Prospect Medical Centre

Online booking system causes appointment frustration

And the award for worst GP service in the region goes to… Extraordinarily disappointing. A. Obtaining an appointment is nearly impossible. Regardless of how early you attempt to book. The online booking system should be avoided despite being promoted, as it appears to operate differently from the telephone system, which seems counterintuitive in the current era. B. If you require a letter, document or note, be prepared for a lengthy wait. Whatever deadline is provided (if one is given at all) should be anticipated to take considerably longer. Administrative staff appear to prioritise other matters rather than fulfilling their core responsibilities. C. Do not expect assistance from reception staff. The responses will invariably be: 1. Please take a seat and wait 2. Please attempt to book an appointment in the morning (though success is unlikely) 3. I'm afraid there is nothing I can assist you with D. The volume of vehicles in the car park seems disproportionate to the number of staff, which raises questions about the efficiency of operations as described. E. Should you require a referral to a specialist, the waiting period may be prohibitively long. F. Following a referral to hospital for a CT scan, the hospital indicated that GP practices cannot request this procedure. This suggests a concerning lack of clarity regarding appropriate medical procedures and referral pathways. If given the opportunity to change one thing in history, this practice's establishment would rank as a significant consideration.

Reception dismissive after emergency surgery

I recently had a significant medical procedure and informed the receptionist about it, yet when I tried to arrange a follow-up consultation, I was questioned about the necessity of speaking with a clinician. This response felt dismissive and unhelpful. In a previous attempt to access care, I spent considerable time waiting on the phone only to be told that no appointments were available with any clinician. After two weeks of trying to secure an appointment, I found the situation extremely frustrating and felt the practice was not prioritising patient access to care. The overall experience left me feeling that my concerns were not being taken seriously. Extended waiting times combined with difficulty obtaining appointments created significant stress during a period when I needed medical support. Due to my experiences with this practice, I have pursued formal complaints through appropriate channels and sought professional advice regarding my concerns. I would encourage others who have had similar experiences to explore their options through official complaint procedures and seek guidance from relevant support services.

Felt listened to during my appointment

I appreciate the care provided by the practice, particularly by one of the doctors who was excellent.

Impossible to book appointments or get responses

I would rate this practice at the lowest level possible. I have been a patient for many decades, though the past several years have been particularly disappointing. Accessing appointments has become increasingly difficult, and I have not received a response to a formal complaint I submitted. The practice sends out letters requesting that patients book appointments, yet when I have attempted to do so on multiple occasions, I have been unable to secure a slot, even for advance booking. Given these ongoing difficulties, I have decided that leaving the practice is the only viable option for me.

Felt truly listened to and cared for

The clinician I saw was excellent, demonstrating genuine care and compassion throughout my visit.

Felt mocked rather than listened to

I would rate this much lower if possible. During my appointment, rather than respectfully informing me that they were unable to assist with my concern, the clinician responded dismissively and suggested I should not have scheduled the visit in the first place. I would advise only attending this practice if there are no other options available, as the experience was quite poor.

Impossible to book appointments when you need them

I would recommend avoiding this practice. I made the decision to leave, which I am relieved about, as I should have done so much earlier. I found the care to be inadequate and concerning. Obtaining an appointment proved extremely difficult, even when I specifically requested one. Established health concerns were not properly addressed, and symptoms that appeared significant were dismissed. I experienced disagreement over test results provided by other medical professionals, which occurred months after I had left the practice. This period was particularly difficult for my health. Additionally, requests made by my specialists were not carried out. I would give a lower rating if that were possible.

Reception staff seemed dismissive of my concerns

I question whether the staff at this practice are genuinely committed to patient wellbeing.

Reception was rude during lengthy appointment delay

The experience at this practice was disappointing. I arrived five minutes early for my appointment but then waited significantly longer than expected. The reception staff seemed unhelpful when I inquired about the delay after waiting a considerable amount of time, and I was asked to continue waiting. After an extended period, I was eventually called in well past my scheduled appointment time. The clinician did not acknowledge the wait or offer an explanation for the delay, instead providing a brief comment about their activities. I felt the response was unsatisfactory given the circumstances. Following this visit, I decided to register with a different general practice. I would not recommend returning to this surgery.

Long phone queue and dismissive reception staff

I interact with GP practices and reception teams regularly through my work, and I found the staff here to be unusually discourteous. Beyond the lengthy wait time to reach someone on the phone, the manner in which I was spoken to by the reception team felt particularly unwelcoming. The experience was disappointing enough that I decided to register with a different surgery.

Front desk staff could be more welcoming

The receptionist at the front desk was quite unwelcoming. There is room for improvement in the quality of customer service provided, particularly given the straightforward nature of the role.

Reception staff were unhelpful and dismissive

The reception team at this practice does not meet the standard of service I would expect. I believe this matter warrants escalation to the appropriate regulatory body.

Impossible to get same-day appointments by phone

Extremely disappointing experience with the service provided. The centre begins operations at 8:30am, and from that point onwards calls are placed in a queue. By the time my call is answered, there are either no available appointments that day or I am offered slots several weeks in the future, which seems ineffective. It is unclear to me why there are such limited appointment slots available, and I struggle to understand what value this service provides to the community or how they assess their performance based on patient feedback. The overall experience has been frustrating, and I feel that centres operating in this manner reflect poorly on the wider healthcare system.

Phone queue drops and rude reception staff

I made an effort to call early in the morning to book an appointment, but despite calling at the designated time, I found myself quite far back in the queue. After waiting for a considerable period, the call disconnected unexpectedly. While this could be an isolated incident, it appears to be a recurring issue that has occurred multiple times previously. On the occasions when I have successfully reached the reception team, I have felt that their manner was unwelcoming, leaving me feeling uncomfortable about requesting an appointment.

Annual health checks made easy and straightforward

I have been attending for regular annual health assessments on a yearly basis for several years.

Impossible to book appointments or reach reception

I find it nearly impossible to secure an appointment at this practice. Even when an appointment is eventually arranged, it gets rescheduled without my input, with instructions to contact the surgery if this doesn't work for me—yet there's no realistic way to get through by phone. The online booking system is perpetually unavailable, which makes the whole process feel pointless. The service appears consistently inadequate across all areas, and I believe regulatory bodies should look into the standards here, as it's no surprise people resort to searching for medical information online instead. By the time I finally manage to attend an appointment, I feel I've been waiting an unreasonably long time.

Struggling to book an appointment here

It has been difficult to obtain an appointment at this practice.

Difficult to get through on the phone

Getting in touch and scheduling an appointment proved to be quite challenging and time-consuming.

Impossible to book appointments before morning

This GP practice has been frustrating to use. The appointment booking system is quite challenging to navigate. Online consultations have limited availability outside of early morning slots.

Reception staff were dismissive and unhelpful

I have had a very negative experience with the reception staff at this practice. I found the manner of the receptionist to be dismissive and unhelpful, and felt that my concerns were not being properly understood or addressed. Additionally, I was disappointed with the quality of care provided by the clinicians I consulted during my visits.