janduplessis886/england-nhs-gp-reviews huggingface dataset:
GP surgery review: stokewood-surgery
Title: frustrating
Rating: 1 out of 5
Visited: November 2022
40 minutes on call finally get to 2nd in queue to be cut off the call by the surgery ! cant use e-consult for nurse appointment ? ! and practice manage telephone line is not in use ???????
GP surgery review: twyford-surgery
Title: Superb Saturday service
Rating: 5 out of 5
Visited: November 2023
I wasn’t sure what to expect from the out-of-hours Saturday service. However, it was superb. I was greeted very punctually. The doctor introduced himself clearly, and showed that he had already familiarised himself with my history. He took all the time that was needed, and then some more. He covered everything possibly related to my concern, and then some more. He was unhurried, knowledgeable, and very polite. I wasn’t hurried out of the surgery, and never felt that time was an issue. A prescription was issued, and a comprehensive blood test arranged. 
This was the ideal GP experience.
GP surgery review: twyford-surgery
Title: Excellent advice
Rating: 5 out of 5
Visited: January 2023
There may well be intense pressure on everyone's available time at the moment, but I have found this surgery to provide immediate appointments where necessary and the advice kind, extremely informative and helpful.  I now understand the reasons behind my symptoms and can get on with life accordingly.

Do disregard reviews that are clearly from those who expect immediate responses in all circumstances. It is not the fault of the practice that there are sicker people that need help first, and resources are not limitless unless you are prepared to pay for them.
GP surgery review: wickham-surgery
Title: First class response and action
Rating: 5 out of 5
Visited: January 2024
My husband had two TIA’s within 4 hours. Phoned surgery at 1pm. Seen by GP at 3pm. Referred to Stroke unit at QA . Took him there by 4pm. Seen within 15 mins, and where he also had first class treatment.
I am eternally grateful that this very speedy action prevented a more serious stroke.
GP surgery review: wickham-surgery
Title: Excellent Practice
Rating: 5 out of 5
Visited: October 2023
Excellent Practice never had a problem seeing a GP. The Receptionists are very helpful and they listen to you, Very polite and friendly. The GPS And nurses, and physiotherapist who work her are excellent. When you go for an appointment you do not feel rushed, they listen to you and make you feel reassured. Wickham surgery is one of the best practices that I have ever used. All the staff are absolutely dedicated to looking after/And taking care of all their patients. I would like to say you are a credit to the NHS. Thank you so much.
GP surgery review: wickham-surgery
Title: Excellent service
Rating: 5 out of 5
Visited: January 2023
All staff were very efficent. Doctor was very thorough and reassuring  and did exactly as she said she would. In my experience, another example of a great service at Wickham.
GP surgery review: wickham-surgery
Title: Excelent!!!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Visited: September 2022
On the 5th September, I phoned Wickham Surgery, as I was concerned by a swollen lower, left leg and a pain just under my left ribs.  The duty doctor phoned me back and asked me to come to the Surgery.  He considered that the pain under left ribs was muscular and would correct itself.  His diagnosis was that I had an infection in my lower, left leg and prescribed a two-week course of the antibiotic, Flucloxacillin.
Towards the end of the course, was the long weekend (the Queen's Funeral).  My leg had improved but was still swollen, so I thought that it would be prudent to phone the Surgery again.  I was asked to come to the Surgery and be re-examined.  My temperature was very low, so it was decided that I should be sent to the Royal Hampshire County Hospital.  An ambulance was called for me but did not arrive, so one of the doctors said they would drive me to the RHCH A&E, who had been prewarned to expect me.  I have always considered the Wickham practice, excellent but that action was beyond all my expectations.
By the way, a chest X-ray, whilst in RHCH confirmed the diagnosis of the pain under my left ribs, as being muscular.
GP surgery review: wickham-surgery
Title: Great response
