Tong Medical Practice

Long wait for mental health referral support

Absolutely disappointing. Have been waiting for mental health support since August. Multiple errors have occurred. Appointments have been scheduled that turned out to be unnecessary upon arrival. There are numerous other issues. Would not recommend this practice.

Receptionists went out of their way to help

I have no complaints about this practice. I've been a patient here for a year and don't require frequent appointments, but whenever I do need to visit, everything has gone smoothly. The staff members are always helpful and make an effort to assist patients. I'm very pleased with my decision to switch to this practice.

Reception left us standing with no help or apology

Attended an appointment at the scheduled time, but received a notification from the surgery an hour later stating the appointment had been missed, despite still being present in the building. Upon approaching the reception desk to clarify the situation, staff indicated they would investigate the issue. After waiting approximately ten minutes with no further assistance or updates provided, it became necessary to ring the bell outside to request a complaint form. When submitting the form, the receptionist's response suggested a lack of personal accountability and offered no resolution to the matter. The experience was distressing, resulting in upset and a decision not to return to this practice. The handling of the situation felt dismissive and unhelpful. As a result, registration with an alternative provider is now being pursued. The overall experience fell significantly short of expectations.

Long phone queues and missed appointment calls

I would recommend considering alternative healthcare providers. When I called early in the morning, it took approximately half an hour to secure an appointment. I kept my phone available throughout the process, but I missed the incoming call during a brief absence. According to the practice's stated procedures, I should have received a follow-up call, which did not materialise. Upon calling back to reschedule, I was informed the clinician had already finished for the day. As I was experiencing discomfort, I requested that another clinician contact me, but the receptionist's response felt dismissive and unhelpful. My interactions with the reception team left me feeling frustrated and undervalued as a patient. The overall experience was disappointing, and I would suggest exploring other options for your healthcare needs.

Long wait for appointment callback after consultation

I phoned at opening time and managed to speak with a clinician who called me back. Following our conversation, I was informed that the reception team would contact me to arrange an appointment. However, I didn't receive a call for several hours. When I rang back to follow up, I was advised that the earliest available appointment would be approximately a week away. I explained that the clinician had given the impression that I needed to be seen urgently. The reception staff said they would get back to me, but I'm still awaiting that callback.

Reception staff found the letter when I called

Extremely poor standard of care. A specialist sent correspondence to this practice years ago requesting ongoing monitoring, yet this was not carried out for an extended period. Subsequently, I was diagnosed with a serious health condition that should have been monitored during that time. More recently, a clinician at the practice acknowledged during a phone call that the recommended monitoring had not taken place. Following a subsequent hospital procedure, the hospital sent instructions for medication to be prescribed. Concerned about whether the practice would act on this, I contacted the surgery two weeks later. The receptionist located the letter and indicated it would be forwarded to a clinician. Had I not followed up proactively, it appears the instruction may not have been actioned. Overall, this practice appears to be poorly organised and this raises serious concerns about patient safety and the quality of care provided.

Phone booking system doesn't consider working patients

The practice felt quite distant from patient needs. While the telephone team were courteous, they appeared limited in their ability to arrange appointments flexibly. I was advised to take time away from work despite offering specific time windows for a callback. There seemed to be little consideration for those who cannot afford to lose a day's earnings.

Phone lines consistently unavailable throughout the day

Called at 10:00am on a Wednesday simply to request a review of my repeat prescription. The automated system indicated to contact the surgery during business hours. Attempted to reach the practice six additional times throughout the day with the same result. This practice should reflect seriously on its accessibility. Previously, when attempting to arrange an appointment, I began calling at 8:00am and encountered continuous engaged tones, with calls either disconnecting or ringing without answer. After persisting for approximately an hour, I eventually connected and was advised no appointments were available and to try the following day. Making these calls during work hours creates difficulties with my employer. The practice was previously of a high standard but appears to have declined significantly. I also made multiple attempts to contact them over subsequent weeks. On one occasion, I reached position 31 in the queue, waited roughly thirty minutes until reaching position 4, at which point the call disconnected. I am unable to continue spending this amount of time attempting to reach the surgery.

