Submitted by collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff4th November 2022
I would give them 6 out of 5 stars, I am well chuffed. Delighted to be looked after here. Both this surgery and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital you cannot complain about. I really can't understand what people complain about I have been treated like royalty by the NHS.
Submitted by collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff4th November 2022
I just want to say first off the reception girls are all really lovely. But you can't see a Dr, I think the surgery has gone downhill. I see a nurse for my warfarin and they are brilliant. It all changed before the pandemic, it used to be so good here but your just can't see anyone. There are times when you just want to talk something over with a Dr and you can't. They say they're too busy but they can talk on the phone but not see someone.
Submitted by collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff3rd November 2022
I came in today for a blood test and I mentioned that I needed a flu vaccine, so they went and got it and I had it done then and there. Excellent service.
Reply from Orchard Surgery
Thank you for your comment. I am glad we were able to give your flu vaccine whilst already in the surgery.
They don't have the time
3
Submitted by collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff3rd November 2022
You can't get an appointment, you can't see a Dr. If you ask for a Dr you get a clinician. I don't know what her title/job was, maybe a nurse? She decided what was wrong with me before I even got in the door. She sent me to a physio. That's not the right diagnosis I will go to the physio and then I will come back and request to see a DR. There are good Drs here but I haven't seen one for years. They don't have the time.
Continuity doesn't happen any more. If I phone up I want to be seen now, not wait for someone.
Maybe they could review medicines more, I was given medicine 5 years ago, that says it should only be taken for 3 months. I am still on it. I just had a review for it actually and all they did was say do you want to still be taking it and I said yes.
Online booking works for me.
Reply from Orchard Surgery
Thank you for your feedback. I am sorry you do not feel you had the correct diagnosis.
If you feel you need to see a Doctor, this can of course be arranged. Depending on the urgency of the condition, will depend on how long it is before you can be seen.
I get to see the Dr I want
5
Submitted by collected by Healthwatch Norfolk staff3rd November 2022
It's been quite good as I get to see the Dr I want to see. I might have to wait but I don't mind as want the continuity. Sometimes when you call you can be 18 in the queue so I find it easier to book at the front desk. Compared to what I hear from other people I think we are very lucky.
Reply from Orchard Surgery
Thank you for your comments.
As well as coming into the surgery, you can request to book an appointment online at orchardsurgerydereham. co.uk
We are looking to extend availability of this service very soon.
Pharmacy curtesy, friendliness , guidance
5
Submitted by Lisa Frame20th October 2022
I received a phone call from Ben the pharmacist attached to the surgery today. Friendly, caring , good listener is only how I can describe him. He gave me guidance on my current medication and advice on how to counteract any side effects I might experience with over the counter remedies. Excellent service especially in view I have had reserved interests to the performance of Orchard Surgery. Well done and thank you so much.
Reply from Orchard Surgery
Thank you so much for taking the time to give us feedback.
We have passed on your comments to Ben.
Calling the Surgery
1
Submitted by Richard Lambert12th October 2022
Dear Practice Manager
I called yesterday at 4pm regarding my mother’s appointment for Thursday.
I was number 8 in the queue.
It took 52 minutes for me to get through to a member of the reception team.
I say team ( is there a team of staff or just one very overworked person?)
The receptionist was very helpful once I got through and indeed explained that the length of time it took to get through was “normal” !!
Now, I run a business for thirty years and as Practice Manager I assume that is also your role ??
If I treated my customers, the way you are treating your patients I would have ZERO customers.
I would have thought that any Practice Manager would be able to see the problem pretty quickly ?
50 minutes to get through is clearly not acceptable.
If you think it is and is justified, then you are absolutely in the wrong job.
The first impression you give to a patient is the most important.
From this experience I would get the impression of a practice that really does not care and is run very badly.
Now I am sure this is not the case as my mother has always received excellent care from the medical team.
The medical team are clearly providing a high-quality level of care from what I have seen over the last few years.
The practice in general however in terms of its set up from point of contact to follow through is however very poor.
Considering the last CQC report that was sent in I would have thought you would have made improvements ?
Feedback form - Only available in opening hours and no email address for the practice manager ???
I can only assume that this is designed to stop people complaining directly to someone.
I am absolutely gobsmacked that anybody could find the above “normal” or “acceptable”.
I will be writing to the local health authority as the stress this must cause people is clearly very unsatisfactory.
Reply from Orchard Surgery
I’m very sorry you experienced this wait. This is not the high standard of responsiveness we aspire to.
Like other teams in the NHS and in business, our service is currently suffering under the weight of unprecedented volume and complexity of demand, coupled with ongoing challenges caused by staff sickness. While we are working as hard and fast as we can, this means that we are not always able to be as responsive as we wish.
The practice is in the process of increasing the number of staff working in reception, and introducing new efficiencies and monitoring to help us improve our service. This will have a number of benefits, one of which is to reduce the time spent waiting on the phone for those patients who cannot use our website or the NHS App. We hope it will not be long before patients start noticing the impact of these changes.
Thank you for informing us of the problem with the availability of certain features of our website outside office hours. This error has been corrected.
Told to come in face to face
1
Submitted by Brian Webb29th September 2022
Terrible visit.......had a call to come in urgently for a face to face with a doctor following a blood test. Walked in (after waiting 50 minutes)and doctor had no idea of what I was there for! He said he was going to refer me to a cardioligist......I saw one 2 weeks ago.....total mess
Staff on reception wonderful and could not apologise enough...trying another doctor next week
I don’t often leave negative reviews, but unfortunately I had a poor experience this morning with Orchard Surgery. I was told by the GP to book an appointment for my daughter this week for a review, and the receptionist seemed to have no enthusiasm to help. I explained the reason for the appointment and when it was needed for, and my daughters details, and the response I got was “okay”. There seemed no willingness to find a suitable appointment, and although it got made in the end, it felt hard work to get it! Luckily this is something I find easy to look over, but for less confident callers I feel this could have been a very off-putting attitude towards a patient.
I rang the surgery with a medical problem early in the day and was told that I would receive a call back that day. It didn't come. I spent an uncomfortable night and as the surgery is closed all weekend - I had to resort to ringing 111 the next day. They were very efficient and arranged to have the antibiotics I needed sent to a local pharmacy. I have been a patient with Orchard Surgery for over 40 years and there was a time when I could always see my own GP. I have a lovely GP now but sadly there is no point in even asking to see her as GPs seem to be largely out of bounds to their patients. It is becoming a worry to need medical help these days.