The Chestnuts Surgery

Couldn't get through on the phone

Disappointing experience

Friendly professionals who really listen

Chestnut Surgery and all of the medical professionals and staff members there represent the highest standard of care you could hope for. They demonstrate professionalism throughout and genuinely go the extra mile to provide treatment and support.

Reception staff helpful with booking appointment

I had to wait a little while for my appointment as it wasn't urgent but definitely worth the wait. The clinician didn't rush me at all. They were extremely knowledgeable and I came out feeling so positive. Brilliant healthcare professional. I also found the reception staff very helpful when booking my appointment.

Quick appointment with friendly staff and clean facilities

The appointment for the vaccination was prompt with minimal waiting time. The team were welcoming and approachable. The premises were well-maintained and hygienic.

Long phone queues make appointments nearly impossible

I found the service quite disappointing overall. Getting an appointment within a reasonable timeframe proved very difficult, and I experienced lengthy waits in the phone queue despite being relatively early in the call order. Following the reception team's advice to ring at opening time didn't help—the lines were so congested that I waited for hours without getting through, and the call dropped several times due to the volume of incoming calls. While I don't necessarily require a doctor's appointment for everything, I do need one to obtain my medication, which creates a frustrating situation. It would be beneficial if the practice offered telephone consultations with clinicians, as this could significantly reduce waiting times. Additionally, I had a difficult personal experience when discussing mental health concerns with a member of the clinical team for the first time. Rather than identify them specifically, I'd simply suggest that prospective patients carefully consider whether this practice is the right fit and conduct thorough research before choosing to register here.

Long waits and disappointing post-natal care experience

Since relocating from London, I have found this practice to be extremely disappointing. Appointment waiting times are consistently lengthy, often exceeding an hour. My recent postnatal appointment was particularly unsatisfactory, with the overall service falling well short of my expectations.

Rushed appointment left daughter feeling worse

Disappointing experience. My daughter gathered considerable courage to discuss her ongoing concerns. I attended at her request to provide support and help her remember important points. The clinician emphasised the appointment time limit repeatedly and, in my view, seemed keen to refer the matter to another department without engaging in meaningful dialogue. There appeared to be little opportunity for discussion about potential alternatives or guidance, as the time constraint was mentioned frequently. As someone present to support my daughter, I observed that she felt significantly worse leaving the appointment than when she arrived. I would suggest considering other options if available.

Phone queues make getting appointments nearly impossible

I have been attempting to contact the surgery daily during morning hours on weekdays for over a month to secure an appointment, but have been unsuccessful despite waiting in the queue for extended periods each time. I have a concerning growth that is progressively enlarging and requires urgent medical attention. I attended an urgent care centre where I was assessed and provided with documentation recommending an expedited appointment at the surgery. However, when I presented this letter, I was only offered a booking for a considerably later date, and was advised that if I needed an earlier slot I would need to continue calling at the same time each morning. The appointment system feels inadequate for patients with potentially serious health concerns who cannot afford to wait indefinitely. I am very dissatisfied with my experience at this practice, as the process appears inefficient and unhelpful. It seems counterproductive to ask patients to describe their symptoms over the phone only to be told no appointments are available. The overall service has been disappointing.

No follow-up after multiple consultations

My partner has attended two consultations and has not received any follow-up communication regarding the outcomes.

Impossible to book appointments by phone

Challenging experience at this surgery I found it difficult to secure an appointment with a GP. The online booking system was not accessible to me, and telephone appointments could only be arranged by calling at 8am. When I attempted to call at other times, I was unable to book. On one occasion, I experienced a lengthy wait on the telephone, exceeding thirty minutes, only to be informed that no appointments were available that day due to the schedule being full. ***Reply to patient feedback below: I was disappointed by the response provided. I felt my account of the waiting time was not acknowledged, and I believe my experience was not fairly represented. I maintain that the wait I experienced was substantial, and I found this response unsatisfactory. I would appreciate if my feedback were taken more seriously in future interactions.

Reception staff were dismissive and unkind

I recently had an interaction that left me feeling very upset and distressed. As a vulnerable person who was dealing with a lost medication situation, I found the experience to be unkind and unhelpful. I felt the person I spoke with was condescending and dismissive of my concerns and emotional state. I dispute any suggestion that I was verbally aggressive, as this was not the case. I felt there was a lack of compassion and consideration for my wellbeing during what was already a difficult time for me. The care I received did not meet the standard I would expect, and I believe more responsibility should be taken for how this situation was handled.

