Morpeth Surgery Wellway

Respectful care for my son's appointment

Excellent service provided today. One of the nursing practitioners demonstrated respect and care when addressing my child's needs. Thank you!

Felt talked down to and belittled

I have never experienced such discomfort during a visit to a medical practice. I was on the verge of leaving due to the way I was treated by the healthcare professional, which was entirely unlike anything I had encountered before. I felt spoken to in a condescending manner and made to feel small.

Long wait with no apology offered

I waited approximately an hour before being seen. I checked with reception multiple times and was repeatedly assured I would be next. When the clinician eventually emerged, they appeared visibly frustrated and let out an audible sigh, without offering any explanation or apology. It seemed they were unhappy about being assigned to see me, as apparently the originally scheduled clinician was not available that day. The whole experience felt quite poor.

Receptionist forgot about appointment for months

I would give a lower rating if possible, as I have needed to seek private medical care. I was previously told that the medication I require at my current dose was unavailable, but two months prior I had been informed that I would be eligible to receive it. This situation has been frustrating. I requested a doctor's call back in September, and the receptionist contacted me in December to apologize, explaining the appointment had been overlooked. My teenage son also requested a doctor's call back, and after three weeks there was still no response. If you are new to the area, I would recommend researching alternative practices before registering. I have concerns about the efficiency of the surgery's operations and am uncertain whether management are fully aware of the issues or are choosing not to address them.

Online booking system remains completely unavailable

The online appointment and follow-up booking system has been problematic throughout my time as a patient at this practice. Following a system change earlier this year, the issues persisted rather than being resolved. The platform consistently displays unavailability messages for both myself and my household, with every function appearing inaccessible. I find this level of digital service to be unacceptable by modern standards and deeply frustrating.

Understaffed surgery losing its way

This practice was previously excellent but has deteriorated significantly. I believe this decline may be due to external pressures and insufficient staffing levels. The overall atmosphere suggests that patient care is not a priority. Following a recent development, I have removed my previous additional comments as the matter in question has since been addressed.

Phone booking improved but website appointments still broken

There has been a noticeable improvement in how quickly the surgery answers telephone calls for booking appointments, however the new online booking system does not show available appointment slots, making it impractical and forcing patients to phone instead. When I asked reception staff about this issue, I was told the feature had been turned off for the holiday period, which seemed like an unsatisfactory explanation. The appointment itself felt hurried, and I struggled to express my concerns fully during the consultation. When I requested clarification about which specific medication would be recommended, the response was vague and didn't address my question about alternatives, particularly given that previous treatments hadn't been effective for me. Based on this experience, I would suggest that those who can afford it might find private healthcare providers offer a more attentive service. I am currently considering whether to register with a different practice.

Website booking system needs urgent improvement

Do I have to give a star? Every single interaction with this practice has been disappointing. Simply attempting to use the website proves problematic. Trying to access online services outside weekday hours is particularly frustrating. Outdated system links remain available online despite being unhelpful. I would recommend looking elsewhere.

Couldn't get appointments when urgently needed

I switched to another practice a couple of months ago as I had concerns about the quality of care provided at this surgery. I experienced two situations within the last year where accessing a doctor proved extremely difficult. On the first occasion, I was directed to a pharmacist on two separate visits, each time being advised that I required a GP consultation. I decided to pay for a private appointment, which resulted in an urgent referral for a condition that turned out to be quite serious. Several months later, my consultant advised me to see my GP as I was unwell and required urgent medication for a related issue. Again, I was unable to secure an appointment. I was directed to urgent care instead, and subsequently discovered this was due to staffing limitations at the practice. This eventually led to an overnight hospital stay.

Rushed appointment left me feeling unheard

Disappointing experience. The clinician was approximately half an hour behind schedule when calling me in for an appointment I had requested and waited three weeks to receive. I was informed straight away that there wasn't sufficient time available to address my concerns properly, and was asked to self-diagnose my condition. This made me feel as though I was an inconvenience, particularly when I mentioned feeling low in mood due to my physical symptoms, only to be advised simply to use over-the-counter pain relief. I felt let down by the service.

