Sidney House and the Laurels

Frustrating wait leads to no medical appointment success

Trying to schedule a booking? Prepare for frustration. I was stuck on hold for nearly an hour, and when I finally got through, every single slot was already taken. Completely impossible to get an appointment.

Endless wait and frustration with customer service

Two consecutive days I've been stuck on hold for nearly an hour, and only a handful of customers were served during that time! Eventually, I had to give up. My sole purpose was to understand why I'm blocked from medication requests, with a system message stating I'm 'ineligible until December!' Driving to their location would honestly be more efficient.

Terrible service and unhelpful customer support nightmare

Absolutely unacceptable service that deserves complete closure. The staff member was incredibly discourteous and utterly unhelpful. I'm planning to escalate this to my local member of parliament. When I requested the receptionist's name, she flatly refused to provide it. Her behavior is so unprofessional that she should be immediately terminated from her position.

Exceptional surgical care when you need it most

Whenever I've required this surgical procedure, I've encountered nothing but top-tier service and exceptional care throughout my limited experiences.

Incompetent staff fail patients in medical nightmare

This establishment is a complete mockery, and they desperately need to overhaul their personnel since I'm clueless about their competence, as they consistently fail to pick up incoming calls. Moreover, their indifference is appalling when a child is seriously unwell and urgent medical attention is required - it's an absolute embarrassment.

Terrible customer service and unhelpful reception nightmare

I am utterly appalled by the abysmal service I encountered. At 13:23 today, Monday, March 21st, 2022, I contacted the office and was met with a nameless female receptionist who demonstrated an appalling lack of professionalism. Her demeanor was consistently rude, dismissive, and condescending, showing zero empathy or willingness to help. She continuously interrupted me and maintained an overall unpleasant attitude. My sole purpose was to schedule an appointment for my school-aged son, but I was flatly told that advance bookings were impossible. Instead, I am apparently required to keep my child home each morning and repeatedly call to check same-day availability—an utterly impractical approach for working parents with school commitments. The entire system is fundamentally flawed and demonstrates a complete disregard for customer convenience. I strongly recommend that the organization overhaul its booking process and provide comprehensive customer service training to its front-line staff, particularly the receptionist in question.

Exceptional healthcare in a caring hatfield peverel practice

I've just relocated to Hatfield Peverel and signed up with this medical practice, and I'm thoroughly impressed so far. They are exponentially superior to my previous healthcare provider!!!! I'm puzzled why they don't have more glowing recommendations - the entire team is exceptional (from the physician to the nursing staff to the front desk personnel) - incredibly helpful and they truly appear to be genuinely invested in patient care. My sincere appreciation 🙏🏻

Unprofessional staff destroy patient experience at clinic

Front desk staff displayed an extremely unprofessional attitude, acting condescendingly towards patients despite lacking any medical credentials. Their inappropriate questioning of personal information was completely unacceptable and inappropriate. Terry Pawley

Dedicated healthcare team serves patients with compassion

I've been a patient at this medical practice since 2006. They are truly exceptional. The staff are incredibly supportive and accommodating. When I relocated, I was worried I'd need to find a new practice, but I was pleasantly surprised. Doctors are undoubtedly swamped, and all surgeries have their challenges. We should absolutely recognize and appreciate our National Health Service and the dedicated medical professionals who tirelessly serve us. Well done indeed.

Frustrating healthcare nightmare at local medical practice

The recent period has been incredibly frustrating with this medical practice, plagued by numerous issues: impossible appointment scheduling, a completely dysfunctional website, a severe shortage of physicians, instances of misdiagnosis and contradictory medical opinions between doctors, consistent tardiness with appointments (including one that was two hours delayed), unhelpful and occasionally discourteous reception personnel, and an inflexible policy requiring entirely new appointments for even minor concerns. This practice has deteriorated significantly, a mere shadow of its past excellence, with none of the warmth and care once provided by Doctor Butcher, who genuinely made patients feel valued and well-supported. I strongly recommend that patients consider transferring to alternative medical practices, as many of us have voiced complaints without witnessing any meaningful improvements.

Frustrating phone experience with sydney house clinic

Sydney House: I attempted to schedule a doctor's consultation via phone in the morning, following their stated procedure, but was informed no slots were available that day and advised to retry the next morning at 8am. Upon attempting to call 26 times between 8:00-8:10, I encountered continuous "line busy" messages that immediately disconnected my call each time. In stark comparison, my partner reached out to their local medical practice and, while unable to secure an immediate appointment, successfully booked a slot for the following morning. We essentially made identical inquiries simultaneously.