Rating: 5 out of 5
Visited: September 2022
Big shout out to the paramedic on duty - talked to him last night about my swollen leg , arranged to see me at 9 am , did blood tests , the right obs,  phoned me back  as soon as they had come back , and arranged medication which I have picked up today and a scan arranged asap . I'm so impressed and thankyou
GP surgery review: wickham-surgery
Title: Fantastic care
Rating: 5 out of 5
Visited: August 2022
My wife and daughter have been registered at the surgery for about 3 years now and we are so grateful for the fantastic standard of care we have received. The GPS have been outstanding and we are so lucky to have them on our doorstep! Thank you so much for looking after us to such a high standard.high standards
GP surgery review: aylesford-medical-centre
Title: Fantastic practice
Rating: 5 out of 5
Visited: December 2023
So pleased this Surgery is back to how it used to be many years ago.  Efficient team.  Got an appointment on the same day as my call and a referral letter the next day.  Absolutely first class service.  Could
Not fault it.  Keep up the great work you are doing!
GP surgery review: aylesford-medical-centre
Title: Never met our new doctor
Rating: 3 out of 5
Visited: October 2023
Never met any of the new doctors, can not get a appointment.
Bad foot, filled in the surgery questionnaire and nearest I got was someone will ring me in 10 days time. Meanwhile I just limp around till then.
GP surgery review: aylesford-medical-centre
Title: Very helpful Medical Centre
Rating: 5 out of 5
Visited: October 2023
Have had to have blood tests (inr) at short notice all staff we’ve extremely helpful and went out of their way to assist me .Thank you all you all .
GP surgery review: aylesford-medical-centre
Title: Amazing service
Rating: 5 out of 5
Visited: August 2023
The receptionist was very helpful when she booked me this appointment a few weeks ago and the reception team were nice and polite when I booked in . I was very impressed with the new GP, he was very kind, understanding and I felt he really listened to me, I came away with a referral that I feel is much needed and a positive outlook that we have a great surgery.
GP surgery review: aylesford-medical-centre
Title: This surgery is back to its former glory!!!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Visited: August 2023
Have been with this surgery for 24 years and it used to be fabulous.  However, over recent years with a few changes of ownership, it was far from ideal and the customer care was pretty dire.   I am pleased to say my recent contact with the surgery has been a delight.  All staff are very helpful.  I managed to get through to speak to someone in a short time and they were able to deal with my call quickly and very efficiently.   It certainly looks as though the new Doctor who has taken ownership of this surgery is definitely bringing it back to its former glory.  With all the new houses being built in the area, the strain on surgery’s must be immense, but this surgery is certainly doing all in its power to be accommodating.  Thank you to all the staff.  You were brilliant!  Fabulous!!!
GP surgery review: aylesford-medical-centre
Title: Brilliant patient care
Rating: 5 out of 5
Visited: August 2023
The patient care over the last 3 months has been way above expectations the receptionist have been very helpful in every way. Every person I have touched base with have resolved my problem/ issue at the earliest opportunity
GP surgery review: aylesford-medical-centre
Title: The new team and the integration of existing staff a winner
Rating: 5 out of 5
Visited: June 2023
8th june, had an eye  problem needing referral and urgent appraisal.
The receptionist was welcoming and happy to help me .Knowing  its not easy to see a doctor on speck, I am delighted to report
that it was arranged.Further expert analysis requested by the doctor at a clinic . I also had 
a prescription problem that needed a new one after cancelling the 
unfilled one and a visit to a different pharmacy .
the prescription clerk totally on the case and sorted it and explained how.  
For me it a cracking service and I feel it is moving forward in a positive way. With the situation in all facets of NHS. staff shortage and 
the lost of so many staff to better paid private sector posts etc. lets give credit where due, and I  do so for me. Aylesford medical  centre .  is 5  star thank you .
