Ponteland Medical Group

Easy to book appointments when needed

I consistently manage to secure appointments within a reasonable period, and the clinical staff provide excellent care. The reception team can be variable in their service quality, though on balance this is a good practice to attend.

Appointment changed without any contact or warning

This has been the most disappointing experience I have ever had with the medical practice. A confirmed appointment was changed without any phone call or prior confirmation to ensure the new time was suitable. No attempt was made to contact me. Later, I received a letter stating that I had "missed" the appointment and wasted clinical time. To be clear: I did not waste anyone's time. The responsibility for this situation lies with the practice. It is unacceptable to alter a scheduled medical appointment without patient consent and then place the blame on the patient. This reflects extremely poor communication and administrative management. Healthcare providers should demonstrate professionalism, responsibility, and respect for patients' time. Unfortunately, this experience fell short of those standards.

Difficult to navigate the practice website

The system is difficult to navigate. I am trying to reach the medical practice. I am unable to locate the contact information.

Online consultation response was impressively quick

My elderly mother has been receiving very kind and caring support from a member of the reception team over the past few years. Today's online consultation was submitted in the late afternoon and received a prompt and considerate response within a couple of hours from a clinician. Many thanks.

Registration form lost twice, appointment denied

I submitted a registration form to join this GP practice. The first time, the form went missing and after several weeks I was informed it had been lost. I completed the form again, but subsequently when I tried to book an appointment for myself, the practice scheduled one for my child instead. This meant I was unable to get the medical attention I needed at that time, and my child's health situation deteriorated further as a result. I have found this to be a very disappointing experience with this practice.

Couldn't reach anyone by phone or app

Difficulty reaching the practice by telephone and the promoted application does not function as expected.

Phone lines won't answer your calls

Disappointing and frustrating experience with the service provided. The practice is difficult to reach by telephone and requires patients to use their online system, which results in lengthy waiting periods of up to two days for responses. Staff interactions felt unwelcoming and unhelpful. Appointment availability was limited, with a three-week wait, and I was unable to see my preferred clinician, instead being seen by a locum unfamiliar with my medical history. The overall experience has been consistently poor on multiple visits.

Waiting weeks for a vaccination appointment call

Still waiting to hear back regarding booking travel vaccinations. It has been two weeks without contact despite making multiple attempts to reach the practice. Very disappointing service experience.

Reception staff were dismissive and unhelpful

I would rate this lower than one star if possible. This has been an extremely disappointing experience. The administrative staff demonstrated a lack of professionalism, with interactions that felt dismissive and lacking in compassion.

Reception staff were genuinely kind and patient

I honestly would not be alive today without this medical practice. The care I have received has been wonderful and deeply empathetic. My recent appointment with the respiratory specialist nurse helped me understand everything I need to be doing to manage my condition. I have noticed a significant improvement in my symptoms. The reception team are kind and patient. I cannot speak highly enough of this medical centre. I am so very grateful to be registered here. Thank you so much to everyone at the practice.

Easy to book appointments when needed

I've been a patient here for several years, and I must say that I find the overall service, the reception team and the clinical staff to be excellent. I'm always able to secure an appointment when needed, and when I've requested appointments for my family members, they've consistently been accommodated the same day. I also find the online appointment system straightforward to navigate. It's unfortunate to see some negative feedback online, as my own experience has been entirely positive. I'm genuinely grateful for the care I've received.

Practice left me without medication support

I am a patient at this practice, but I am not satisfied with my experience. I feel that the care provided has been inadequate and unhelpful. I have multiple health conditions, but I have largely had to manage these myself as I have felt unsupported by the practice. I made a complaint through the appropriate channels, which I believed would be independent, but I found that the outcome favoured the practice's perspective and my concerns were not given proper consideration. I paid for my own diagnostic imaging for hip pain after initial investigations suggested a straightforward diagnosis. However, the imaging revealed additional findings that I felt warranted further discussion. When I received these results, I was not contacted to discuss them, and I felt my concerns about the severity of my symptoms were not taken seriously at the time. I have had to pursue my own follow-up care. Regarding my medication, I arranged with my pharmacy for them to request my prescriptions monthly on my behalf, which I thought would be helpful. This arrangement was agreed to in early autumn, and I received my medication that month. However, when I visited the pharmacy recently, I was informed that the practice had only authorised one month of requests rather than the ongoing arrangement I had requested. As a result, I am now without my medication. I am also due for a routine medication review around this time, but I have not been contacted about this or offered an appointment, despite requesting that the practice contact me before my medication supply runs out. This happened previously, and I had raised this concern before. I feel that this practice is not providing safe or appropriate care. I have been asked to leave a review on several occasions, and I am providing this honest account of my experience with how this practice operates.

Quick e-consult service and genuinely helpful support

The clinician at this practice has consistently been very supportive and provided valuable assistance during some challenging periods. The online consultation service operates efficiently whenever I have used it. I have found the experience to be satisfactory.

Reception staff were dismissive and unhelpful throughout

This practice has been disappointing. The reception team came across as unwelcoming. Appointments have been cancelled without prior notification, and when attempting to book a consultation, I discovered I was no longer registered as a patient. I was instructed to visit in person to collect and submit a registration form. The online booking system presents significant challenges, making it difficult to log in, which has resulted in patients arriving late for their appointments. During visits, I've observed that older patients particularly struggle with the digital system and appear to receive limited support in navigating it, which raises concerns about accessibility. Additionally, staffing levels seem insufficient to meet demand.

