St. Anthony's Health Centre

Staff were helpful and responsive

I have had a positive experience at this GP practice, as the staff members have been quite helpful.

Reception staff made registration quick and easy

We recently relocated to this neighbourhood and had some reservations after reviewing feedback about this practice. However, given the convenient location near our home, we decided to register anyway, and the experience has been excellent. The reception team are warm and welcoming, and all staff have demonstrated genuine friendliness and support. The registration process was completed within days rather than an extended timeframe. This morning, I attended an appointment with a clinician who was exceptionally caring and attentive throughout. I'm very pleased with our decision to register here. I would happily recommend this practice to others in the area.

Told to call back when more stable

If you prefer to be advised to schedule a follow-up appointment once your situation has improved, this practice may be suitable for you.

Staff seemed irritated by my callback

The staff members seemed unhappy during my interaction. I got the impression that I had frustrated someone by making a follow-up call. The matter felt unnecessary since I was simply verifying my contact details, which remained the same as before and had already been confirmed through a previous text message several days earlier.

Reception staff seemed unwelcoming and unfriendly

The reception team appeared unwelcoming and lacked friendliness during my visit. There were no greetings, smiles, or courteous acknowledgements. I was disappointed by the overall demeanor and attitude displayed. The lack of warmth from staff members raises concerns about the direction and quality of service at this practice.

Long phone queues make appointments difficult

The practice appears to be declining in quality, particularly regarding telephone accessibility. The waiting times when calling are excessive, and the priority system they advertise does not seem to reflect the actual experience.

New doctors taking time to settle in

The practice appears to have undergone significant staffing changes. I initially felt uncertain about the new team, though I recognise this may not be entirely fair. The administrative and nursing staff have been helpful and welcoming. I'm still in the process of building familiarity with the clinical staff.

Friendly staff who really listened to me

The staff at this practice are pleasant and demonstrate genuine care, making for a lovely experience.

Practice removed me for moving out of area

I had been with this practice for several years while living in one area, and when I relocated to a different neighbourhood in 2021, I updated my address with them within a week of moving. I was due for my annual health check and needed to collect a prescription when I received notification from the practice stating I could no longer remain registered as I had moved outside their catchment area. I subsequently had to find alternative healthcare provision, which was manageable. However, I found it notable that my spouse, who had also relocated to the same address, remained registered with the practice. This inconsistency left me with a poor impression of how the practice manages their patient registrations.

Couldn't get through on the phone line

Experienced significant difficulty reaching the practice by telephone, with extended wait times that made it impractical to remain on the line.

Hard to reach reception staff and long waits

This practice was previously of a good standard. However, the quality has declined noticeably in recent times. I manage a chronic condition and previously received an annual review to monitor my health, but this service has not been provided since. Following the pandemic, obtaining an appointment has become increasingly difficult, with minimal availability. I previously had routine blood work completed at the practice but now attend an alternative facility where I can access this service promptly, rather than experiencing delays of several weeks. The reception team appears unwilling to provide assistance when calling, and getting through is challenging. My wife attempted to contact the practice recently and waited in the queue for an extended period without being connected. I find this level of service disappointing and feel it reflects poorly on general practice provision overall.

Reception phone queue left me frustrated

Since a particular clinician departed, this practice has felt like one of the worst I've attended. The reception team's approach is frustrating. When I called in distress, I was advised to ring back in a couple of days to establish whether any action would be taken. I received conflicting guidance about pain relief medication—being discouraged from using it one week, then questioned about my reluctance to take it the following week by the same clinician. The overall experience has been disappointing and I've decided to register elsewhere. I believe the standard of care here is concerning and may have caused harm to other patients. The reception staff's handling of enquiries feels dismissive, and the approach to medication management appears careless and inconsistent.

Reception staff gatekeeping access to doctors

The reception team at this practice appears to lack professionalism. They seem reluctant to forward patient concerns to clinical staff if they don't believe the issue warrants attention, and they have booked appointments with alternative staff members despite explicit requests for a specific type of appointment. The manner in which these decisions are communicated comes across as dismissive and condescending. The reception role should be limited to scheduling appointments and relaying messages to appropriate staff members, rather than making judgements about the validity of patient concerns.