due to the policy of this page no names of persons revered  may be given .
GP surgery review: aylesford-medical-centre
Title: Good practice
Rating: 5 out of 5
Visited: May 2023
I had a appointment this morning, the receptionist was very friendly and I saw the new Dr face to face and he actually listened to me and the consultation was excellent, he was also a friendly Dr. He has got a really tough job in getting the surgery up and running properly again which I am sure he will do with the new team in time. So far I have had no problem with new team
GP surgery review: aylesford-medical-centre
Title: Good news, I hope!
Rating: 3 out of 5
Visited: May 2023
I read, with great interest that there is a new owner of our local GP practice. From the recent reviews it seems that we may, at last, receive proper service that we are legally entitled to. I hope so very much. We have been very poorly served in recent years and no one, including local NHS managers, seemed to care.
Fingers crossed!
GP surgery review: aylesford-medical-centre
Title: Great practice
Rating: 5 out of 5
Visited: April 2023
I visited this morning and the new team were excellent, I had face to face appointment with Dr and he listened to what I had to say and gave me a good consultation. He was very friendly and hopefully he will build the surgery to get better again.
GP surgery review: blackthorn
Title: Fantastic team at Blackthorn Medical Centre
Rating: 5 out of 5
Visited: May 2023
As always fantastic assistance form all. 
You are treated with the upmost respect & dignity & made to feel totally at ease. 
Nothing is ever to much trouble, no matter the reason for your visit.
GP surgery review: blackthorn
Title: Wonderful and kind staff
Rating: 5 out of 5
Visited: May 2023
I have been a patient of Blackthorn medical centre for 20 years since I was 10, and over the last 4 years have been dealing with chronic illness. My GP is helpful, kind and encourages me to believe in asking for help. The reception staff are also always so helpful to me, whether it is helping with my prescriptions, or in speaking to a doctor especially when I need it most. My mental health has struggled at times when dealing with pain, but the team here make me feel heard and take a huge weight off me. Never once have I not felt believed or felt like I have not been dealt with with empathy. I can never thank the staff and doctors here enough, for their care and time. I feel ever so lucky and grateful to be a patient here. Thank you.
GP surgery review: blackthorn
Title: Difficult to obtain services from web
Rating: 2 out of 5
Visited: December 2022
I understand there is a huge workload at GP and I am keen on using the self-service function provided if I am not urgent. I found a massive improvement on the webpage and webpage can navigate to different services / requests. I needed to reorder the repetitive medication for my children, but I could not access the page and the page displayed "error 404". This happens to other functions as well. I hope I can use this function in the short future to reduce the dail-in which requires a long waiting time. Thanks.
GP surgery review: blackthorn
Title: Great practice
Rating: 5 out of 5
Visited: October 2022
I had a worrying query regarding my 7 month old baby and used the triage service. I was seen within 1 hour and at the hospital for extra tests within 2 hours. 
I appreciate this service isn’t always possible as I have had to wait for routine appointments, however, I understand this system is so that when you need urgent help they are able to support you. 
I would also like to note that all the staff I encountered were understanding and reassuring.
GP surgery review: blackthorn
Title: Excellently organised Covid Booster
Rating: 5 out of 5
Visited: September 2022
I just wanted to thank everyone on behalf of my Father, for the excellent service today regarding the Autumn Covid Booster and Flu jab.
It was very efficient, from the lady and gentleman help out in thd carpark. My dad was extremely impressed with this as he is a bit unstable and requires a stick and a gentle arm to help him. 
The reception ladies were totally professional as was the nurse. As a team you could not have been more helpful. Even as we left the lady supervising the car park saw us safely out.
