The Central Surgery Barton

Felt ignored and unheard at appointment

What is the point of this practice? They do not seem interested in providing care. If they have clinical staff, I would question what value they are delivering for their role.

Prompt service and caring staff throughout

My spouse and I have visited this practice on multiple occasions over the past few years and have consistently received excellent service. The staff have been attentive and considerate throughout our appointments. We find it surprising to see negative feedback elsewhere, as this has not reflected our own experience whatsoever.

Easy to book appointments with new system

I've attended appointments on several occasions and found the clinician to be systematic and thorough in their approach. I've consistently been able to secure appointment slots, and the current booking system has proven to work well for my needs. The service has been excellent.

Practice has transformed into something really good

Several years ago, I left a one-star review which in retrospect was more generous than warranted. I'm uncertain what changes have taken place, but there has been a remarkable turnaround. The services provided are now of a high standard and I'm grateful to everyone who has contributed to these improvements and those currently working at the practice to deliver them.

Long wait for urgent back pain appointment

Unacceptable service, experiencing significant lower back discomfort with the earliest available appointment being over a week away. This feels inadequate given the level of pain being experienced. I expected the NHS to prioritise patient care more effectively, but the current situation suggests otherwise. The extended waiting times appear to be attributed to staffing challenges, which feels frustrating when patients are suffering and relying on timely access to healthcare.

Surgery helped when dentist wasn't available

I have been a patient at the surgery for several years, and the standard of care has been particularly excellent in recent months. When I experienced a dental issue that I was unable to address through other means, the surgery provided valuable support and assistance. The problem has since resolved, and I was able to proceed with my planned travel as a result of their help.

Clean practice with friendly reception staff

The practice maintains high standards of cleanliness and the reception team are welcoming and approachable. The waiting area feels comfortable and not excessively busy, which suggests the appointment scheduling is functioning effectively. The main challenge encountered was finding my way around the online booking system, though I recognise this may be more about becoming familiar with how it works rather than a fault with the system itself.

Impossible to book appointments through any channel

Extremely disappointing experience overall. The booking system presents significant challenges. It frequently malfunctions and availability is limited, leaving no open slots. This results in spending considerable time attempting to reach someone by phone for help. The staff seem keen to end calls quickly and move on to the next person, rather than properly resolving issues. This creates a frustrating cycle of repeatedly trying different methods—online, telephone, back to online—with no sense that anyone is genuinely working to improve the situation. Even the instructional materials provided for using the online booking system appear to be ineffective. My family member requires medical attention and I have been unable to secure an appointment or receive the necessary support. This has left me feeling extremely frustrated and let down by the service.

Repeated phone calls, no in-person appointment offered

I am writing this on behalf of my mum who is distressed this morning and experiencing significant discomfort when walking. We attempted to arrange an appointment to see a clinician but were unable to secure one and are currently awaiting a callback. She has contacted the practice on multiple occasions regarding her symptoms and feels her concerns have not been adequately addressed each time. It is difficult to properly assess physical discomfort through a telephone conversation alone. We are frustrated that my mum has not been able to obtain an in-person consultation with a doctor.

Long wait for specialist nurse appointment

I attempted to schedule an appointment with the respiratory specialist nurse today and was informed that the earliest available slot is in approximately three months' time.

Online booking made the whole process easy

I had a positive experience using the new online appointment booking system and was impressed with how straightforward it was to navigate. The follow-up communications were helpful, and I appreciated the efficiency of the referral process to see a specialist. The practice has done well to implement this service.

Staff listened and offered helpful options

I've had a couple of really positive experiences with two of the associate clinicians at this practice. Both listened carefully and presented various options to address my concerns. I suspect most feedback tends to focus on extended wait times, which I understand can be frustrating, and the challenge of meeting demand with available resources. That said, I feel these individuals are genuinely valuable to the surgery, working during what is clearly a very demanding period for the NHS.

Long waits for website appointment responses

Disappointing experience overall. The waiting times are unreasonable, and requesting an appointment through their online system results in a lengthy delay before receiving a response, often just a brief text message reply. Even when you do manage to secure an appointment, the consultation can feel dismissive, with quick prescriptions issued or referrals provided that take an exceptionally long time to progress. Typical NHS experience.

Reception team needs better phone systems

The reception team provided a disappointing experience, with instructions to repeatedly call at opening time, followed by lengthy waiting periods only to be informed that all appointments were unavailable. When attempting to book later in the day, the queue remained extremely long with many patients ahead. The practice appears to require additional clinical staff to adequately manage the volume of patients seeking care.

Reception helpful but clinical staff dismissive

This practice has been deeply disappointing. In my many years of experience, I have not encountered one quite like this. While the reception team do their best when you manage to reach them, the clinical staff approach has left me feeling frustrated and unwelcome. The overall experience has been very poor. I would not recommend this practice.

Quick callback and same-day appointment for ear issue

Called in during my lunch break with an ear concern. Received a telephone call back approximately 15 minutes later from a clinician who asked me to attend the surgery within the next 10 minutes. Was seen straight away and left with a prescription. The service was excellent and I couldn't have asked for better.

Reception made it hard to book an appointment

I have a chronic health condition. I'm unable to secure an appointment due to difficulties with the reception staff. They suggest that if my symptoms worsen, I should attend hospital instead. This leaves me feeling unsupported. I don't think this is simply a reflection of current NHS pressures—I believe the practice itself has underlying issues.

Faster contacting the coroner than getting through

It would have been faster to contact the coroner's office directly.

Couldn't get through after weeks of calling

I have been attempting to reach the practice daily for the past fortnight without success in securing an appointment. Despite multiple attempts and frequently reaching the front of the queue, I have experienced repeated disconnections during the booking process.

Phone lines constantly busy and frustrating

I have been attempting to schedule an appointment for my brother by calling first thing in the morning for the past several days, but the phone lines have consistently been unavailable. This issue needs to be addressed urgently, and I intend to lodge a formal complaint regarding this matter.