Thorpewood Medical Group

Feedback

• Child with Breathing difficulties turned away

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  Submitted by Anonymous 16th December 2021

  My son has Covid and struggling to breath due to swelling in his nostrils. I called the surgery who told me that that there were no appointments left and to call 111. I am a single parent and my child has a learning disability. I have experienced discrimination from this practice. I am unable to access the walk in centre as my son has covid and everyone in my support network has underlying health problems. I will be contacting the CQC and local press about this discrimination.

• Reply from Thorpewood Medical Group

  Thank you for the time in leaving the Surgery feedback. I apologise for the experience you had relating to your Son. In order I can investigate this matter, please are you able to email the Surgery E Mail address - thorpewood.d82048@nhs.net - Please let me have details of the date and your name. I will endeavour to identify what happened this day. My regards. Andy Cutting Practice Manager

• No other way of getting heard

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  Submitted by Sarah Beales 14th December 2021

  I had recieved a reply on the 6th October 2021 in response to a complaint I made and was told I'd hear back within 21 days after investigation of the events that I'd complained about. Now I'm unable to open the link for the response I was sent on 6th October and despite my messaging numerous times have still not had a resolution surrounding the complaint. 21 days has been and gone. I keep saying all the email links don't open, not do the copy and paste links. I was at the end of my tether describing symptoms that turned out to all be Red Flag symptoms of Cauda Equina Syndrome resulting in emergency surgery as was on the verge of having to self evacuate my bowels for the rest of my life and verging on full blown permanent paralysis from lumbar spine down. I couldn't weight bare. Econsult form describing all this went in and was told id been triaged for a gp call back 5 days later. Cauda Equina Syndrome has a time frame of 48 hours from symptom onset to paralysis unless surgical intervention takes place. I don't need to calculate the days, fortunately, someone was looking down on me and surgery was extremely successful given it was way beyond the 48 time frame. I was ignored numerous times. And yet again being ignored with a lack of response to the original complaint. And why am I now unable to even open the link that funnily enough, provided the evidence that it was being investigated and I'd hear back within 21 days of the date on the email, which was 6th October 2021? Slightly concerning and suspicious

  
  
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• Keep up the good work

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  Submitted by Anonymous 1st December 2021

  I completed the online form as we all know how to do these days, and received a telephone appointment within a couple of days. Dr Hampsheir was caring and responsive to my health needs, and most of all he listened! I have been a patient of the practice for over 20 years and rarely need their services. I am thankfull that when I need them, they are there. Keep up the good work.

• Reply from Thorpewood Medical Group

  Thank you very much for your positive and encouraging comments. I will make sure the Surgery and Dr Hampsheir are aware of this. Such comments raise the spirits of everyone at the Surgery. Thank you again. Andy Cutting Practice Manager

• Face to Face GP Appointment

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  Submitted by S Leavett 22nd November 2021

  I have been trying to get a face to face GP appointment for my father who is living with dementia, and needs to be assessed before we can progress with care and support. Having tried to make appointment via phone, I was told to fill in the patient contact form. I got an email asking me to complete the econsult form (I had done this previously and it states to contact the surgery if you are contacting the surgery on behalf of someone else). I received an email saying a GP would call me, they did not. I wrote to the practice manager. Two days later a GP called my mother and was incredibly unhelpful, asking why my father needs to be seen if he has been diagnosed. Disgraceful. We are still trying to get a GP appointment, 2 weeks later.

  
  
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• Diabetes review, I wish

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  Submitted by Anonymous 6th November 2021

  Need to have a diabetes review, last year I couldn’t get one apparently due to covid restrictions, now 2 years from last review and guess what I can’t call to arrange as told I need to do an e-consult, but I work away all week as an hgv driver, e-consults turned off at weekend, no way to contact them. Need to book asap as I’m also going to be due my dvla medical very soon or my licence will be revoked, but also need to get it booked within a certain time or I’ll need to book a weeks holiday just for a 30 min appointment Never have I found such a bad doctors, they used to be great pre covid, now they just don’t care

  
  
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• Very poor service

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  Submitted by Anonymous 1st November 2021

  A complaint was made back in June, I am still waiting for a response and it is now November. Staff have acknowledged the complaint and still waiting for the practice manager to respond some 5 months on! Staff still using covid as an excuse but the practice needs to re think it’s business model as many other public sector services and surgeries have and are managing the impact far better. The current system doesn’t work for them and vulnerable people are being let down by the surgery. No wonder the surgery is CQC rated as requiring improvement. Requested appointments for our family via e consoltation, in theory this is a good system and should work , but the practice doesn’t meet time lines on any occasion and sometimes no contact at all which has to be chased up. Also , to expect someone to wait for a call between 8-6 all day when working is not practical. Speaking to a medical professional at the surgery is almost like winning the lottery if not turned away to the walk in centre which is the usual response even for ongoing issues that the walk in centre unable to address. Also had duplication of contact for the same issue, what a waste of the medical professionals resources for admin errors. Most of the staff are polite and helpful and it seems the management is very poor overall and somewhat curt in manners etc.