Quick phone answer and prompt callback service

Excellent communication this morning with the practice. The call was answered very promptly at around 9.30 am. My query was logged, stored and forwarded to the on-call clinician. I received a return call by 11am and was offered an appointment for 4.15pm. I was seen exactly on time, had the necessary tests carried out and further investigations were arranged. This was a perfect service experience. Thank you to the practice team 😊

Poor communication left me driving to four surgeries

I arrived late to my appointment due to inadequate communication from the practice staff. The receptionist mentioned the possibility of attending a Saturday clinic at an alternative location due to a week-long waiting period at the main site, though this suggestion only came after my original appointment had been cancelled as I was arriving at reception. Alternative venue options were not proactively offered and only became available after I repeatedly requested an appointment at the desk. The receptionist failed to inform me that the alternative surgery had relocated, resulting in us visiting multiple locations attempting to find the correct one. Communication proved extremely difficult as the primary care hub had no listed address and the only available contact number belonged to the main practice, which was closed on Saturday. The practice website continued to list the surgery at its previous location, and when I attended that address, staff were unable to locate my appointment details due to the venue being incorrect. They were equally unaware of the new location. After contacting NHS 111 for assistance, who were also unable to provide the correct address, my family member suggested trying the hub near the hospital, which turned out to be the right place. The practice urgently needs to update their website and communicate the relocation to patients, as others may face similar difficulties or be turned away for late arrival. The receptionist and pharmacy team at the alternative location, along with the clinician, were considerate and supportive throughout. What should have been a straightforward appointment became an extremely stressful experience, particularly difficult when already unwell. There appear to be systemic issues within the practice, whether stemming from outdated systems, poor internal communication, or other organisational problems, and these require immediate attention.

Confusing location details made finding the appointment difficult

I attended an appointment at a primary healthcare facility in the Northumbria area. The practice website indicated that out-of-area appointments were held at a different location; however, this information proved to be inaccurate and did not apply to my area. I spent considerable time driving to multiple locations attempting to find the correct venue. When I contacted NHS 111 for guidance, they were unable to provide directions to the facility. I eventually visited a local pharmacy who directed me to the correct building nearby. My daughter nearly missed her appointment as a result of this confusion. She had been experiencing health concerns for several weeks and had been unable to secure an appointment at her usual practice. During the visit, I found the clinical staff to be dismissive and the reception staff unhelpful. The appointment confirmation text message lacked a clear address or location details. Staff at the facility expressed surprise that directions had not been provided in advance. Overall, I feel the practice's service quality has declined noticeably and continues to deteriorate.

Helpful advice and straightforward booking process

Excellent service and advice received from the medical team.

Administration failures make contacting the practice exhausting

I originally left a one-star review for this medical practice six years ago, and I felt compelled to revisit it as the service quality has remained unchanged throughout this period. To be clear, my concerns do not extend to the clinical staff themselves, who are excellent. Rather, the difficulties lie with the administrative and management functions. The clinicians and nursing team are genuinely skilled, but the bureaucratic barriers one must navigate to access their care are the real problem. In straightforward terms, the administrative service provided is wholly inadequate. I have reached a point where I genuinely dread contacting the practice and actively seek to avoid doing so whenever feasible. However, my ongoing medication management requires me to contact them monthly, and these interactions are consistently problematic. There is invariably some form of complication. I frequently need to follow up on requests multiple times, only to find they were never processed. No explanation or apology has ever been offered for these failures, with staff simply stating the matter was not completed. While I could overlook an isolated incident, the repetitive nature of this pattern is entirely unacceptable. Telephoning the practice is extremely time-consuming and demanding, often requiring extended periods on hold. In my experience, waits exceeding an hour are not unusual. On one occasion, I was able to drive to the practice location while still waiting on the phone, only to find the waiting area empty with no one attending to calls. Booking an appointment presents considerable difficulty. The system operates on a first-come, first-served basis with appointments released at 08:00, which is problematic for those with non-standard working patterns such as shift workers. I have also experienced instances where an appointment was made but never entered into the system, leaving me unable to be seen when I arrived three weeks later. There have been times when I have chosen to endure my symptoms rather than attempt to contact the practice, as the process felt too burdensome. I suspect this is not an uncommon experience. I remain uncertain whether the underlying cause is poor internal coordination, operational inefficiency, or a combination of both. Currently, I have been without my medication for a month due to uncertainty within the practice regarding whether a medication review is necessary, leaving me in an unresolved situation. I recognise that errors occur and that the health service faces significant resource constraints, but the standard of administrative service falls far short of acceptable. I attempted to transfer to another practice but was informed this was not possible based on my location, leaving formal complaint as my only recourse. I hope to provide a more positive update in another six years, though I am not optimistic about this prospect.

Online booking system made appointments impossible

This has been the most disappointing medical practice I have experienced. I was sent away to observe how my condition would develop, despite attending because of significant discomfort. It seemed unclear why monitoring the symptoms was the recommended approach rather than addressing the diagnosed condition directly. The new online appointment booking system is problematic as it requires internet access, which excludes patients who do not have this capability. The practice's approach has left me dissatisfied with the service provided.