Neasham Road Surgery
OE
Olivia E. one year ago • From Google
Bad
I would advise against registering at this practice. I attended the surgery on a Friday morning for a scheduled appointment for my young child's routine vaccinations that was booked for mid-morning. I had received a text message the previous day at mid-morning confirming my appointment. Upon arrival at the surgery, I was unable to check in using the screen and spoke with the receptionist, who informed me that the appointment had been marked as cancelled in the system and my slot had been allocated to another patient who had not yet arrived. I disputed this, explaining that I had visited the surgery the previous day and the receptionist had confirmed the appointment at that time. The receptionist advised that nothing could be done and the appointment would need to be rebooked. My family member had driven me and my child to this appointment and had travelled some distance to do so. I had given my child medication in preparation for the appointment. My family member asked to speak with the practice manager. During this conversation, the manager was dismissive and provided a different explanation for the cancellation than the receptionist had given. The manager stated that a staff member was absent due to illness and the vaccination clinic had been cancelled, yet this contradicted what the receptionist had said about my slot being given to another patient. If all vaccination appointments had been cancelled, why would the receptionist have mentioned my slot being reassigned? I was told that a cancellation confirmation text had been sent to me, which I had not received. I showed my phone to both staff members to demonstrate this. Had I been properly notified of the cancellation, I would not have made the journey to the surgery. I am dissatisfied with how this situation was managed and felt the staff, particularly the manager, lacked empathy and professionalism. I attended with my child, had prepared them for the appointment with medication, and felt dismissed by the manager's response. I have submitted a formal complaint to the surgery but have limited confidence in receiving a meaningful response or apology for the experience. When appointments are cancelled, patients should receive direct contact from the surgery to inform them and should be offered alternative appointment slots, as it is extremely difficult to reach the practice by telephone for routine bookings. When I attempted to call two days prior to arrange my own appointment shortly after opening time, I was placed far down in the queue. I have consulted with two clinicians who have provided excellent care, but the initial reception experience fell short of expected patient service standards.
John-james H.