GPS Healthcare - Park Surgery

The diabetes management service I receive from them is alright. They send someone out to see me regularly.

Park Surgery is our nearest surgery within GPS and with whom we are registered. Since they became 'one' we can never get an appointment here, we always have to travel elsewhere.

Just trying to get my medication re-authorised proved to be very difficult and wasted a lot of time for receptionists, doctors, nurses a pharmacy and myself! I rang to make a telephone appointment to review my medication as Park Surgery wouldn't release any more prescriptions until I'd had a review. The nurse booked me in the very next day, great! However when a doctor called his first words were "you've asked for this appointment can you tell me what it's about". I had explained to the receptionist very clearly that it was for a medication review and told her the medication which I needed reviewing! I explained and was told by the doctor "oh, well it's not me that deals with that, it is the nurses, I can't give you another prescription you will have to call back up and book in again with a nurse" - Sorry, what? Why would the receptionist book me in with a doctor to review my medication if he couldn't help? So, that was a waste of his time and mine (sat at work all day waiting with my phone on to receive a telephone appointment that ended up being useless). Because I had pointed out this was unhelpful the doctor said "I tell you what, I'll ring up Boots pharmacy and see if they can sort you out with this medication as the community pharmacies should be able to help with this. I'll find out and message you". He did in fact make that phone call to Boots and he did message me back telling me that yes, Boots would be able to help. I contacted Boots to be told, absolutely not, we would not take care of you with this medication because you are too old! Another waste of the doctor's time and my time and the pharmacies time!! I then had no choice but to ring the surgery again and wait for my turn to speak to someone to book an appointment with a nurse. The receptionist booked me in with a nurse in 2 weeks time (not sure how I could get a telephone appt with a doctor within a day but took two weeks to speak to a nurse)! My time came and went and no telephone call so I called the surgery, again and waited my turn to be answered and told the receptionist I hadn't had a call to be told "you were a no show". I said "I have been sat here at work with my phone on my desk (not on silent) and no-one has called". She said "the nurse rang your home landline" I asked why as they knew that line had been switched off years ago and they always use my mobile (just like the doctor had 2 weeks previously)! She said she would tell the nurse I was available now on my mobile. The nurse called 10 mins later and said "what do you need", I explained I needed a review of medication so I could get a prescription and she said "no, we can't do that over the phone, you need to come into the surgery for an appointment, we need to do your blood pressure". I told the nurse that I had my blood pressure readings ready as the receptionist had told me I would need it as I'd explained what I was calling for. The nurse said "well, we need to weigh you" I said that I also knew my weight. "okay" the nurse said "we'll do it now! Wow, after the review she said she would make sure my medication can be re-ordered - guess what she hasn't! I am exhausted and would give up but I really need this medication.

I rarely manage to see a doctor and usually see an agency person who doesn’t know you! I got there once and was then told that my appointment was elsewhere which was crazy!

I have found it difficult to get an appointment to discuss my gynae issues. It took me 2 weeks to get my most recent appointment.

The ongoing MS support that I have received from them has been good.

Getting an appointment can be difficult but everything else is fine. I get my prescriptions regularly with no problems.

They have been good since I've been pregnant but before that they advised me to book appointments through NHS 111 because it is so difficult to get appointments.

I have not been able to get in to see the midwife here yet.

Overall they are okay it's just difficult to get through to get appointments. The patches system is rubbish and I can't book appointments through it, I've tried. I recently received a message saying I had an appointment that I never booked. I called to tell them this and they said it didn't exist so why did I get the message.