Old Road Medical Practice

Phone lines impossible to reach through

Unhelpful My son developed a serious skin infection when he was a year old. During an initial consultation, the presenting symptoms were interpreted differently than I believed them to be. I sought additional medical opinions, and by that point my child's condition had progressed significantly. When admitted to hospital, blood tests showed elevated infection markers, and he required intravenous antibiotics and a three-night hospital stay. Accessing appointments at this practice has been consistently difficult. Even when calling during designated availability windows, it can be challenging to reach someone. The reception staff sometimes appear dismissive, particularly when handling multiple enquiries in a single interaction. I have decided to register with a different practice.

Receptionists were helpful and friendly throughout

I've had no problems with this practice. While I'm aware that some people mention appointments being rushed and lengthy phone waits, that hasn't been my experience. I've never struggled to get an appointment, and when sessions are booked up, the team offers alternative dates and lets you decide whether to reserve ahead or ring at opening time. The reception staff have consistently been warm, approachable and supportive. The clinical staff, including doctors and nursing professionals, have been of good quality.

Felt dismissed and disrespected during appointment

The staff members were unwelcoming, and the clinician I consulted with displayed a similarly dismissive attitude. During the appointment, the door was closed forcefully and I was greeted with an abrupt question about the purpose of my visit. I found this interaction to be unprofessional and have decided to pursue a formal complaint.

Friendly team who actually listen to you

A welcoming demeanor is consistently demonstrated by a healthcare team that exceeds expectations in every way.

Phone lines never answered when calling

I have attempted to contact the practice by phone on multiple occasions without success. The team members are generally pleasant when visiting in person. The only viable method to secure an appointment appears to be arriving at the surgery early in the morning. I arranged a blood test following the surgery's request and completed the booking online promptly, but the appointment was subsequently altered. It is unfortunate that a previously valued clinician is no longer part of the practice, as standards seem to have declined since their departure. I had to persist considerably to have my husband receive an appointment, and he was eventually referred to hospital where a serious condition was identified requiring specialist treatment. I feel the primary care response could have been more effective in addressing his needs at an earlier stage.

Phone lines go unanswered during evening hours

I switched to this practice hoping for an improvement, but they fail to answer calls even after 5pm. When I visited the surgery in person out of frustration, the staff appeared to be disregarding incoming calls. I simply needed to cancel an appointment, but since I couldn't reach anyone, it will likely be recorded as a missed appointment instead. I found this experience disappointing and feel the practice doesn't seem to take feedback from other patients' reviews seriously.

Walk-in centre turned away with urgent concerns

I experienced significant abdominal discomfort and attended a walk-in centre, where I was advised that I should see my GP promptly for potential investigations and further assessment. However, when I attempted to book an appointment, I was informed that the practice was at capacity and instructed to call at 8AM on Monday. The staff member added a comment suggesting it would hopefully turn out to be nothing serious. I felt somewhat concerned about the situation and noted that if my symptoms were to worsen significantly, I would have the option of attending the accident and emergency department instead.

Long phone wait and hung up on

Called early in the morning and waited a considerable time on the phone only to learn that no appointments were available. I mentioned that I was feeling quite unwell and requested to speak with the practice manager, but the staff member ended the call. This felt discourteous and I questioned whether appropriate care standards were being met.

Phone queue wait was over an hour long

I found the telephone service to be disappointing. The wait time to speak with someone was extremely lengthy, extending well over an hour. During this period, we were repeatedly informed through a recorded message that our call was valued, yet the extended hold time felt frustrating given that we were investing considerable time trying to reach the practice. I would recommend that the practice consider updating their messaging system to provide callers with queue position information and acknowledgement of delays, and explore whether additional staffing resources might help reduce wait times. When the call was eventually answered, there was no acknowledgement of the significant delay we had experienced. I had contacted the practice to follow up on an important administrative document that was expected to be submitted following a recent event. I was informed that the relevant staff member would not be available for several days, which meant further delay in resolving the matter. When I called back on a subsequent occasion, the document still had not been processed. This situation has left me concerned about how the matter will progress. I should note that I am not a local resident.

Long phone queues make appointments difficult

I have experienced lengthy wait times when attempting to reach the practice by telephone, which has occurred on multiple occasions. This has been frustrating and disappointing.

Reception staff made it hard to get through

I was very disappointed with my experience at this surgery. The reception staff came across as unhelpful and unwelcoming. Getting through by phone proved extremely difficult, taking well over an hour of attempts, and when contact was finally made, the staff determined whether a GP appointment would be granted. I found one particular male member of the reception team to be particularly discourteous. Overall, I felt the surgery's standards and service quality have declined significantly. I believe the practice leadership would be concerned about how things are currently being managed. I would caution prospective patients about registering, as the practice appears to have restrictions on transferring away once you have joined.

Reception staff dismissive about appointment availability

The service requires improvement and would benefit from stronger management to better organise scheduling and handle patient capacity more effectively, moving away from an approach that feels exclusionary.

Long-term patient finds surgery reliable

I have been a patient at this practice for over two decades and have found it to be very satisfactory.

Struggled to get appointment when needed most

It is very difficult to obtain an appointment at this practice. Despite raising concerns about my health on multiple occasions, I was referred elsewhere rather than being seen. I have decided to switch to a different GP surgery.

Long phone waits and dismissive reception staff

Calling the practice results in lengthy wait times before anyone picks up. The phone line keeps you on hold for extended periods. When speaking with reception staff, the interaction felt dismissive and unprofessional. Upon raising concerns, the response was indifferent rather than helpful. These issues with the phone service and customer care would benefit from improvement.

Phone queue made cancellation impossible

I have been attempting to reach the reception team for an extended period simply to cancel an appointment, with repeated calls going unanswered throughout. This experience was extremely frustrating and disappointing.

Paramedic arrived same day when needed

Excellent service. A paramedic was dispatched the same day for my spouse, emergency support arrived a couple of hours later, and necessary equipment was delivered the following morning. Well done. Thank you.

Reception staff were quite rude

The staff were quite impolite. I was very disappointed by the manner in which I was treated.

Long phone waits making appointments difficult

I have been waiting on hold for an extended period this morning while attempting to book an appointment. This experience falls short of expectations. It appears the practice may be struggling to manage its current patient load, and taking on additional patients from outside the local area seems to be adding further strain. This situation feels unsatisfactory.

Impossible to get through by phone

It is difficult to reach the practice by telephone.