The Wells Medical Practice

Receptionists were dismissive and unhelpful

Some of the front desk staff can be quite abrupt and ask overly personal questions.

Efficient receptionists despite frustrating phone delays

I believe my GP is among the finest practitioners available locally, and the other clinicians at the practice are similarly impressive. The practice demonstrates excellent communication regarding test outcomes, maintains a competent administrative team, and provides pleasant facilities for patient visits. The reception staff are generally outstanding, displaying a commendable level of professionalism and organisation in their daily work. The main area for improvement relates to extended waiting times and occasional telephone access difficulties that have become more noticeable recently. On one occasion, after arranging an appointment through reception, I did not receive the expected call and subsequently had to ring back, only to be advised that an appointment was unavailable that day and to contact the practice again the following day, despite calling relatively early in the morning. Despite these challenges, the quality of care provided by the clinical team makes the practice well worth using.

Reception staff were dismissive and unhelpful

The reception staff member displayed a dismissive and unwelcoming demeanor towards patients, coming across as arrogant and condescending. I would not feel comfortable recommending this practice to others. I am actively looking to transfer my care to a different surgery at the earliest opportunity.

Denied access to entitled NHS services

Extremely disappointing experience. I felt prevented from obtaining the healthcare services that I believed I was entitled to access.

Staff were dismissive when I called for an appointment

The reception staff came across as dismissive and unhelpful during my interaction. I felt there was a poor attitude displayed towards patients and the conversation became confrontational. The clinic advises calling at 8:30 but the lines are not answered at that time, and when contact is finally made around 2:00, all available slots have already been allocated. This makes it extremely difficult to secure an appointment when needed. Waiting two weeks is not always feasible, particularly when urgent care is required. Accessing appointments at this practice appears to be a significant challenge. The reception team seems to spend considerable time in conversation with one another rather than attending to patient calls. If the phone lines were genuinely as overwhelmed as suggested, one would expect staff to be consistently engaged with incoming calls throughout the day.

Impossible to reach reception by phone

I reviewed this practice three months ago and regrettably the situation remains unchanged. It continues to be problematic. The service is extremely busy. Obtaining an appointment requires waiting several weeks and contacting reception is difficult. I attempted to reach them again recently and abandoned my effort after half an hour. While I recognise that clinical staff may be stretched, I struggle to understand why administrative support appears equally limited. The overall standard of care at this surgery has declined significantly. If a lower rating were available, I would use it.

Friendly doctors who take time to listen

The practice operates at a high capacity, which can occasionally make it challenging to reach them. However, we have great appreciation for the clinical staff. They are consistently approachable and maintain a professional manner. They make an effort to address your concerns thoroughly and excel at breaking down complicated health matters into understandable terms. Our family members, including our younger relatives, also have positive experiences with the practitioners there.

Waiting days for a callback that never came

I have been waiting for several days to receive a callback, and each day I have had to contact the practice to follow up as it has not materialised. I feel disappointed with how this situation has been handled. All I wanted was the opportunity to speak with a clinician about my concerns. The service appears to have changed since the practice merged with others, and I have found it increasingly difficult to access care. Based on my experience, I would suggest looking elsewhere for your healthcare needs.

Impossible to book an appointment here

The appointment booking process is frustrating. When you finally get through, there are typically no available slots, and you're advised to call back at a later time. Attempting to book at the suggested time results in lengthy waiting periods on the phone, only to be told again that no appointments are available. The clinical staff are excellent when you do manage to secure a consultation.

Phone queues make booking an appointment impossible

I would rate this practice lower if possible, but am limited to one star. Contacting the surgery by telephone proves extremely difficult, with callers facing lengthy wait times and queue announcements. As an alternative, visiting in person to arrange an appointment requires navigating parking arrangements that carry penalty charges if registration details are not properly recorded. Upon arrival, reception staff typically indicate that no appointments are currently available, or if attempting to book in advance, the appointment system appears unable to accommodate future bookings. The overall standard of care feels inadequate, with significant delays experienced when trying to secure an appointment for a pressing health concern. Based on this experience, I would recommend considering a change of practice, as access to clinical staff appears problematic and raises questions about the availability of medical professionals at this surgery.

Impossible to reach by phone anymore

I've been waiting on the phone again. This is the third occasion today that I've been kept on hold. I'm now past an hour and twenty-five minutes into this call, with no end in sight. It appears unlikely that I'll secure an appointment, and I may face another evening without receiving the care I need. The clinical staff themselves seemed adequate from what I recall, but the process of actually booking an appointment has become increasingly difficult.

Frustrating phone system needs improvement

This practice's telephone answering system appears to be among the least efficient in the local area, hopefully not the worst available.

Impossible to reach by phone for appointments

I have had significant difficulty reaching the practice by telephone. Despite multiple attempts to call within a short timeframe to arrange an appointment for my young child, I was unable to get through. This has been extremely frustrating.

Impossible to reach by phone anymore

Extremely frustrating. It appears to be very difficult to reach the practice by telephone. This situation has deteriorated significantly in recent times. If the intention is to discourage patients from making contact, this approach would certainly achieve that goal.

Long wait on the phone line today

Waited an excessive amount of time on the telephone today. It appears additional staffing resources would be beneficial.

Can't get through on the phone

Unable to reach the practice by phone. The clinical staff are excellent, but getting through to access their services remains a significant challenge.

Phone queue made booking impossible

I waited on hold for an extended period attempting to schedule an appointment, only to have the call disconnected. The online booking system was unavailable for my situation as it indicated my concern required a different approach. This experience fell significantly short of what I would expect from a general practice service.

Harder to reach since management changed

Unable to reach the practice by phone currently. Securing appointment slots has become increasingly difficult. The situation deteriorated following recent management changes. I had been a patient at this surgery for many years and was satisfied previously, but my experience has declined since then.

Hard to get through on the phone

I've scheduled three telephone consultations this week and am still awaiting contact. The initial booking process proved quite challenging, as calls were difficult to connect and would disconnect without being answered.

Getting appointments here feels impossible

I've been registered at this practice for over seven years, and despite only requiring medical attention on a few occasions, I find myself increasingly dissatisfied with the service. The main issue is the difficulty in accessing appointments and managing repeat medications, which feels unpredictable and unreliable. A few months back, I experienced severe chest pain and had to make multiple calls to reception before finally securing an appointment. I was subsequently referred for scans, which fortunately showed nothing concerning. More recently, I attempted to discuss a significant health matter with a clinician. After calling and being asked to ring back several times without resolution, I submitted an online consultation form. I received an email indicating the clinician would contact me by a specific time on a particular day, but this call never materialised. This experience has led me to decide to register elsewhere. The appointment system and communication at this practice are deeply frustrating, and I feel the overall service does not meet my expectations. Update: The promised callback never occurred, and we have since transferred to another practice.