Urmston Group Practice

Reception staff are genuinely kind and helpful

I genuinely appreciate this GP practice. Many people seem to voice concerns about the reception staff, but in my experience they've always been courteous, approachable and clearly knowledgeable about their role. The practice has excellent clinicians overall, though there is a small number—perhaps one or two—who you'd be unfortunate enough to encounter. These individuals can come across as inattentive, dismissive and unhelpful. However, once you identify which practitioners to avoid and connect with one of the many caring and engaged clinicians available, your experience improves significantly. Over the past month I've had several appointments during a challenging period, and the support has been consistently helpful and reassuring. I left one appointment feeling genuinely grateful and uplifted by the care I received. I rarely write reviews, but I was curious about others' feedback and found myself quite surprised by what I read. The urgent appointment system has improved considerably from the previous arrangement requiring early morning online registration. Now you can ring between 8am and around noon, after which the team triages all same-day requests according to clinical priority. This feels fairer as you don't need to be first to call—just have a genuine urgent need. Routine appointments have also become more accessible, with typical waits around 14 days, which is reasonable for non-urgent matters. The extended evening appointment slots, such as those at 19:30, are a valuable addition and genuinely convenient. The main limitation is that the pharmacy downstairs closes during these times, meaning prescriptions would need to be collected the following morning. Overall, this is a strong practice with only a handful of shortcomings.

Staff were helpful and appointments came through quickly

I have consistently found the team to be accommodating and supportive. I am regularly able to secure an appointment either on the day I contact them or the following day.

Efficient NHS service despite resource constraints

Excellent service, as always dealing with the typical resource constraints faced by NHS facilities. Would recommend. P.S. It's best to avoid bringing minor matters to their attention.

Reception staff unhelpful and dismissive

Completely unhelpful experience. The reception staff came across as unwelcoming and unhelpful. They seemed unwilling to assist and instead directed me to use the website or suggested calling back at another time. It was frustrating to feel like my query wasn't being properly addressed.

Reception didn't help when check-in went wrong

I attended to collect my elderly relative who has vision-related health conditions. She had been waiting for half an hour before establishing that her scheduled appointment had already taken place. It appeared that the check-in process had not been completed properly, and the appointment slot had passed. I suggested she confirm her arrival at reception in future, though this was raised in front of staff. Despite her vision difficulties, it seems this approach may not be feasible for her. I'm uncertain what alternative steps she should take, or how the process would work for someone with more significant sight loss. The situation was very disappointing, and my relative felt so uncomfortable about what happened that she has decided not to attend any further appointments.

Long waits without advance notice to vulnerable patients

My experience has been positive until recently. I attended a scheduled appointment only to discover there was a significant delay. Given that my child has additional needs and finds waiting challenging, I felt the practice could have managed the situation better. A courtesy call to suggest arriving later would have been helpful and would have reduced the time spent in a crowded waiting area. I was disappointed that this consideration wasn't offered, as it would have supported my child's wellbeing. The clinical staff have always been excellent when we've been seen, but I feel the reception experience fell short of the standard of care I would expect.

Helpful practice with efficient group setup

Supportive and aligned with what one would anticipate from a contemporary group medical practice.

Phone booking was quick and helpful

I called this morning to arrange an appointment for my brother. The receptionist who assisted me was very helpful and efficiently handled everything I needed.

Receptionist unhelpful when seeking flu jab advice

I reached out regarding my annual flu vaccination after being advised by the practice that it was necessary due to my respiratory condition. The only available appointment was on a date when I was away. When I called to discuss this, the receptionist suggested I contact a pharmacy instead, though no specific recommendations or locations were provided. I felt the response lacked support, leaving me to navigate alternative options independently despite being told the vaccination was important for my health.

Reception staff made booking appointments difficult

The receptionist's manner was quite unwelcoming. It's unclear what might be causing this, though it seemed as though patients were being discouraged from seeking help. The online appointment request system is advertised as available from 8am until noon, yet it became unavailable shortly after 8am. This wasn't an issue previously. Booking a telephone consultation resulted in a wait of approximately a month. The clinical staff members were pleasant, though only if one managed to successfully arrange an appointment after navigating the initial reception experience. A single team member's conduct can significantly impact how an entire practice is perceived. This experience exemplified both the best and worst aspects of the service.

Long waits for doctor appointments, nurse calls instead

This practice has declined in quality over time. When I contacted them to arrange an appointment with a clinician, the earliest available slot offered was several weeks away with a healthcare professional. I had assumed this would be an in-person consultation, but I later discovered it would be conducted by telephone instead. I have been experiencing significant discomfort in my leg for an extended period, which I felt needed to be addressed.

Prompt response and genuine care throughout

From my initial phone call which was answered in a timely manner following my request for a callback, to the receptionist who welcomed me into the surgery for my appointment, and through to the clinician's attentiveness and compassionate approach, I have only positive things to say about my experience during my visit today.

Online system ignored in favour of phone calls

My confidence in this practice has diminished over time. I utilise the online consultation system as recommended and specifically request a response from a particular clinician, preferably by email, as my work commitments make it difficult to take calls. However, I received an unanswered call followed by no further contact. It seems counterintuitive to offer an online system when the primary method of response remains telephone-based. This approach doesn't accommodate patients who are unable to receive calls during business hours. My enquiry was straightforward and would have been appropriately addressed through email correspondence. I'm concerned that if I'm unable to answer another call, my request may be closed without resolution.

Can't get through on the phone line

The practice is performing well at present, though I have been experiencing difficulty reaching the surgery by telephone recently.

Reception staff made appointment difficult

I found this practice disappointing based on the low ratings. The clinical staff did not meet my expectations, and I would consider them among the less effective practitioners I have encountered. The reception team seemed dismissive of my concerns, appearing disengaged from behind their desk and offering unhelpful explanations that made my situation more difficult. If alternative healthcare options are available to you, I would recommend exploring them instead.

Reception staff gave conflicting prescription guidance

I had a frustrating experience with the reception staff regarding my healthcare needs. When I attempted to manage my prescriptions, I received conflicting guidance about the correct procedure to follow. The staff member's approach felt dismissive and lacked empathy, leaving me feeling unsupported during what was already a difficult time.

Reception staff let the practice down badly

The clinical staff are excellent, that should be noted first, however the reception and administrative team are extremely poor. Issues include cancelling appointments without notifying patients and providing incorrect appointment times, which represents a significant problem. A word of caution - avoid requesting a callback as they tend to ring once and then disconnect.

Reception staff were dismissive and unhelpful

I would give the lowest possible rating if I could. The service was disappointing. Several errors occurred and the reception staff were very unwelcoming. Getting through by telephone proved extremely challenging. The online appointment request system operates between 8am and noon, yet it became unavailable shortly after opening. The process was frustrating and distressing with no subsequent support provided. This has been the most unsatisfactory experience I have encountered.

Impossible to book an appointment by phone

I've been attempting to secure an appointment over the past several days without success. The phone system appears to automatically decline calls during morning hours, making it difficult to speak with anyone directly. While my situation doesn't warrant a trip to accident and emergency, I'm unable to reach my GP practice, which is frustrating.

Impossible to reach when you need help

There's no point attempting to contact the practice by phone or through the online system as it's completely ineffective. I've been trying to reach someone for over a week regarding a health concern and haven't received any response or assistance with booking an appointment.