Frustrating appointments at this struggling medical practice

I have encountered a range of experiences with this medical practice. I've been registered with the Laurels surgery at Boreham since 1999, before its merger with Sydney House at Hatfield Peveril. Initially, my encounters were generally satisfactory, and I frequently saw the same GP, with occasional alternatives when my regular doctor was unavailable. Following the merger, I've never consecutively seen the same GP, which proves quite frustrating. When test results are received, the Surgery does not proactively notify patients, justifying this by stating that concerning results will prompt a doctor's call. This approach leaves patients anxiously wondering about their health status with no information - a truly INADEQUATE practice. The Surgery's most significant weakness lies in its Appointment Booking Process. Two booking methods exist: 1. Telephone at 08:00 on the desired consultation day. 2. Online portal booking. The telephone system operates on a first-come-first-served basis, often resulting in prolonged waiting queues, disconnections, or no available appointments. Online booking similarly depends on limited time slots, quickly filling up, requiring patients to restart the process the following day at 18:00. A simple "save booking for tomorrow" option would significantly improve the system, allowing patients to queue for the next day's appointments and confirm when needed. I've questioned why reception cannot book next-available slots, with their response citing patient no-shows as the reason. My proposed solution involves a £250 booking fee, automatically charged and non-refundable for missed appointments without prior cancellation. This approach would discourage no-shows, potentially generate revenue, and improve service efficiency. While administrative challenges might arise, clear legal terms would mitigate potential disputes. Appointment scheduling represents the most challenging aspect of this Surgery's service. Paradoxically, once an appointment is secured, the actual experience is excellent - staff are courteous, the facility is clean and well-managed, and professional care is delivered.

Caring doctors let down by frustrating reception service

I've been a patient at this medical practice for some time, and the physicians are truly excellent and attentive. However, accessing their care presents challenges. The front desk staff's customer service is subpar; they seem to forget that while these inquiries might be routine for them, each patient's concern is deeply personal. Even if someone is having difficulty navigating their new administrative process, the reception team should approach each interaction with empathy and patience.

Mysterious medical messages meet wrong number

I'm growing concerned about the individual repeatedly being contacted on my home phone, as they're definitely trying to reach someone at the wrong number, who isn't even associated with this medical practice.

Efficient and caring service at the clinic

I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the entire team for their exceptional performance on Saturday, September 19th, 2020. My flu vaccination appointment was scheduled for 8:45, and I was thoroughly impressed by the impeccable service and punctuality. My sincere gratitude goes out to everyone involved. Continue maintaining this high standard of care. Absolutely outstanding work! Stay healthy and well!

Frustrating phone consultation that never materialized

Received a callback from an unidentified phone number for a scheduled telehealth consultation. Confirmed a phone appointment around 5 PM. Never received any further communication or follow-up.

Compassionate care meets patient's healthcare needs

I haven't encountered any pressing health concerns, but for my non-critical medical issue, I have absolutely no complaints about the staff or the care I've been provided.

Efficient surgery with convenient booking and parking

I've consistently found this medical practice to be excellent. Their telephone consultations serve as an effective screening method, helping patients avoid unnecessary workplace absences or travel inconveniences. The online booking system is incredibly user-friendly, allowing me to schedule appointments even the evening before, and I've successfully secured same-day slots when calling early in the morning. An additional benefit is the complimentary parking available in the Hadfelda Square car park at the back of the facility.

Terrible service with unhelpful and unresponsive staff

Scheduling an appointment here is a nightmare. I called early morning and explained to the receptionist that my son was experiencing severe swallowing difficulties and intense pain. Despite the urgency, she coldly stated he wouldn't receive a callback until 3:30 PM. How can they claim to prioritize patient care when their front desk staff seem completely disconnected? Adding insult to injury, while discussing my son's critical situation, I casually mentioned a non-urgent issue with my finger. Bizarrely, I received a callback at 3:35 PM - completely backwards and illogical. The entire interaction felt mechanical and impersonal, as if I was communicating with an unfeeling algorithm rather than a healthcare professional. Their customer service is so poor that I wish I could rate them below the minimum possible score. Absolutely frustrating and unacceptable 👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽

Heartless doctor crushes patient's hope in brief visit

I'm utterly devastated and frustrated today, as this situation has been deteriorating for quite some time, but today I reached my breaking point and left in tears.... After patiently waiting three weeks for my appointment and then sitting in the waiting room for 25 minutes, I finally saw the doctor, who seemed completely disinterested. When I mentioned I had multiple issues to discuss, she abruptly stated she only had 5 minutes for me and couldn't spend more time because it wouldn't be fair to other patients waiting for phone consultations. I was stunned - after all this waiting, I was being rushed and dismissed. She even noticed my emotional distress and casually muttered something about stress and depression, which felt incredibly insensitive. Not surprisingly, I felt completely overwhelmed. I left feeling utterly defeated, declaring the entire encounter a total waste of my time...