Felt unheard and dismissed during appointment

I attended an appointment with a nurse and felt that my concerns were not properly heard. During the consultation, I was asked to be quiet in a manner that felt abrupt while I was attempting to discuss my health matters. I perceived the interaction as dismissive and lacking in compassion. I left the surgery feeling worse than when I arrived, and this experience has made me hesitant about booking another appointment.

Dismissed my concerns without proper examination

A member of staff suggested over-the-counter pain relief and stretching exercises when I described my ongoing arm concerns. Two years later, I have experienced significant deterioration in my hand function. I feel this initial response did not adequately address the seriousness of my condition.

Impossible to get appointments when you need them

This practice has been disappointing in our experience. We only attend when absolutely necessary. My partner has been experiencing significant discomfort for several weeks while attempting to secure an appointment. The swelling and mobility issues have been distressing, and we have sought private healthcare support as well as emergency care, with all providers recommending GP involvement. However, the practice currently appears to only accommodate emergency cases when booking appointments. The referral system creates a frustrating situation where specialist care requires GP authorization, yet obtaining GP appointments proves extremely difficult. The staff interactions have felt unhelpful, and the overall service quality has been concerning. We have serious reservations about the standard of care provided. The service issues persisted during a recent contact attempt. Update: The underlying condition ultimately required hospital treatment and multiple surgical interventions at different facilities to address a serious infection that had not been identified earlier. We have since transferred to another practice due to our dissatisfaction with the care received. We hope others do not experience similar difficulties with service provision.

Couldn't get an appointment when needed

It is extremely difficult to secure an appointment at this practice. Despite being directed to an emergency slot through another service, who assured me that urgent appointments would be held available for such referrals, I subsequently received a call from the surgery informing me that I would need to attend an alternative walk-in facility instead. This was very disappointing.

Repeat prescriptions delayed despite multiple requests

My parents have been attending this surgery for many decades. Unfortunately, the standard of care has noticeably declined in recent times. Getting through to the practice is difficult, securing appointments at convenient times proves challenging, and most concerning is the difficulty in obtaining repeat prescriptions. My mother has been waiting considerably longer than expected for her prescription to be processed, with the supply set to deplete imminently. Despite multiple contact attempts and visiting reception in person, authorisation had not been granted by late Friday afternoon. At her age, this situation has caused her considerable stress and anxiety. Medication management should be handled promptly and reliably. This experience has been deeply unsatisfactory. Following this initial issue, the prescription remained unsigned and I was forced to contact the out-of-hours service to obtain an emergency short-term supply on Saturday morning. The handling of this matter by the practice has been extremely disappointing. It remains unclear when my mother will receive her regular prescription.

Kept passing me to someone else when I needed help

I experience a neurological condition that has recently become more distressing, with symptoms that feel overwhelming. I'm a 31-year-old male, and despite considering myself resilient, I have contacted this practice three times over the past two years during serious episodes when I've felt mentally exhausted. All I'm seeking is reassurance and support from a healthcare professional, but on three separate occasions I have felt dismissed and redirected elsewhere. It feels deeply disheartening to reach out for help in this way, and I don't feel confident doing so again.

Booking appointments feels impossible and stressful

I seldom visit my practice, typically only once annually, but in recent times the experience has become increasingly frustrating and anxiety-inducing, particularly around the process of securing an appointment. Once more today, there are no available slots for the next three weeks, and to access anything sooner requires calling on the actual day needed. This is problematic when I'm at work. Alternatively, I would need to ask someone else to make the call for me during their working hours, with no certainty that an appointment would even be secured. This feels wholly inadequate.

Communication made all the difference here

Updated. Thank you very much. The issue has been resolved. All that was required was better dialogue between parties.

Quick phone queue and genuinely helpful staff

Throughout the past year, I have had occasion to contact the practice regarding various matters of differing importance, and on each occasion I have been met with compassion, professionalism and the support I required. When I called today, I was able to reach a member of the reception team within 15 minutes, and they demonstrated the same helpfulness and commitment to assisting me. My overall experience during this period has consistently been positive. The practice is currently managing some operational challenges, yet these have not diminished their ability to treat patients with care and consideration or their dedication to providing quality assistance. I am very impressed.