Urmston Group Practice

Couldn't get through on the phone

I found the experience disappointing, to put it simply.

Appointment cancelled despite advance notice of delay

I called ahead to inform the practice that I would be arriving late, but when I got there 17 minutes after my scheduled time, I was informed that my appointment had been cancelled. I then waited two minutes at the desk for staff to acknowledge me, as I was unable to complete the check-in process myself. When I asked whether they might be able to fit me in given that I had already notified them of my delay, I was told this wasn't possible and that the earliest alternative appointment available was the following Friday. I found this frustrating given the circumstances. Fortunately, I have private health cover, which I intend to use going forward.

Impossible to book appointments through phone queue

Extremely frustrating experience with this practice. Made numerous attempts in a single day to secure an appointment for my young child, only to find nothing available. We consistently end up attending the hospital instead. When we did manage to see a clinician here, we were told it was a viral infection. However, when we attended the hospital two days later, we discovered there was a more serious underlying issue with significant throat inflammation and a respiratory infection that explained the feeding difficulties. I would not recommend this surgery and would suggest looking for alternative healthcare provision.

Reception staff were genuinely friendly and helpful

Visited the practice recently and received outstanding service throughout my appointment. The entire team, from the front desk to the clinical staff, were courteous, welcoming and genuinely supportive :)

Struggled to book through chaotic phone queue

Called at 8:30am hoping to secure a morning appointment for my daughter. After getting through at 8:40, I was told there were no appointments available and asked to ring back later. The receptionist repeatedly said they needed to check availability. There were three of us trying to book appointments. I heard someone in the background make comments about capacity and being unable to take additional patients. The whole experience felt quite chaotic and disorganised. Rather than attempt to call back at 11am as suggested, I decided to visit the walk-in centre instead.

Prescription records weren't sent off properly

My partner recently relocated to the area and manages a respiratory condition requiring regular medication. After being without their prescription for over a week, they attended to collect it only to be informed they were not registered on the system as no referral had been processed. Given the serious nature of their condition, it was fortunate that an emergency supply was available at the practice. This is concerning when patients depend on timely access to essential medications. UPDATE: Following a request to transfer their prescription to a different pharmacy last week, when we attended to arrange a new supply, their information had not been forwarded. We plan to discuss this matter further when the practice reopens, as we require the medication to be ready before travelling the following week. The handling of this situation has felt unprofessional.

Better service with a simple check-in system

The service has improved and the check-in process is straightforward. Parking can be challenging on occasion.