Healds Road Surgery

Bad attitude from staff never get an appointment as you after get past the gate keepers first who only give to who they decide to want to give them to I believe this surgery although my local 1 should be run by professionals and not amateurs and people who have compassion for the patient and the job they went into.

They say to ring between 8 and 10 every day to get an appointment. But the truth is you have to ring at 8 on the dot and even then your usuually 50 in the queue or they cut you off saying the call queue is full. I had them cut me off and when I finally got through no more appointments available. This was 3 days in a row. Disgusting.

Called at 8am, after the whole rigmarole of a recorded message lasting approx 2 mins, to be followed by another recorded message saying 'telephone line is full call later!' After 3 attempts was 48 in the queue. Only to be cut off at position 29. When I called back another recorded message saying they had no appointments for today. Rang the following day, again after 5 attempts as the phone line was full! 49 in the queue, after a 50 minute wait was told only a telephone appointment available after 2pm. Waited and waited, it's 6.20pm no phone call! Absolute shambles of GP practice. Asked for the manager to call me back on Monday, no phone call received (it's Tuesday evening).

Waited from 8am till 09.56am in a telephone queue. Got to the front of the queue heard a voice who responded to my request for an appointment with 'sorry no more appointments left you can try tomorrow' .
I was not impressed.

2 hours of waiting to get an appointment for a sick 2 year old (who was very difficult to reassure during that wait) and it was a complete waste of time. Ridiculous!!!

Told them what I thought of the shoddy system so the person spoke to the practice manager (who has no health related qualifications) and was advised to go to a and e if I wanted the child seen. Unacceptable!!!

I did take the child to a and e. Explained why I was there and on who's advice. We were treated with kindness and empathy in a and e. But I felt awful that I was using the servic when in fact someone more in need of the services may be waiting because we were there instead of at the GP.

following this experience today I have no kind words for the practice so will leave it at this.

Would rate as 0 if I could

I tried for 2 weeks to get an appointment for UTI with kidney pain. The appointment system is not fit for purpose. It takes ages to get to the front of the queue. Only to get cutoff or when you finally get an answer theres no appointments left as "over 200 people managed to get through just fine". Of course I must be lying. Was even offered physio referral by the "expertly trained" navigator/gatekeeper ...how did the expertly trained gatekeeper manage to determine that physio will fix kidney pain...I work within the same sector but this fact didnt help them to understand why I was refusing physio referral and desperately asking to be booked in within the next few days if there was nothing for that day

To cut a long story short. I tried every day for 10 days managed to get a sample tested, managed to get through after the appointments had gone the next day to be told I ad an infection and needed antibiotics, some one will be in touch. Called the surgery several times that day was told I'd receive a call back which never happened by close of business on a friday. So went to a and e in desperation as I was in compete agony by this point and feared consequences of lifelong kidney damage
Was seen promptly and given the required prescription. I have now recovered.

I suffered for 2 weeks because appointments can only be booked on the day, via a not fit for purpose booming system, gatekeepers who have no empathy, knowledge or willingness to listen to callers in distress, and a practice that had decided not to book appointments for following day. If they had I would have received treatment in good time before getting so ill that I had no choice but turn to emergency services when in fact it should have been the gp treating me so that emergency services can treat emergency cases


The doctors and allied HCP are good if you manage to get past reception to see them

Spent 60 minutes on the phone only to be told that no appointments for 3 weeks and to go to the NHS walk in centre if I needed a doctor, happened on two occasions and I have now changed surgery

Very disappointed and annoyed. I wish them bad luck

Being a health professional myself and I am disgusted how my father has tried to for weeks to get an appointment with a actual "GP" only to be fobbed off to a practitioner. I'm absolutely shocked at how much a big practice has got away with only having one doctor in at any given day. How can this be justified from a patient safety perspective. Every time i try to raise any concerns with anyone at this practice its just fobbed off and brushed under the carpet. Well i will be writing directly to CQC and have my complaint dealt with properly and i suggest every to do the same and next time complain to the following link. https://www.cqc.org.uk/contact-us/how-complain/complain-about-service-or-provider

The GP is nice because they listen to the problem and provide care accordingly.
Can get appointments on time.

Good quality of care.
Receptionist staff can be very rude and arrogant, depending on who you see.