Deerness Park Medical Centre
Jacqui S. 5 years ago • From Google
Poor
Phone lines left unattended on bank holiday monday
I called early on a bank holiday Monday to arrange a telephone appointment for my elderly, disabled family member. Although I understood it was a public holiday, I was curious about what arrangements might be in place for telephone services on such a day, given the importance of GP services to our community. I expected at minimum an automated message after waiting 18 minutes to music, but received no information at all. Had I not ended the call myself, I suspect I would have continued listening to music for hours. For vulnerable members of our community who are already facing difficulties, the lack of communication may have felt like abandonment by their local GP service. Public services require careful planning, so I would suggest that the IT team make better use of the technology available to the NHS and provide clearer continuity of service. I would recommend recording a message to be played every Friday evening before a bank holiday, explaining when the service will resume. A courteous message inviting callers to ring back the following day, or an option to leave contact details for a callback within a specified timeframe, would be helpful. Based on my experience working in customer service, I believe such a system could be easily managed. When I called back early the following morning, I expected another long wait. The call handler who answered sounded exhausted, only an hour into their shift. After the music stopped, there was silence. I introduced myself, and when I asked about the lack of automated service the previous day, they could only say it had been a bank holiday. I kept the call brief as they clearly had just finished one call and were preparing for the next. The handler was helpful despite being under considerable pressure. Working in the NHS is already demanding, so why create additional stress for both staff and patients? Performance indicators should surely be reviewed regularly and considered in staff assessments. I sympathise with the front-line staff and the challenges created by the telephony system, which significantly impacts their working day and job performance. Some staff may be reassigned to support other programmes, which could be a positive development. During previous visits to reception, I had noticed that the attitude and engagement of some staff members was concerning.
I have been waiting on the telephone for over an hour without managing to speak to anyone. If you are considering registering with this practice, I would advise against doing so.
Deerness Park Medical Centre
Danielle G.
This practice fell well short of expectations. The team members were not helpful, and during a concerning medical incident involving my child, the reception staff appeared unresponsive and did not..
Deerness Park Medical Centre
David A.
Using the application is considerably faster when it comes to receiving a reply.
Deerness Park Medical Centre
Big F.
I am a patient in my seventies who travels abroad for extended periods twice yearly. I require my regular medication to be dispensed before these trips. I contacted the practice on a Monday to..
Deerness Park Medical Centre
Frank T.
The clinical staff demonstrate genuine care and excellent follow-up. However, reaching someone by telephone proves extremely difficult. The reception team's manner comes across as abrupt and..
Deerness Park Medical Centre
Elaine F.
The administrative team and clinical staff fell short of expectations. I found the level of professionalism and care to be disappointing across the board. The staff seemed to lack the knowledge and..
Deerness Park Medical Centre
Bella-Donna S.
This is my practice and I cannot fault them.
Deerness Park Medical Centre
Helen B.
It is frustrating when a medical practice's phone lines are difficult to reach. Callers should not have to wait excessively long to speak with someone. A family member recently experienced..
Deerness Park Medical Centre
Clxudia L.
Disappointing experience at this medical practice. Obtaining appointments through phone booking proves extremely difficult, and in-person slots are exceptionally hard to secure. Appointments have..
Deerness Park Medical Centre
Ashleigh S.
Called this morning to request an appointment after being instructed by the hospital to do so should the matter arise again, which it has. I was informed that it would be handled as a remote..
Deerness Park Medical Centre
MOHAMED M.
The service provided fell short of expectations.
Deerness Park Medical Centre
Lynda D.
Deerness Park is an excellent practice. We are a family of 7 adults and 5 young children. Over many years we have required assistance from the practice staff on numerous occasions and have..
Deerness Park Medical Centre
Robert D.
This practice has been disappointing, with reception staff appearing unhelpful and unwelcoming. Securing appointments has proven difficult, which may contribute to pressures elsewhere in the..
Deerness Park Medical Centre
Elizabeth C.
The medical professionals at this practice are adequate when you manage to secure an appointment, though access can be challenging. My husband experienced a situation where he was informed that his..
Deerness Park Medical Centre
Caroline G.
It is challenging to secure an appointment, and while the care received is satisfactory, the difficulty in booking creates considerable stress and worry that exacerbates existing concerns. This..
Deerness Park Medical Centre
Peregrin M.
This has been one of the best GP practices I've attended. Appointment availability can be challenging, though I recognise this reflects broader resource constraints. At my previous practices, I..
Deerness Park Medical Centre
Jacqui S.
I called early on a bank holiday Monday to arrange a telephone appointment for my elderly, disabled family member. Although I understood it was a public holiday, I was curious about what..
Deerness Park Medical Centre
Paul C.
I recently submitted an online consultation request. Although the confirmation message indicated I should anticipate a response by 6.30pm the following day, I was pleasantly surprised to receive a..
Deerness Park Medical Centre
Scott U.
It is unfortunate that I cannot rate this practice more highly, as my interactions with the reception team have been consistently disappointing. Attempting to secure an appointment has proven to be..
Deerness Park Medical Centre
Brian B.
Unable to secure an appointment as management staff were unavailable. An online consultation was completed, with a response indicating the next available appointment would be several weeks away.
Deerness Park Medical Centre
Caitlin M.