St Stephen's Gate Medical Practice

Feedback

• Disappointed by treatment of patients

  1

  Submitted by Anonymous 26th May 2021

  Firstly it's really hard to get through on the phone - it starts with several minutes of warnings and reminders that you should only use the phone for emergencies. They have made it increasingly harder to even speak to a doctor never mind see one in person. I have finally been offered an appointment in 3 weeks time - after several unsatisfactory attempts at using their online enquiry form where they tried fobbing me off to the walk-in centre for a chronic illness. When I wrote a formal complaint about the online response the practice manager did reply but was unapologetic and just went on to give statistics about how many patients have been seen this year. All in all not happy with the service provided by this surgery over the past few months.

  
  
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• Is there a patient/doctor relationship anymor

  1

  Submitted by Emily 25th May 2021

  I have been having investigations since beg of October when I went to A&E Ongoing tests and exams when possible I ended up at the end of April back in A&E as in too much pain to be told I had fractured my foot ages ago and kept rebreaking it, I called the next day 28/4 to have a chat with my GP where I was told not available until 25/5 I asked if I could speak to anyone else knowledgeable in the practice to be told no! I then called on the 17/5 to book a face to face appt with my GP to discuss findings and was called back to say it wasn’t necessary and I could have a phone call instead! Where is the care/patient relationship?? .. I despair I asked for the practice managers contact details to be sent to me that didn’t happen either

  
  
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• Stress caused attempting to use services

  1

  Submitted by Robert Knight 20th May 2021

  In order to get an appointment I had to go via the walk in centre. 2 Drs for one appointment. Not a good use of resources. I phoned to get an extension of my sick cert and was told to apply on line 2 days prior to expiry which I did and was then told you cannot apply until the last day of my cert. I applied today by phone and opted to pick up my cert. The certificate was sent to my phone from which I am unable to forward to my employer. I again phoned St Stephens spoke to a male receptionist and asked if the cert could be e mailed to me, he said he would request this from 'The IT dept' but it would be with me by the end of the day. It has not arrived. I asked if I could pick up a hard copy from Newmarket Road Surgery and he said he would have to ask the issuing doctor to do this but it would not be a problem. I went to the surgery to pick it up and it was closed.

• Reply from St Stephen's Gate Medical Practice

  The attachment is sent to your phone, You can share it via email or whats app etc just like any other object (eg picture) on the phone or you can sent it a printer wirelessly. We do lots of Med3s and this the first time we have had a \"I cant sent to my employer|\" complaint. We will make sure reception are clear about this. Send us a message from the website and I will talk you through it. We really don\'t want to be wasting trees and inviting people into the building for non essential purposes. Thanks James Foster, nmanager

• Get a grip and see your registered patient

  1

  Submitted by Anita B 14th May 2021

  Today I called the surgery to book a face to face appointment for my son due to his wrist being sore and he is having issues with it. Offered a telephone appointment on 7th June. What use is a telephone appointment for a physical issue? Also advised to take him to the walk-in centre. Wow, so the surgery refers their own patient to another NHS facility to pick up their slack. Disgusting. Not satisfied with this treatment and having read online that face to face appointments should be offered for physical issues, the receptionist sad she would pass me to the practice manager. But oh no, another high and mighty senior receptionist proceeded to I interrupt me and gave robotic answers and then she hung up. Great service! Formal written complaint is incoming.

  
  
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• Reoeat Prescritions

  5

  Submitted by Albert Cooper 4th May 2021

  Referral to a clinician before reissue of Meds ! This mean making an appointment to visit the surgery, when you are all so busy with the "Triage" and request for permanent Meds needed

  
  
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• Failure to contact

  1

  Submitted by Norman Spencer 4th May 2021

  Missed a nurses appointment due to family emergency - first missed appointment ever. Tried to phone practise but was told 10th in queue - unfortunately from experience this meant a good hours wait on the phone compounded by the most awful music/noise. I then emailed the surgery to explain and asked them to arrange another nurse's appointment. I thought naively it was good practice to ask the surgery to contact me at their convenience and so take pressure off the phone system and others trying to call in a emergency. I did try to phone again but appeared to still be 10th in the queue. The website says that two working days should be allowed for a reply/aknowledgement. This was over a week ago and still no reply. This is the second time the surgery has failed to reply to an email within two working days.

  
  
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• Unable to make contact.

  1

  Submitted by Clare Holden 3rd May 2021

  Surgery closed, including on line form. Information about closer confusing. Information states closed from 30 April -4 May and then at the end of the sentance opens again tuesday 6 April! I've visited the Walk in Centre on two occasions and been told now to make an appointed with a Doctor.

  
  
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• Online appointment request

  1

  Submitted by Anonymous 22nd April 2021

  I have stated my availability for time and date options for next three weeks. I would suggest not to use this service if you don’t able to offer from the time which I am available. It literally waste my time!! It would be easier just allow us to call to book appointment!

  
  
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• Deaf ignored

  1

  Submitted by Anonymous 21st April 2021

  Deaf people been at this practice for many years, during COVID no diabetes checks carried, patient now had surgery and in hospital- diabetes related. Why no diabetic reviews? Why no BSL interpreters provided.

  
  
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• Communication

  1

  Submitted by Anonymous 18th April 2021

  I have to echo the previous comment about the extreme difficulty involved in accessing any form of medical care. Getting a reply to a simple query submitted online took 3 days, and I gave up on the phone after waiting 35 minutes for it to be answered. As someone with a long-term health condition, this is very worrying indeed. It looks as if A&E is now the only reliable option to get access to a doctor.

  
  
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