• Reply from Thorpewood Medical Group

  Thank you for your feedback. I apologise if the standard of service at the Surgery does not meet your expectations. There are no outstanding complaints that have come to this office from June, I am sorry. You raise many items in your contact and I am more than happy to address each. Should you wish to meet me at the Surgery, please E Mail the Surgery Address - thorpewood.d82048@nhs.net and state the Healthwatch feedback for my attention and then we can arrange for a meeting here if you would like that. Thank you. Andy Cutting Practice Manager

• Information being sent to the wrong people

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  Submitted by Anonymous 1st November 2021

  I contacted my GP about a condition via Consultant. Didn’t hear back for over a week and when i did they sent me someone else’s information across!

• Reply from Thorpewood Medical Group

  Thank you for your feedback. I am unable to investigate this unless I can have more information please. I apologise if you believe the Surgery have acted incorrectly or been slow. If you would like to email the Surgery E Mail Address and provide more details, I can look into this matter further. Please write to - thorpewood.d82048@nhs.net Thank you. Andy Cutting Practice Manager

• Lack of care or skill

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  Submitted by Anonymous 1st November 2021

  Lack of skill or care by reception staff. GPs are useless and will often shorten appointment times by diagnosing without asking all necessary questions or reviewing the issue. This often leads to multiple appointments to resolve a single issue. Moved to Thorpe Health Centre (St. Williams Way) and received worse treatment. Always told to go to Walk-In Centre or call 111. Often go to A&E to be seen when needed which puts unnecessary pressure on NNUH.

• Reply from Thorpewood Medical Group

  I am sorry you have had an adverse experience at Thorpewood Surgery. The Reception Team are trained and do care. They along with all our clinical teams are doing their best for all our patients. My regards. Andy Cutting Practice Manager

• So sad what GP services have become.

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  Submitted by Anonymous 27th October 2021

  I can do online Consult, but then get an email saying when I'll get a call , but what if I can't do, I work. I luckily was off but can you imagine my anxiety knowing that there was 4 hr slot for call. The GP was brusk, and not warm and friendly, I felt a nuisance.I would have hoped the GP would be more intuitive and supportive.

• Reply from Thorpewood Medical Group

  Initially thank you for completing E Consult. 5,200 Surgeries use this across the country. Most endeavour to get back to state when an appointment with a GP or Allied professional can take place. I understand your point about availability for you to take a call. Many working people welcome the E Consult as they can complete it at any time, knowing a GP will see it and act. On some occasions the GP can E Mail you back with a solution. I appreciate this does not give you the voice or face to face re-assurance. I apologise you were not happy with the communication with the Doctor. Be assured no one in the Surgery believes any patient is a nuisance when a medical situation occurs. Thank you for your feedback. Andy Cutting Practice Manager

• Getting an Appointment

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  Submitted by Anonymous 29th August 2021

  My neighbour has been trying to contact surgery for a week now but no one answers the phone. on the one occasion she did get through she was told their was no appointments and to call again later and guess what no appointments. Then decided to walk to surgery and when inside was spoken to in a very abrupt manor and told to leave reception as she had no appointment and was not meant to be their and guess what still no appointment. What are Doctors doing, they should have a pay cut! How come you can see a doctor at the hospital but not your Surgery?

• Reply from Thorpewood Medical Group

  Thank you for the time in providing feedback for the Surgery. I apologise if your neighbour has experienced problems. I make the following comments which may explain some of your points raised: Phone Wait E Consult was introduced to try and decrease the amount of calls made to the Surgery. This would have prevented the long wait your neighbour experienced; I apologise. However, the Pandemic has interfered with this aim. The Surgery has 11000 adults eligible for the Vaccination and there are multiple vaccinations per person, according to differing criteria. Our Reception Team have taken and arranged over 30,000 phone calls in addition to our usual daily telephone traffic. This is the reason for the delay. I apologise if it was perceived that the welcome to the Surgery was abrupt. We have a number of new Reception Team and based upon the abuse received every 20 minutes of the day, I believe the tone is assertiveness and not abrupt. We average 6,400 appointments per month. Based upon phone calls and E Consults, a Doctor will make a clinical decision if a Face to Face appointment is required and will arrange that at the time of making contact with the patient, if needed. When the Appointment lists are at capacity, the GP will instruct the Receptionist to advise the patient accordingly, for example, if the patient needs to be seen in the clinical opinion of the Doctor, the patient will be referred to the Walk In Centre. This facility is utilised by all Surgeries in the City. Thank you for your time once again. Andy Cutting Practice Manager