The Writtle Surgery

Phone queues make appointments impossible

The practice operates in an unprofessional manner. I was passed between different departments without clear direction, and the telephone waiting times are excessive. The callback system does not function properly. The management should take responsibility for these issues, as it places unfair pressure on the dedicated staff members employed there.

Reception staff efficient and genuinely listened to throughout

I would like to share my very positive experience at the local surgery. I came in at a busy time before Christmas for a scheduled appointment. The clinician spent time listening to my concerns and medical history, helping me feel at ease while finding a way forward with investigations and medication. An ultrasound was arranged for the following day and the results were confirmed the same day. A further blood test two weeks later was followed up on the same day it was taken. My telephone follow-up three weeks later was equally professional and compassionate as the previous interactions. I am genuinely impressed by how well I have been listened to and the quality of advice and feedback provided. I wish I could say the same about some of the specialists I have seen previously. The reception and dispensary staff at the surgery are also very efficient, always following through on their commitments. Thank you for all you do.

Easy to get appointments and always listened to

I have been extremely happy with the care and quality of treatment I have received at the surgery. I have always been able to get an appointment should I need one, usually quite quickly. The clinician I see always takes the time to really listen to my concerns, has always answered my questions with patience, and provides person-centred support during a very difficult time with my health. I never feel rushed, which is a true bonus. Their professionalism, kindness, and genuine concern put me at ease and helped me feel supported every step of the way. The entire team at the surgery have always been extremely helpful with genuine kindness, from those on reception, the nurses and of course the doctors. I also want to add that I have been under the care of a nurse at the surgery for many years and they have been a constant source of kindness and support and I enjoy my appointments. They listen, understand, and really get me, not just with my medical needs but as a person. They're human, and I truly appreciate their down-to-earth, honest, no-nonsense perspective. They're always friendly, approachable and professional, and their warmth and empathy make every appointment so much easier. An all-round brilliant person and an invaluable part of the surgery. I feel very fortunate to have them as my nurse.

Problems problems problems

I wish I had other options where I live but the next nearest surgery is the other side of town. Meanwhile in 12 months of being with this practice there has not been 1 interaction carried out either correctly or appropriately without a “mission”! It’s like things are being deliberately carried out incorrectly, I know it sounds preposterous but it literally is every single thing. And the amount of excuses is impressive but when I’m now being blamed for faulty systems (phone) and being told that nothing can be done for over 2 weeks then surely I am right to start questioning what’s going on?

Phone lines constantly unavailable and long waiting times

This practice has significant issues that need addressing. The phone lines are consistently difficult to reach, and waiting times are extremely long. The callback system does not appear to be functioning effectively. As someone with mobility limitations, I find it challenging to attend the surgery in person, and I was concerned when the pharmacy team discontinued all my long-term medications and declined to continue prescribing them, despite these being prescribed by the hospital. This resulted in a serious health deterioration, and I required emergency services to obtain my medication. The overall service has not improved and seems to be declining. During a recent visit, I was spoken to harshly by a receptionist about where to stand, which felt particularly insensitive given my visible mobility difficulties. When I called today to arrange an appointment as requested by my clinician, I was informed that appointments can only be booked ten days in advance and none are currently available. I have been told I need to call back daily to check for cancellations. This approach does not align with current expectations about appointment accessibility and places an unreasonable burden on patients to repeatedly contact the surgery.

Long phone waits but helpful staff throughout

I've consistently found the team at the surgery to be supportive and competent in their approach. Waiting times on the telephone can be lengthy at times, though both the reception staff and clinical team make genuine efforts to help. I remain very appreciative of the service provided by everyone despite the considerable demands they manage daily. My appreciation goes to all the staff members, with particular thanks to those who assisted me during my recent appointment.

Receptionists went out of their way to help

I have attended this practice multiple times over the years and have consistently found the reception team to be highly professional, courteous and welcoming. They have made genuine efforts to assist whenever needed. The clinical staff have always made themselves available for appointments, even when there have been waiting times, which is typical of most practices nowadays. In urgent situations, I have been accommodated with same-day appointments. I have only positive experiences to share about this surgery.

Helpful staff who actually listen to you

This is an excellent practice! The team members are genuinely helpful, welcoming and conduct themselves professionally. I would strongly suggest this to others. Update: I consistently experience outstanding service and assistance here. All staff members, including those at reception and clinical roles, are wonderful! Thank you for your ongoing support!

Reception didn't clarify appointment type beforehand

Disappointing experience at this surgery. I had arranged an appointment several weeks in advance, but only discovered upon checking that it was scheduled as a telephone consultation. When I contacted reception to clarify, I was informed that the appointment had actually been booked with a pharmacist rather than a GP. This information was not made apparent on the website. The receptionist then explained that the pharmacist would not have been available for the appointment regardless, as they work remotely. I was puzzled as to why this had not been communicated to me during the week or more leading up to the appointment. The staff member I spoke with indicated this was not their concern and ended the call quite abruptly after saying "okay". I found the interaction to be rather discourteous.

Phone queues make booking appointments nearly impossible

I believe it would be simpler to land a spacecraft on the moon whilst blindfolded with your hands restrained, following instructions in Chinese, than it is to secure an appointment at this practice, as whenever you call you find yourself as number 76 in the queue and you could crawl across the entire village faster than it takes for someone to pick up the phone. The question is, how challenging can it really be to employ additional staff to answer phones? These issues have persisted for quite some time with different explanations provided. A quick look at previous reviews confirms this pattern. Initially, the excuse was insufficient staffing due to the pandemic, then it became a new telephone system, and subsequently staff development requirements. Suggestion for the management team. Monitor the volume of calls received daily, then work out how many calls a single person can handle in a day. Next, divide the total daily calls by that figure and you'll determine the staffing level needed. If you require 4 people and currently have 2, this problem becomes solvable by recruiting 2 additional staff members. Problem resolved. I've just noticed I've progressed 2 positions further up the queue, which is rather encouraging. To make the waiting period more bearable, we occasionally dance in the kitchen to the background music. Should you not have experienced this, I'd recommend giving it a go as it's an excellent way to occupy the time, though it does become exhausting after an extended period.

