GPS Healthcare - Meadowside Family Health Centre

Male GP was totally unsympathetic. I was crying and distressed and he told me to "get to work". I contacted Women's Aid and they told me to not go back to work and to go back to GP. I have now changed my GP.

Getting appointments is virtually impossible!! Emails are not always responded to. I had to admit to a receptionist that I was feeling suicidal to even get a Dr call back. That Dr. was good when he rang. Follow up from HRT has been minimal!

Only since becoming a prostate cancer patient this year that I have had experience of regular contact with doctors surgery. There seems to be a lot of info that you are 'expected' to know. For example surgeons prescribe 2 months of tablets. I have to phone/chase doctors to send instructions to chemist. I go to the chemist who tell me they don't hold that quantity, need to wait a couple of days. If I need the next months supply, I still have to order it.

Areas requiring improvement.
1) Hard to get through on the phone.
2) Better results by going in for face to face appointments.
3) Wrong dose of tablets at pharmacy.
4) reminder to order next tablets a week before you need them.

The one big problem is the phones. You can ring and find out you are number 30 in the queue, and that is the norm. I have often spent over an hour waiting on the phone.

Rude abrupt reception staff. Waits of 1, 2 or even 2.5 hours on the phone. Often unable to get an appointment. Still only offering telephone appointments and won’t see me in person.

You can never get appointments at the surgery.
Quite disappointed that the DR's are not seeing people face to face.
I find that when you phone the reception staff, they are not very accommodating.
Due to poor continuity of service and care, I have had to change my surgery.

GP being good, has had my F2F appointment. Don't use very often but when I need the GP its hard to get past receptionist who ask soo many personal questions. The queue on the phone is bad and call back service is offered but you don't know when they will call you back.

The service is nice, is happy with the practice. gets appointments and doesn't have to wait long
In A&E situations DRs do call back and can see them face to face.
Dr Tina Ghela - she is very good, provides health information and provides updates. Very nice.
Had some test done and doctor messaged very quickly regarding results. Provided medications on back of the result received and sent prescriptions direct to pharmacy.

It is almost impossible to get an appointment to see a doctor here, and if you want the doctor of choice...forget it. I NEVER go to the surgery just for the fun of it, if I do go it is because something serious needs resolving but it takes an age to first get through to the receptionists who seem to think that they are there to prevent us from getting to the doctor. I have been at this surgery my whole life (now 62) and can remember when it was much better. These days I dread trying to get through, it has definitely gone downhill since GPS Healthcare took over the place. I don't see why I should, but if I were very wealthy I would choose to go private since the hassle here is just soul-destroying.

Fragmented care. Not patient centred or holistic for elderly patients . No oversight or overview of care . Inaccurate telephone diagnosis on numerous occasions . Gatekeeping and incorrect advice at reception etc