Thank you Team Blackthorn
GP surgery review: blackthorn
Title: Hard to get seen or have telephone calls
Rating: 2 out of 5
Visited: June 2022
incredibly hard to be actually seen by a doctor. Had test results in and they tried to make me wait over a month for my results, only when complained did they speed this up. After having test results back had to wait 3 weeks for an appointment to discuss moving forwards with my problem and options, never got the phone call as it was never booked in in an error on their behalf. Then they tried to book me in for a triage call, and upon saying that I do not need another triage call and I needed a consultation call did they book me in for this. Reception and doctors are lovely and professional, I cannot fault them on that, but the wait times and poor organisation is shocking. Endless problems with endless waiting times. I will be looking to move elsewhere.
GP surgery review: blackthorn
Title: Simply fantastic practice!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Visited: February 2022
I’ve recently moved to blackthorn from another surgery. Myself and my two children have had great service and experience. 
When I call you get through on the phone quickly, the staff are always so friendly and helpful. 
I’ve got a newborn and they’re always quick to get an appointment for him. 
10/10 surgery and I’m so pleased we made the move to such a lovely practice with amazing staff. Thank you.
GP surgery review: the-college-practice
Title: Great service
Rating: 5 out of 5
Visited: January 2024
I was able to get urgent help on the same day. 
Thank you for your assistance in such a short amount of time
Much appreciated
GP surgery review: the-college-practice
Title: Very helpful with my problem
Rating: 5 out of 5
Visited: January 2024
Skin problems, but gp prescribed plenty of things to help, very thankful for the help with my issue and time taken was ok
GP surgery review: the-college-practice
Title: Follow on review
Rating: 1 out of 5
Visited: January 2024
So after not receiving a call back for an ear problem after the receptionist told me I would receive a call the same day, 48 hours later I tried ringing College Road Practice. Tried 3 times at various times throughout the day, each time being told the queue was full and to try again later. In the end went to Albion Place (part of the College Road Practice). Spoke to a lovely receptionist who was very polite and helpful who said I would receive a call later that day, which I did. The member of the medical staff who I spoke to was very helpful and prescribed medication.
Not pleased with my experience overall. I was lucky that I was able to get to the surgery to sort this out, but what about patients who don't have that option. Does the surgery realise how frustrating and upsetting it is for patients trying to get through on the phone only to be told each time that the queue is full and to try again later! Very poor service. College Road needs to sort this out.
GP surgery review: the-college-practice
Title: Frustrating and unhelpful
Rating: 1 out of 5
Visited: January 2024
I am not sure exactly where to start with this surgery. To keep it brief: the service has deteriorated immensely over the last five years. The practice took on two other surgeries and since then things have got worse for all of them. It is now almost impossible to get through to the surgery by telephone, online contact is required for appointments and other queries but so many conditions are not viable for this option with the system saying you have to speak to the surgery. However you then wait an hour to get through and there are no ok the day appointments left. Queries about prescriptions and test results safe limited to two hour sessions in the day and the lines are always busy and you cannot get through. The receptionists in person also cannot speak to them to assist if you pop in in person. So you resort to asking online and end up with an unsatisfactory response by text requiring you to make further contact. On more than two occasions the information I was given was wrong as they had not taken into account the information in my notes. I then had to go through the whole system again to get an appointment with the GP who then told me what I had been told was wrong and further meds were needed. This is not uncommon. 

