Elm Hayes Surgery

Terrible Practice

My experience with Elm Hayes Surgery has raised serious concerns about the way the practice manages patient care and complaints. I want to share this so others can be cautious and, ideally, avoid similar issues. During a consultation, I clearly communicated a history of a serious condition, yet I was misdiagnosed and left to manage the situation alone. No referral was made, no written contact details were provided (contrary to their stated clinical process), and no follow-up occurred. Red flags consistent with NICE Guidance were missed. This resulted in a delay in accessing appropriate treatment and caused unnecessary distress. I was led to believe I had a minor issue, when in fact it was a recurrence of a much more serious condition. The practice appears to lack sufficient knowledge and training related to conditions like mine and should not be managing such cases. Several opticians later told me the GP’s actions were deeply concerning and showed what appears to be a fundamental misunderstanding of these conditions. When I submitted a formal, professionally written complaint, the process was slow, dismissive, and lacked transparency. A senior review I specifically requested was only carried out after repeated follow-ups, and when it finally arrived, it simply reiterated the original explanation without engaging with the evidence I had provided. It was clearly rushed and showed no meaningful engagement from the senior GP. Most troubling of all: in response to a subject access request, the surgery confirmed that the practice holds no documentation whatsoever regarding how my complaint was assessed or triaged. There were no internal notes, no formal consideration, no correspondence, and no record of escalation. According to their own words, the complaint was considered in “a passing conversation” (their words), which reflects a complete lack of care and respect for a patient raising legitimate concerns. The response also confirmed that what amounts to a restriction had been placed on my future care—without my knowledge—via a system note that effectively blacklisted me from seeing the GP in question. This was seemingly because she did not want to see me again after I questioned her judgement, and reception staff were instructed to conceal this from me. All of this suggests the complaint was never properly investigated or taken seriously. The practice seemed more focused on self-protection than accountability—raising serious concerns about governance and responsiveness. Their handling of the Subject Access Request was evasive and breached ICO compliance requirements, with deadlines repeatedly missed. Although my condition is now being managed, the experience has left me with a complete loss of trust in the practice. I believe the GP I saw demonstrated a serious lack of judgement and care, resulting in a delay in treatment that has affected my life. While the practice has committed to some process changes, these were not directly related to my case. No sincere apology has been offered. In fact, their response felt spiteful—punitive, simply because I raised concerns. I strongly urge others to be cautious when dealing with GPs at Elm Hayes, especially if you have a complex or recurring health issue. Patients deserve to be listened to, supported, and taken seriously—not left to chase their own care or complaints. My experience is that GPs at this practice seem to operate with a sense of entitlement and status, believing this shields them from the concerns of the very people they are meant to serve. Elm Hayes appears unwilling or unable to learn from its mistakes or show empathy. Their priority seems to be self-preservation. If you question them, their instinct is to become defensive and retaliatory. My advice: find another practice, even if it means going out of area.