The Duru Practice

Long wait times and poor communication concerns

This practice raises concerns about its operational standards and procedures. There are worries that the current approach to patient care may pose risks, and it is felt that improvements are needed to ensure patient safety going forward.

Long wait times and poor organisation here

This appears to be among the poorest performing medical practices I have encountered, and it seems that following recent circumstances, the facility has struggled to return to its previous level of service and functionality.

Felt unheard and dismissed during appointment

The clinician demonstrated a lack of empathy during the consultation and communicated in a manner that felt dismissive and disrespectful. I felt their attitude toward patients required attention from the appropriate oversight bodies.

Felt unheard during out of hours call

I'm not registered at this practice but had an out of hours appointment with a clinician. I found the interaction to be dismissive and unhelpful. The clinician seemed unwilling to listen to my concerns and appeared to dismiss what I was describing. Despite noting in my records that I wasn't experiencing pain, they still prescribed antibiotics. I felt my symptoms weren't properly examined or taken seriously, and that the clinician wasn't receptive to what I was trying to communicate about my condition.

Reception staff attitude made things worse

The receptionist's approach significantly detracted from my visit to this GP practice. I found the interaction unhelpful and felt it worsened an already difficult situation. The manner in which I was treated left me feeling worse rather than supported. I believe a change in how reception services are delivered would greatly improve the patient experience at this practice.

Couldn't get through on the phone

Extremely poor experience. The phones go unanswered and obtaining an appointment is very difficult. I would not recommend joining this practice. The service is dreadful. The reception staff were unhelpful and unpleasant to deal with.

Reception staff overstepped their authority here

The reception staff seem to overstep their role at times. I found the clinical approach dismissive and unhelpful when discussing my health concerns. I felt uncomfortable and unsupported when explaining my symptoms. I have a longstanding history of recurring throat issues documented in my medical records, yet these concerns were not taken seriously during my appointment. The clinician appeared unwilling to engage with my account of ongoing problems and seemed to favour a particular treatment approach without considering my perspective. I felt there was a lack of compassion and understanding shown during the consultation. I am disappointed with the quality of care I received and believe the experience fell short of what I would expect from a healthcare professional.

Phone queues make booking appointments impossible

Absolutely ridiculous. You will be waiting on the phone for hours and hours just to make appointments, and by the time you speak to someone there are no appointments available. The clinical staff are brilliant, but the reception team needs to be more professional and responsive—sometimes it seems like calls aren't being answered promptly. This needs to improve.

Reception staff talked over me and refused to help

I have had multiple interactions with a member of the reception team. I found them to be unhelpful, as they would interrupt during conversations and came across as discourteous. When I requested assistance with reviewing a family member's medication list, they declined to help, citing that this falls outside their remit as a non-clinical member of staff. On another occasion while waiting in the reception area, I observed a patient's phone call being transferred to speakerphone, which meant their complaint was audible to other people in the waiting room. I felt this was inappropriate. In my view, this individual does not appear well-suited to a reception role and seemed to lack the qualities of helpfulness and empathy that I would expect in this position.

Friendly reception made the visit worthwhile

The reception staff were very welcoming and I received good attention despite the busy demands on the practice during this period. I would be happy to recommend this practice to others.

Struggling to reach anyone by phone

I have been attempting to contact the practice daily starting from early morning to arrange an appointment. When calling, I encounter a recorded message indicating they are unable to take the call, which then disconnects. After finally getting through following a lengthy wait, I was informed that all available appointments had been allocated. I was subsequently provided with an alternative contact number to access another healthcare provider for a remote consultation. Upon calling this number, I was advised they were unable to assist me due to my mobility limitations. I found this reasoning puzzling given that the appointment was to be conducted remotely.

Felt genuinely listened to and well cared for

The clinician at this practice is brilliant and genuinely caring! I have complete confidence in the level of care provided, as they look after me and my entire family with great attention. Myself, my two small children, my mother and my grandmother all receive care here and we highly recommend this practice to anyone! Thank you so much to the clinician and to all the staff at the practice for consistently taking care of our health! May you be blessed and rewarded for your dedication!