Phone queue kept cutting me off mid-call

This surgery is the worst one I have ever attended in my 60 years. I've attempted numerous times to arrange an appointment. I was number 15 in the queue during an afternoon and requested a callback. At 5.30pm I received a text message indicating I had missed the callback. I had my phone with me throughout the afternoon. No callback was actually made to me. I tried calling the following day and found myself number 3 in the queue. I was hopeful, but after 25 minutes the call was disconnected, which was disappointing. I had booked online three months in advance previously and the appointment was cancelled the day before. I visited the surgery in person to schedule an appointment and was informed by the receptionist, who was not particularly courteous, that I would need to wait for the clinician to contact me. I work in a healthcare setting and have observed that patients attending emergency services often reflect the quality of primary care services they receive. However, this surgery appears to be particularly problematic. Based on other reviews, I understand the clinical staff are genuinely considerate. I have decided to try a different practice.

Impossible to get a doctor's appointment here

Don't bother getting unwell if you reside in this area as you won't be able to access a doctor. I question how many individuals may have suffered due to the inadequate functioning of the GP service in this location.

Reception lost track of urgent medication request

My medication was discontinued, which was appropriate as I required a routine review. Upon returning from being away, I called the surgery on Monday to report that my supply had run out and was offered an appointment with a two-hour wait. The call disconnected and I was instructed to contact the surgery again. After explaining the situation, I was told to attend first thing Tuesday to see the available clinician. I arrived as requested and waited for an hour and a half, during which the receptionist indicated the clinician would call me back later that day. I remained available throughout the day but did not receive a call. When I phoned at 6pm, I was informed the clinician was occupied and would be leaving at 6.30pm. There was no record of my earlier visit or my request for an appointment. I made contact again on Wednesday and was assured my regular clinician would telephone me. It has now been two and a half days without any contact from clinical staff. Running out of this essential medication constitutes a serious medical situation with potentially significant health implications. However, the reception team's handling of this matter appeared to lack the professionalism expected in such circumstances. I am concerned that this approach to urgent matters may result in serious harm to a patient.

Receptionists made booking appointments straightforward

I have consistently found the reception team to be very supportive and efficient at arranging appointments when required for my family member. I appreciate their assistance.

Phone queues made us leave the practice

It is unfortunate that the practice fell short of expectations. The service provided was disappointing across multiple areas, from accessibility issues with phone contact to the overall standard of care received. During our time as patients, we encountered limited positive experiences with the clinical staff. We have since relocated and found our current healthcare provider to be considerably more satisfactory.

Impossible to book an appointment here

I'm giving 1 star because I cannot give zero. If you wish to experience poor healthcare, this is the place to visit. The administrative staff appear to determine how urgent your situation is, and obtaining an appointment is extremely difficult.

Communication and organisation have finally improved

Over the past year or so, I have noticed a considerable improvement at the surgery in terms of how things are communicated and organised. It appears that someone has taken decisive action to implement changes, though it is possible I have simply been fortunate in my experience. The difficult experiences I encountered previously are no longer occurring, and I hope this positive trend will be sustained. The following reflects my experience from an earlier period: I felt compelled to reduce my rating from 2 to 1, though at that time I believed a zero would have been more fitting. I spent 70 minutes waiting on hold and managed to reach 8th position in the queue, which seemed promising at first, only to have the call disconnected after what would have been another hour of waiting. This led me to consider finding an alternative surgery, as the situation felt genuinely frustrating. While I recognise that surgeries are busy and everyone has demands on their time, the standard of communication and service handling clearly needed significant improvement. This was part of a broader pattern of concerns. The systems in place appeared to be designed primarily for the surgery's convenience rather than with patients' needs in mind. I recognise that the NHS faces considerable challenges and I am not optimistic about improvement in the foreseeable future. I assume other surgeries are experiencing similar difficulties, but the recurring issues with communication have been disheartening. On multiple occasions, when I managed to get through the constant engaged signal and join a queue, the call would disconnect after around 20 minutes. This occurred repeatedly on a single morning, prompting me to contact an alternative service instead, only to be directed back to the GP. The telephone system and how it was being managed appeared to have created substantial difficulties, as evidenced by similar complaints visible on social media. It seems there may be limited solutions within the current framework, which has led me to explore private options on several occasions.

Long waits between cancelled appointments frustrate

Once more I find myself frustrated with this practice. I waited three weeks to see someone, only to have that appointment cancelled, which means I now face another two-week wait for a replacement slot. I understand that staff members are human and have their own challenges, as the receptionist pointed out, and I'm not upset about anyone being unwell. My frustration is really about the lengthy gap before I can get my next appointment.

Phone queue left me waiting too long

Experienced a lengthy phone wait of over an hour, progressing slowly through the queue before deciding to visit the surgery in person. Upon arrival, the waiting area appeared to have few patients present, yet the reception team seemed occupied with conversation rather than attending to incoming calls. This reflects an ongoing pattern of difficulty when attempting to reach the practice by telephone.

Long phone queue left me frustrated

Quite dissatisfied with my recent experience. I spent a considerable amount of time on hold while waiting to reach the front of the queue. Just as I was about to speak with someone, I received notification that the facility had closed for the day and my call was disconnected. This was frustrating and did not reflect well on the service provided to patients.