Orchard Surgery

The GP referred me to the pain clinic because I'm in constant pain, not sleeping and my medication's not working. I was happy with that.

The nurses here are brilliant. It's the way they treat people, their bedside manner. My husband has vascular dementia and he's not comfortable talking to most people but when he gets in with Jenny he lets everything out. They laugh together but also he feels he can be upset in front of her if he needs to. The doctors aren't as good as the nurses.

The doctors and nurses are excellent, They're helpful and understanding, I've got no complaints. It can be hard to get appointments but there's only so many hours in the day and it's unsafe for doctors to see too many people.
I don't like that other staff play doctor. Receptionists think they can make medical decisions deciding who can see the doctors but what if they miss something important? They also ask for too much detail about private things which should be left to the doctor to ask. It's ... an important role but they should be less invasive. I don't think the pharmacist should overrule a doctor either. They should act as a safety valve and discuss with the doctor if something is wrong with a prescription, like mine was, but then the doctor should be the one to tell the patient.

I'm constantly struggling to get appointments with a doctor, I'm redirected to other people or have to wait a very long time. I don't mind seeing a nurse practitioner but I don't want to keep getting sent to a physio when that's not what I need. When you're my age every day counts. I want to get on with my life, I don't want to be in pain.

I have experienced an ongoing health issue for 12 months. Orchard have been fantastic. I am comfortable dealing with the online system and the message system works well. I have had continuity of care from the same clinicians. I like the fact that I don’t have to have appointments more than necessary. I have other health issues which require monitoring and the surgery is great at giving advice and letting me have some responsibility for those conditions too.

I am deeply disappointed with the lack of empathy and accessibility at this surgery. I called in significant pain due to bilateral cervical spondylosis, experiencing nerve issues and headaches. Despite explaining that I do not drive and cannot physically travel to the Norwich walk-in centre, I was dismissively told my case wasn't 'urgent' and to call back tomorrow. The receptionist treated me like a problem rather than a patient in pain. When you are struggling with a chronic condition and a co ... mplex medication change, you expect support, not a complete lack of care.
I am in the process of changing to another surgery.

Can it get any worse? I genuinely hope not.

Where do I start?

I rarely see the same doctor twice, which means no continuity and no one taking ownership of my care.

I’ve spent up to an hour in the telephone queue, only for the line to cut off.

Four times, across different doctors, I’ve been told “I don’t have a magic wand.” It seems to be a standard line here, but it’s incredibly dismissive when you’re in pain or distress.

I’ve raised two formal complaints. One was ... brushed off with “nothing to see here,” and the second hasn’t been acknowledged or responded to after more than two weeks.

Treatment feels like guesswork — multiple medications thrown at the problem, one of which carried a risk of kidney damage.

The biggest issue is that they simply don’t listen. I even had to hang up on a doctor who repeatedly talked over me and ignored what I was trying to explain.

All of this has happened after the surgery was placed in and out of special measures. You would hope lessons had been learned, but my experience suggests otherwise.

Appalling experience with extremely poor service and unhelpful staff.

We contacted the practice first thing in the morning as our young daughter was in significant pain with a suspected UTI. Despite being only 8th in the queue, we were refused an appointment on the grounds that they were “over capacity” and that it would be “dangerous” to offer her one.

Later that day, when my wife attended to provide a urine sample, she was told it could only be handed in between 8am and 12pm the ... following day because there was no staff available outside of these hours. This was particularly frustrating given that, at around 4pm, the waiting room was completely empty, which raises questions about their claim of being "over capacity".

When we raised our concerns, the receptionist was dismissive and rude, even going so far as to say it was “good” that we would have to travel to the out-of-hours clinic in Norwich late at night. The only alternative offered was to wait up to five days for treatment, pending results after the weekend.

In the end, we were forced to take our daughter to A&E. In contrast, the hospital staff were excellent, and she was seen, sample tested and given the necessary medication within 20 minutes of our arrival.

I go reasonably frequently as I'm diabetic and asthmatic so I see the nurses. I get texts to tell me when it's time for an appointment and I can usually get one when I need it. I do find it easier to go in and book. They're very, very nice.

The nurse or the doctor come out to me whenever I need. They're always at the end of the phone, I've never had any problems. I'm happy with the service.