Receptionist interrupted and wouldn't take simple information

I called on behalf of my brother who is currently overseas and wanted to pass along some information to his practice. The receptionist was dismissive and interrupted repeatedly without allowing me to explain the purpose of my call. She cited data protection regulations as a reason not to engage. I was attempting to provide information rather than request it—specifically, to let them know he had consulted with a medical professional abroad and obtained his usual medication, in case the practice needed to reach out to him. It seems unfortunate that the practice wouldn't want to be informed about a patient's wellbeing. I questioned whether they would accept information if it concerned a serious matter, and suggested that notes could simply record who had provided the information. The interaction felt frustrating and unhelpful. Additionally, I experienced significant wait times when trying to reach the practice on separate occasions, including being on hold for an extended period without resolution.

Long phone queue wait was frustrating

Experienced a lengthy wait while in the first position in the queue for over 45 minutes. This was not an exaggeration. I was calling on behalf of my partner. Given my background working in a healthcare setting with medical professionals, I found this waiting time to be disappointing. I would recommend raising concerns about this experience with the practice management team in writing.

Impossible to reach for urgent appointments

I discovered a concerning symptom and have been attempting to secure an appointment for more than a week. I was instructed to call at a specific early morning time, but when attempting to do so, I cannot reach anyone. On the occasions I do manage to get through, I am informed that no appointments are currently available. I am deeply troubled by this situation, as I lost a family member in April due to a serious health issue that was not identified through remote consultations alone. I question the value of being registered with a practice that appears unwilling to conduct in-person assessments with patients.

Receptionists hung up when they didn't understand

The reception team appears to lack sufficient knowledge and communication skills when dealing with patients. There have been instances where calls have been handled rudely, with the phone being put down when staff have struggled to understand the nature of enquiries. Additionally, there have been several occasions where administrative errors have occurred. Regarding the clinical care provided, there are concerns that the duty of care has not been adequately met. My mother has reported ongoing problems with both legs that have progressively worsened over an extended period, yet the primary treatment offered repeatedly was medication that did not appear to address the underlying issue. Following a period of frustration, she was eventually referred for specialist assessment, where the consultants expressed concern about the previous approach to her care. The overall standard of service at this practice appears to have declined since earlier staff members departed. There is a need for the practice to employ properly trained reception staff and clinicians who demonstrate genuine commitment to patient care.

Impossible to book appointments through morning calls

It is extremely difficult to obtain an appointment at this practice, and the situation has continued to deteriorate. I question the value of having a surgery when appointments are consistently unavailable. I have made multiple attempts to book, including calling at opening time, but each time I am told there are no slots. The practice does not appear to offer advance booking, and patients are frequently directed to use out-of-hours services instead. The practice needs to take responsibility and address these access issues, as the current system does not meet patient needs or provide an adequate service.

Impossible to book appointments by phone

I attempted to book an appointment just after 8 in the morning and found the process extremely frustrating. It seems unusual that the phone lines would be so busy at that early time. This appears to be a recurring issue whenever I try to contact the practice.

Reliable doctor who listens well

Highly satisfactory experience with reliable and dependable care.

Phone lines repeatedly cut off during calls

I called back at the requested time in the morning and encountered an automated message indicating the practice was busy and unable to take the call, which then disconnected. After multiple attempts spanning around 30 minutes, I eventually managed to get through, only to be cut off again. When I spoke with reception staff about these repeated disconnections, I was told there were no issues with the telephone lines. The staff member seemed dismissive of my concerns and indicated they were too busy to engage further. I feel frustrated that the practice receives funding to deliver services to patients, yet I'm struggling to access basic contact with the clinic. Additionally, I've been disappointed that appointments have not been offered on a face-to-face basis despite my vaccination status.