Repeated test mix-ups left me without answers

My previous assessment of this practice was highly positive, but the situation has changed significantly in recent months, and I feel it is now falling short of its former standards. Over the past few months, I have experienced multiple issues with blood test management. Two tests appear to have been lost in the system, and when I returned for a third attempt, I endured a lengthy wait of over 70 minutes, only to be informed weeks later that the receiving laboratory was unable to process that particular test. The practice did not acknowledge responsibility for these failures, leaving me frustrated and without clear answers. I attended for additional blood work, and received notification two days later indicating that my results were satisfactory and no further testing was required. Given the previous problems, I called to verify this information and discovered that the results had not actually been received at that point. This felt misleading to me. Beyond the ethical concerns this raises, the experience has genuinely impacted my wellbeing. Being told everything was fine, only to have that reassurance withdrawn, was distressing. I raised these concerns with the management team, who expressed regret but did not propose any concrete improvements, and the issues have unfortunately persisted. These recurring problems, along with various other minor difficulties, leave patients feeling powerless and unsupported. The practice needs to implement meaningful changes, enhance its communication systems, and establish proper verification procedures before sharing information with patients. As someone working within healthcare myself, I understand that maintaining patient confidence is essential. I would urge the practice to recommit to the quality of care it once consistently delivered.

Practice ignored repeated complaints about missed treatment

After making multiple complaints and not receiving the care that was arranged by a specialist, I spoke with management but felt the situation was not adequately resolved. I was disappointed to be told that if I was unhappy, I should consider changing practices. As a result, I have moved to a different GP surgery, and my family member has done the same. I feel this practice reflects poorly on the NHS. Repeated issues with appointments and care arrangements suggest a pattern rather than isolated mistakes. I experienced gaps in my ongoing monitoring that I felt should have been more frequent, and I did not feel my concerns were prioritised. I would advise others to carefully consider their options if continuity and attentiveness to care are important to them.

Felt truly listened to and supported

The GP at this practice is outstanding and I cannot emphasise enough how much they have helped me and gone above and beyond in order to access the correct medical treatment I needed. Thank you so much for the excellent care provided.

Got my referral sorted without the usual hassle

The medical professionals here have been excellent, and I was impressed by their ability to arrange complex referrals that are typically difficult to obtain.

Reception dismissive about pain relief concerns

The GP practice has not been providing adequate support for my partner's situation. Following abdominal procedures with further surgery planned, she contacted the practice regarding pain management but felt the response was insufficient. When she attended an in-person appointment to discuss pain relief, she was advised to take paracetamol despite experiencing significant discomfort. This has resulted in repeated visits to the emergency department for pain management. I have also experienced difficulties obtaining help for a back injury sustained in an accident, which causes considerable pain and mobility issues. When I contacted the practice, I received similar advice to take paracetamol, which has not addressed the underlying problem. I am very dissatisfied with the level of care provided and intend to lodge a formal complaint. I am actively seeking alternative GP services that can offer more comprehensive support for both my partner's condition and my own health concerns.

Online booking system makes appointments straightforward

I only ever really review food places or shops but I felt compelled to leave a review for here too after reading some negative reviews! I absolutely recommend this health centre without a doubt. Every single healthcare provider I've had previously fail in comparison. Their online system makes it easy for people who work to get medical advice and appointments without having to phone repeatedly, though I've never had any trouble getting through on the phone either, and everyone there from reception to clinical staff are all very thorough and I have nothing but praise for everyone there. A family member developed a serious illness and moved in with me, hadn't been able to get an appointment with their own GP for over 2 weeks to find out anything about their condition or prognosis, their doctors reception team cited availability issues, despite them being very poorly and having to attend hospital a couple times because they were extremely unwell yet their health wasn't prioritised. They were in complete darkness about what their condition meant. When they moved in with me, we registered them with this health centre and two healthcare professionals did a house call same day. Whilst the conversations were difficult, they were very needed and the professionals answered all of our questions and made sure we felt supported. A couple of healthcare professionals continued to attend house calls until they passed just 5 days later. The reception team worked tirelessly to get new medications prescribed the same day they moved in with me. They then moved quickly onto specialist medication management and again all sorted rapidly by this health centre. I dread to think what we would have endured at their old doctors. This health centre truly goes above and beyond - I was also sent information on counselling and mental health support as well as information about specialist bereavement services which were good to have and I hadn't considered my own health up until that point. I also recently went on honeymoon and all my travel documents were in my married name but vaccine passport was in maiden name. Whilst my existing documents were accepted on the way out of the UK, they needed to be changed whilst I was abroad before I travelled back and it gave me so much anxiety thinking I wouldn't be able to return to the UK. I contacted this health centre online from abroad, and a member of the reception team sorted it all out for me within about an hour. I've had a couple issues with my health in recent years, and I previously ignored health issues and tried to treat myself due to issues I've experienced at GP surgeries elsewhere with not only accessing appointments, but also issues with the appointments themselves. I've been to this health centre about a couple of issues and seen a practice nurse, and they actually listens to concerns and works with you to take control of your health. They don't dismiss or reject things you note about your own body. They listen and help. I'm going to be moving out of area next year and the biggest thing I'll miss about moving is my GP because of their outstanding services. Thank you to this health centre!

Friendly service that's consistently reliable

I have been a patient at this practice for a considerable time and have consistently experienced good service with a friendly approach.