feel this surgery is not providing an adequate service.

Staff were dismissive and unhelpful throughout

This practice provided an unsatisfactory experience overall. The team came across as unhelpful and discourteous. There were concerns about additional charges being applied for certain services and medicines despite having existing health coverage, whereas other local practices do not implement such fees. I intend to switch to a different provider and would suggest considering alternative options before registering with this practice.

Phone queue took far too long

Absolutely disappointing experience. It took a considerable amount of time to get through. The individual who answered the call had me on speaker phone and the sound quality made it difficult to communicate properly. Additionally, the manner in which I was spoken to was not courteous. This is a healthcare facility and should maintain higher standards of professionalism. I trust this feedback will be considered for future improvements. Thank you.

Frustrating phone queues and unhelpful reception staff

It has been challenging to reach the practice by phone, with lengthy waiting times often resulting in being asked to call back at a later time. The reception staff interactions have felt unwelcoming and lacking in professionalism.

Phone queue system caused frustration and rudeness

I would rate this practice very poorly. When I called to arrange an appointment for my young child, I encountered significant difficulties with the booking process. After initially reaching the practice at mid-morning, I was directed to an automated system and placed in a queue. The queue position appeared to reset unexpectedly, which was confusing. When I eventually spoke with reception staff at around mid-morning, I was informed that no morning slots were available and was asked to call back later. The manner in which the call was ended felt abrupt and dismissive. I felt the interaction lacked courtesy and professionalism. I believe the practice would benefit from reviewing how telephone calls are handled and ensuring that patients receive more considerate communication, particularly when their requests cannot be accommodated. People do not contact their GP without genuine need, and it is important that staff interactions reflect understanding of this.

Reception team's phone manner was consistently rude

The reception team at this practice demonstrated communication approaches that I found unhelpful and frustrating. During interactions, I experienced what felt like dismissive and unprofessional conduct, along with inconsistencies in how policies were applied. When I raised concerns about these interactions, the response suggested I was being unreasonable rather than addressing my feedback constructively. The overall demeanor of the reception staff created a negative impression that reflected poorly on the practice as a whole. I felt the team would benefit from additional training in patient communication and consistency in applying procedures.

Couldn't get help through NHS referral

Poor service experience overall. The only treatment I received was through a private referral arrangement. Very disappointing.

Phone lines impossible to get through on

I would rate this experience extremely poorly if possible. My father was advised to contact the practice the following morning at 8am, so I made the call on his behalf. The receptionist explained that appointments could not be booked before 8.45am. When I called back at 8.45am, I experienced significant difficulty getting through, requiring numerous attempts before reaching the front of the queue. At that point, the line appeared to disconnect and I was returned to the automated system. This was very frustrating, particularly given my father's long-standing relationship with the practice. The experience was deeply disappointing.