Winterton Medical Practice

Reception staff helped with emergency appointment

I required an emergency appointment during a visit and found the reception staff to be very supportive and accommodating. The healthcare professional I saw demonstrated considerable competence and compassion throughout the consultation. I am grateful for the experience and my confidence in the NHS has been renewed.

Reception team made booking straightforward and easy

I appreciate the support provided by the entire team, particularly those at the front desk who were consistently helpful.

Phone queues made booking impossible

The telephone service at this practice requires significant improvement and attention.

Quick response from online form to consultation

I relocated to the area in January and have been very pleased with this practice. I submitted an online form earlier today regarding a health concern. The practice called me this afternoon to discuss my query, and I was able to see a clinician for an in-person appointment this evening. I am now being referred for specialist assessment. This level of responsiveness and care exceeded what I experienced at my former practice. Thoroughly satisfied with the service provided.

Couldn't reach reception after long wait

Unable to reach the reception team after waiting for an extended period.

Practice staff were helpful and welcoming

Consistently excellent experience at this practice.

Impossible to get through on the phone

I have had difficulty reaching the practice by telephone on multiple occasions today, with the line consistently unavailable. This appears to be an ongoing issue, and I suspect the service may be operating with insufficient staffing levels.

Phone lines constantly drop you mid-call

The telephone service at this practice is frustrating and difficult to navigate. Getting through to someone is challenging, and when you do manage to connect, you risk being disconnected while on hold. There is no follow-up from staff to reconnect with you, meaning you must start the entire process over again to reach someone who can help. These repeated attempts to get through on the phone are time-consuming and exhausting. The practice would benefit from having additional staff available to handle incoming calls and manage the telephone system more effectively.

Surgery failed to communicate test results properly

Disappointing experience at this surgery. I was undergoing various tests and scans to investigate a potential neurological condition. I spent six months seeking guidance from other healthcare providers, only to discover through a newly arrived clinician at the practice that I had already been tested for this condition approximately six months prior. No one at the practice had communicated the results to me, nor had they informed me of any findings whatsoever. This clinician arranged an ultrasound for me. Between the scan appointment and my move to a new address, I left the practice. When I contacted the surgery, I was told that no results would be sent to them. Two months later, I received a copy of the results at my new practice after being passed between different healthcare providers. It emerged that the results had been sent to the original surgery all along, and this was always going to be the case. I found this to be a very poor experience. The clinician who had been helpful had moved on by the time I was trying to track down my results, which I respect. They likely moved to a practice with better systems in place. I am relieved to have relocated and no longer need to engage with this surgery.

Reception won't answer their own phone

Getting through to reception requires calling an alternative practice and requesting a transfer, indicating that the unavailability of the main line appears to be a deliberate decision rather than a consequence of workload or staffing constraints. This approach is unsatisfactory.

Receptionists helpful when booking emergency appointments same day

I have a complex medical background and can experience rapid health deterioration. I have consistently been able to access same-day emergency appointments whenever needed. The clinical team has demonstrated promptness in making referrals when appropriate. The reception staff maintain a friendly and supportive approach. Throughout my two decades as a patient, I have encountered various practitioners who have all shown helpfulness and commitment. I continue to value the service provided, with staff demonstrating both friendliness and competence. I feel confident in their clinical judgement for routine health concerns. I do think it would be beneficial if patients could approach their care with greater understanding, as I believe the team genuinely strives to support everyone to the best of their ability.

Phone lines never answered when needed

The practice is unresponsive to phone calls and appears dismissive of my concerns.

Impossible to reach by telephone

It is extremely difficult to reach the practice by telephone. This is a significant frustration.

Pharmacy keeps getting prescriptions wrong repeatedly

The clinical staff members are all competent, however the pharmacy department consistently struggles with accuracy when dispensing medications. Over the past year, prescriptions have been filled correctly only a small number of times, with the majority containing errors. When issues are raised, the pharmacy team often disputes whether the prescription was submitted, despite evidence showing it was placed through the online system.

Receptionists went above and beyond to help

I believe this is an excellent practice. The reception team are wonderful and have consistently provided me with tremendous support. The clinical staff are equally impressive and always willing to assist. I think we sometimes expect healthcare professionals to have all the answers and immediately identify every issue. Given that there are approximately 7 clinicians serving a fairly substantial community, perhaps people should consider the perspective of those working in the practice more often. The complaints about waiting a few minutes for telephone responses aren't a reflection of laziness or lack of competence, but rather the reality of being stretched thin and being human. Unless someone has never made a mistake themselves, I don't believe they're in a position to judge.

Impossible to reach by phone for weeks

I have been attempting to arrange an appointment for my mother for quite some time now. The phone lines have been consistently unavailable, and this ongoing issue has persisted for several weeks. It has been a frustrating experience trying to access medical care through this service.

Long wait for appointment slot

The wait for my appointment felt excessively long. There also seemed to be some confusion regarding my booking.

Staff stayed calm when appointments weren't available

A long-standing patient of this practice, I am generally satisfied with the service provided, though I recognise that the NHS is currently under considerable pressure, which undoubtedly affects all healthcare staff. Recently, I contacted the practice on a Friday afternoon after noticing a potential minor health concern following a minor procedure carried out a couple of days prior. Upon calling the pharmacy, I was promptly directed to reception. Despite no routine appointments being available, the reception team demonstrated helpfulness, composure and reassurance. After a brief wait, I was able to be seen. The clinical staff showed thoroughness and professionalism throughout, including liaising with the hospital to determine the most appropriate course of action and spare me an unnecessary visit elsewhere. The matter was resolved within an hour. I understand that patient experiences can differ considerably, but I felt it important to express my genuine appreciation for the quality of care received on this occasion and to acknowledge the efforts of those staff members who go the extra mile to support their patients. Thank you

Long waits made me reconsider my treatment

My family and I have attempted to book standard appointments but have consistently encountered lengthy waiting periods of around three weeks. I question the practicality of such delays. While most of the clinicians I have consulted with have been supportive, there was one occasion where I received information about potential complications related to a treatment I was considering. This discussion gave me pause about proceeding, and I have since postponed this treatment for an extended period. In retrospect, I wish I had sought a second opinion at that time.

Repeated calls ignored, then blamed for urgency

I spent three days attempting to obtain an urgent prescription for a seriously unwell family member and was repeatedly assured that it would be processed. Upon visiting to collect it, I discovered that no action had been taken and was instructed to return at a later time. When I explained that I would be unable to do so before the practice closed and would need to collect the following morning, the receptionist's response felt dismissive and unhelpful given the circumstances. After such a lengthy wait, I found the overall service to be deeply disappointing.