Callback queue option beats endless phone waiting

I'm really pleased I made the switch to my new practice and left my previous surgery. When you call to book appointments at my current surgery, you have the option to end the call and they'll keep you in the queue and ring you back so you're not waiting on the phone indefinitely. I can always get a face-to-face appointment when I need one, and the receptionists don't make it difficult. I hadn't had a face-to-face consultation since before the pandemic at my old surgery, only telephone appointments. The staff here are polite, friendly, approachable and don't make you feel like you're bothering them the way staff at my previous practice did. The clinicians make you feel valued and heard. There's no restriction on discussing multiple concerns in one appointment either. It's a completely different experience from what I had before. I'd been registered at my old practice for many years and I'm disappointed by how it's being managed now and the reception team's attitude. Given my background in practice management, I struggle to understand how they received their rating. I would give one star only because a rating is required to submit feedback.

Staff were helpful and friendly

The team here demonstrated a helpful and friendly approach to patient care.

Promised callbacks never arrived, referral stalled

I have been pursuing a referral for movement-related concerns that resulted in a recent head injury. The referral process began in autumn. I received no initial guidance and only discovered in winter, following my head injury incident, that I was expected to coordinate the referral myself. I had been provided with an appointment scheduling contact who had no knowledge of my case. My attempts to contact the practice managing the expedited referral have been unsuccessful. I have requested assistance from my current practice on multiple occasions and have been repeatedly assured of return calls that did not materialise. The experience has been marked by inadequate information sharing, resulting in unacceptable wait times and what appears to be insufficient priority given to a matter involving head injuries. I have found this transition unsatisfactory compared to my previous healthcare provider and am unable to return to them. I intend to raise my concerns formally with the practice management.

Felt dismissed and not properly listened to

This has been the most disappointing general practice experience I have encountered. The clinical staff seemed dismissive of my concerns and left me feeling unheard and frustrated.

Phone calls not returned when promised

Extremely disappointing experience. I attempted to contact the practice multiple times over recent days without receiving any assistance. I was informed that a clinician would call me back this morning to address my medication concerns, but this call never materialised. It appears that staff members are unwilling to provide support or fulfil their responsibilities.

Reception staff were dismissive when calling in

The practice has not met my expectations. I have attempted to contact them on numerous occasions and found the reception experience to be frustrating and unhelpful. Despite being a long-standing patient, I feel the quality of service has declined significantly. Appointment availability appears limited and when calling, I have experienced long wait times before being connected, with calls being disconnected before I could fully explain my needs. I would not recommend this practice based on my experience.

Phone lines left ringing without answer

The staff members displayed an unwelcoming and dismissive attitude from the initial interaction. Additionally, when attempting to contact the practice by telephone to arrange an appointment, calls went unanswered for extended periods, resulting in lengthy wait times without a response.

Rude staff and impossible to book appointments

This practice has not met my expectations. I experienced unhelpful interactions with staff members, encountered issues with appointment scheduling and communication, and found it very difficult to secure an appointment when needed.

Reception staff could be more respectful

The reception team's demeanor was unwelcoming and dismissive. While one member of the reception staff demonstrated courtesy and professionalism, the others came across as impolite. The overall quality of service appears to have declined noticeably over recent years.

Friendly reception staff made the visit pleasant

Many thanks to the doctor and all the nursing and reception staff. All the best...

Left feeling unheard and dismissed

Disappointing experience with poor service and unprofessional conduct from clinical staff. Left feeling upset and embarrassed by the interaction.

Couldn't get through on the phone line

I have been attempting to reach the practice since early morning, making well over one hundred calls. The line has consistently been busy and calls have been dropping. I am very concerned about what might be causing these persistent connection issues.