Return communication from the surgery is only ever by text and this allows no room for clarification or discussion resulting in further contact being needed and wasting everyone’s time. 

When you can speak to a GP it is usually on the phone and most GPs are so rushed they don’t have time to listen properly. on the last two occasions A medical professional actually sniggered at me and the next one I spoke to about the same issue made an urgent 2 week referral. Neither actually listened to what I was saying with the second cutting me off constantly and being rude. There are one or two excellent GPs but they are so popular it is extremely difficult to see them and this is made worse by the processes the surgery has in place (you can only book appointments 2 weeks in advance).

It is again impossible to get a follow up appointment with a GP who has requested you see them again to discuss next steps. I have been trying since the beginning of November to do this.

The staff who answer the phones and the staff on the reception are good and try to be helpful but they are tied by the processes the surgery have in place which at times feel utterly obstructive.
GP surgery review: the-college-practice
Title: No access to appointments for the vulnerable
Rating: 2 out of 5
Visited: December 2023
I attended the practice for a blood test on the 12th Dec 2023. While waiting an elderly man went to the reception and asked for an appointment with a doctor. The receptionist told him that the practice did not give out appointments and the man would have to book one using the online facility. He explained that he found it difficult to do this on his phone, she said there was no other way of getting an appointment. He sat down and started to press buttons on his phone. After a while he returned to the reception and explained he was having trouble. The receptionist said that she would not arrange an appointment for him and the only way was to use the online facility. He sat down again - I thought he was going to cry.  I was called for my blood test so don't know what happened next.  I do know however that it is a breach of the NHS contract for a surgery not to offer a range of access , taking into account the needs of the patient - See the below  extract from the regulations. I was very upset to see a vulnerable person being treated in this way. This used to be a wonderful GP practice, this issue needs to be sorted out urgently.

"The contractor must take steps to ensure that a patient who contacts the contractor—

(a)by attendance at the contractor’s practice premises;
(b)by telephone;
(c)through the practice’s online consultation tool within the meaning given in regulation ....; or
(d)through a relevant electronic communication method within the meaning given in regulation ...,
is provided with an appropriate response in accordance with the following sub-paragraphs.
GP surgery review: the-college-practice
Title: Great service
Rating: 4 out of 5
Visited: December 2023
Have used the online system twice now in 2 weeks and in both instances have received good service first occasion a doctor called and dealt with the issue and today managed to get a nurse appointment for my mother. The nurse herself was great- supportive, informative and reassuring.
On the occasions I have needed to use the practice I have found the reception staff very helpful so thank the college practice. I would recommend
GP surgery review: the-college-practice
Title: Always helpful
Rating: 5 out of 5
Visited: December 2023
I never had any issues with this practise the team is always happy and very helpful. Whenever I have something to discuss the doctors are always helpful. Lovely team
GP surgery review: the-college-practice
Title: Confidentiality Concerns
Rating: 3 out of 5
Visited: December 2023
I attended the Allington branch on 22/12/2023 for my scheduled Smear Test. The nurse who I saw was very professional, friendly and reassuring, I couldn't rate her highly enough and she is an asset to the team and patients that the surgery serves.

This procedure is one that I find very painful and uncomfortable. The nurse did all she could to make it quick but it is what it is. However, upon finishing the appointment and meeting my partner in the waiting room, he informed me that he could hear me from the consultation room. I had been very quiet (as much as possible given the intimate and embarrassing nature of the appointment) and was mortified that anyone in the waiting room could hear what I was saying or my yelps of pain. The surgery is in a converted bungalow that is wholly inappropriate for use - the examination bed barely fitted into the room and the clinical waste bin (used for equipment that has come into contact with bodily fluids and therefore may pose a risk of cross-contamination) was wedged between the bed and the cupboard as there was so little space available. This meant that I was almost touching the bin and the poor nurse had to bend to the side in order to be able to carry out the examination as she was unable to be in the correct position due to lack of space in the consultation room. This created an uncomfortable experience for both her and I and isn't a fair working environment for anyone to be in who has to carry out regular examinations with a patient on a bed.

Patient confidentiality should always be paramount and maintained, including ensuring that the consultation rooms are soundproofed at least to a level where reasonable noise and conversation cannot be heard by anyone outside of the room. There were a number of other people in the waiting room and it is unacceptable that anyone should be able to overhear anything from another patient's appointment. I was mortified when I found this out and it has only served to deepen my embarrassment and reluctance to return.

In contrast, the Barming surgery is much better equipped, built and laid-out with considerably more consultation rooms available for staff and patient use. However, it is drastically under-used and I have now been advised that there will not be a nurse available here for the foreseeable future, if again. This is a purpose-built surgery and should be prioritized above unsuitable converted buildings, such as that in Allington, particularly given it's convenient and easily-accessible location and own private, designated parking.