Phones go unanswered, callbacks ignored repeatedly

The practice is difficult to reach by telephone. When contacting 111 for assistance, appointments are arranged for callback consultations, however these callbacks either do not materialise or the scheduled times are altered. This approach to patient contact is frustrating and unsatisfactory.

Phone lines answered quickly and appointments same day

This practice has undergone a remarkable transformation compared to my previous experience. Calls were answered promptly, the reception staff demonstrated professionalism and discretion when gathering information, and I was able to secure an appointment the same day with comprehensive consultations. I was very satisfied with the service received.

Phone lines still difficult to reach directly

In the past, telephone access was challenging, with visiting the surgery in person being the most reliable method of communication. The online booking system did not initially appear in the practice directory listings under its various names. Update: A call was received within an hour, and an activation link for the online booking service was provided. The link's expiration timeframe was not clearly communicated upfront. Eventually, the app was successfully activated. It is hoped that the service will function as intended.

Impossible to reach by phone

The service quality was disappointing, with lengthy wait times to reach the practice. The staff interaction fell short of expectations.

Can't get through on the phone line

Unable to reach the practice by telephone. Found this to be extremely frustrating.

Poor communication about appointment scheduling

I was notified of an appointment for a specialist service, but only found out about it when I attended for prescription collection on the same day. The notification came at 2:30 pm after I spoke with reception that afternoon. I was unable to attend my first appointment with another specialist as, despite being in the surgery, I experienced difficulties using the digital check-in system on two occasions. I waited considerably longer than 15 minutes in a queue while the single receptionist on duty had the glass doors closed as they were attending to other tasks. There was no one available to provide assistance. This pattern of issues has occurred repeatedly previously. I have also experienced difficulties with obtaining and receiving prescriptions. As a new patient, this has not been a positive introduction to the practice.

Couldn't reach anyone by phone

It is extremely difficult to reach anyone at the practice regardless of when you attempt to call.

Couldn't get medication through broken booking system

I felt stressed by the difficulty in obtaining my medication, which resulted in a gap of over a week without it and left me feeling worse than before. The practice does not seem to prioritise patient care or have adequate time available. The appointment booking system appears ineffective, as accessing a consultation is extremely challenging through it. When attempting to book, I was directed to emergency services for anxiety-related concerns. I believe this practice requires immediate review and investigation.

Online booking system causes frustration and delays

EDIT. Since my last review, the situation has deteriorated significantly. The practice now encourages use of online systems which are difficult to navigate, and many of their digital services are not functioning properly. Simple requests take several days to process and frequently contain errors, requiring you to resubmit and start over. The reception area appears understaffed, and telephone calls go unanswered despite their stated policy about keeping lines available. Direct conversation with a person would be far more straightforward. The online process causes considerable stress because mistakes happen regularly, and there is no way to speak with someone to resolve issues, which compounds the frustration. The overall service quality is disappointing and continues to decline rather than improve. I attempted to arrange an appointment for my family member, which was mishandled previously. An appointment still has not been secured. After many years as a patient, I am transferring to another practice due to concerns about the standard of care provided. The practice should reflect seriously on this situation. There are other local practices in the area that maintain better accessibility and treat patients with greater courtesy. Average telephone wait times are extremely long regardless of when you call, even at opening time. This represents a significant change from the past when wait times were considerably shorter. The reduction in available appointments is very frustrating. I have also been disconnected multiple times during lengthy waits, forcing me to begin the process again. The phone line frequently remains engaged for extended periods with no explanation. Reception staff availability in the surgery is consistently inadequate, and the online appointment booking system is unsatisfactory, with responses taking several days and appointments only available weeks later.

Didn't listen to my concerns

I had a very negative experience at this practice. I felt that important health concerns were not adequately identified during my visit. Additionally, I received information that I did not find to be truthful.