Great Barford Surgery - Ratings and reviews
Reviews
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Review titled Frustrating and difficult to get an appointment
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 31 January 2024
Had a text message from doctor asking me to book a face to face appointment asap. Tried for over a week to make an appointment (always full) got through several times & and was told face to faces all booked & I could have a phone appointment… said doc had actually requested me to make face to face appointment so was told to ring the following day & ‘try again’ finally have an appointment nearly 2 weeks later! The ‘appointment to be made only on the day’ system does not work and is extremely frustrating and very time consuming for the surgery patients each time they ring, surely some time allocation could be made for ‘non urgent but necessary appointments’ that can be booked in advance (yes like the old days!) It’s extremely difficult from a patient perspective to need a follow up appointment or receive a request from the doctor to see them and not be able to have any idea if or when you will actually be able to see the doctor. The surgery team have told me that ‘people prefer this system of no pre booked appointments’ and prefer to have on the day appointments to ring at 8am & hold (sometimes for more than half hour) I would like to challenge this as everyone I have spoken to (particularly if they need to book a follow up appointment) has disputed this. I suggest strongly that the ‘booking system’ needs to be made ‘fit for purpose’ and needs to be ‘less stressful’ for all patients. I firmly agree that people do need good access to ‘on the day appointments, both face to face and by phone’ however people who need follow up appointments need to be able to ensure they are seen in a timely manner also! Please use some common sense in relation to providing a more robust, fair and less stressful service!
Visited January 2024
Great Barford Surgery has not yet replied.
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Review titled Do not read instructions !
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 13 September 2023
I have only had a few GP's Surgery's in my life and all have been wonderful ... until now. Three times I requested my prescription to be doubled so that I wouldn't have to keep going tovthe surgery every single month ... the dispensery even read it out when I went there, but still got it wrong. So I have now gone to Pharmacy2U to be delivered ...... but they have contacted me saying they have tried twice to get authorisation from my GP but nothing. Am now looking for different practice. I suffer from white coat syndrome and this practice make it 10 times worse !
Visited September 2023
Great Barford Surgery has not yet replied.
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Review titled Excellent Service
Rated 3 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 06 June 2023
Received a home visit from a paramedic attached to the surgery. This person was professional, polite and extremely kind during the visit. They were a credit to themselves and the surgery.
Visited June 2023
Great Barford Surgery has not yet replied.
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Review titled Great Support and Help from Everyone
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Gillian Bassett - Posted on 10 July 2023
I recently injured my shin, necessitating a skin graft. The help and encouragement I received from everyone at the surgery was absolutely splendid. I was offered a 30 minute nurse appointment , during which another nurse and a GP were called in , to discuss my needs. In my frequent contacts with the surgery, the receptionists were unfailingly helpful. I am hugely appreciative of all the kindness and concern that has been, and continues to be, shown to me. My grateful thanks to all.
Visited April 2023
Great Barford Surgery has not yet replied.
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Review titled Just awful
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 15 January 2023
After barely visiting my GP for the last 15 years I have had reason to over the last 6 months. I have been booked in with the wrong doctor, been spoken to by one particular receptionist in such a rude, sarcastic and dismissive way that I almost cried (I am not a crier, but when you are at a low ebb and feeling dreadful, some things can be the final straw), and not once have my prescriptions been completely right. As far as my treatment itself goes, I feel like I am going around in circles. I don't feel listened to at all. You are rushed out of the room, talked over, one GP completely denied that I had told them something that I have brought up with them several times. I even thought of booking a private GP appointment just to see if someone else would at least really listen to what I am saying, but unfortunately, I cannot afford to. I have dealt with this surgery for many years, not for myself but for my children at various stages, and they absolutely were not like this ten or even five years ago. The service, from reception, dispensary and most of all the GPs themselves has taken such a nose dive over the last 4 or 5 years. Certainly pre-covid. As I said before, I don't feel I have been listened to and feel very unsupported by what used to be an excellent GP Practice. It's all tick boxes and forms, there is just no care at all.
Visited January 2023
Great Barford Surgery has not yet replied.
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Review titled A very grateful patient.
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 20 December 2022
I have needed lots of assistance from the surgery during the past year in particular and feel very impressed by the calm and patient service and time taken to help that I have received from all members of staff, especially considering the enormous pressure that everyone is under and has been during the past 2 years. Most recently I have needed help with accessing the type of Covid booster vaccine that I require and I turned to the surgery due to this help being unavailable elsewhere and I have received further helpful assistance, (I am unable to specifically name the person that has helped me with this but thank you). All in all my experience has been a good one and I am extremely grateful, thank you.
Visited December 2022
Great Barford Surgery has not yet replied.
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Review titled Terrible and rude receptionists
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 16 December 2022
The receptionists are always rude You call from 8am One person manning phone, get through 30 minutes later told all appointments gone and to ring 8am....tell her you did, told to go to a walk in centre ring 111, or A and.E...no help in even getting a doctor to call No wonder A and E jammed, when surgery is telling you to go hospital, every time too...even the docs if a phone appointment tell you to go A and E cse they can't fit you in..... A terrible place No care Rude, rude. Rude
Visited December 2022
Great Barford Surgery has not yet replied.
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Review titled Outstanding care, attention and human service
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Sharon Edwards - Posted on 22 December 2022
There is no doubt that the urgent diagnosis of my brain tumour was facilitated by the amazing attention provided to me when I consulted the GP. I was referred to Bedford hospital within 2 days for a scan which revealed a large tumour and subsequent emergency referral to Addenbrookes hospital for an emergency 16 hour brain surgery for the tumour resection. The staff at Great Barford surgery have been incredibly supportive to me in my recovery, ensuring that follow up appointments with the GP are made quickly, further support with the sick notes for work and additional care co-ordination and assistance. Without the observational and diagnosis skills of the GP, I would not be here to write such a well-deserved positive review of this practice. I am indebted and hugely thankful.
Visited September 2022
Great Barford Surgery has not yet replied.
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Review titled Over an hour on hold!
Rated 3 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 25 May 2022
I have been trying to get through to the Surgery for over an hour now, despite the automated message saying that someone would be with me shortly, and i have now abandoned the call. Is it worth the Surgery investing in some sort of telephony technology that could provide the caller with info about where they stand in the queue? The caller could then make a more informed decision as to whether to continue to hold. I appreciate that the surgery is busy but over an hour and still not getting through is hugely frustrating.
Visited May 2022
Review titled Great Barford Surgery
Replied on 26 May 2022
Dear Patient, I would like to thank you for taking the time to post this review. We use all reviews to help us to make any changes where necessary in order to improve the quality of the services that we provide. I am sorry to hear that you have found it difficult to get through to us on the telephone and appreciate how frustrating this can be. Please be advised that the telephone system has been under review and we are currently working with a new provider to source a cloud base system that will provide our patients with a much better service. One of the features of the new system will inform patients which position they are in the queue which will allow a patient to determine whether or not to stay on hold or maybe call back at another time. As with all GP Practices we do have peaks and troughs when call wait times can be longer and whilst we work through each call as quickly as we can we cannot determine how many patients are trying to get through to the surgery at any one time. In terms of timeframe we have a site visit arranged for Monday 30th May from the engineers and hope that within the next month or so the new system will be up and running so please bear with us whilst we make this change. If in the meantime I can be of any further support please do not hesitate to contact me with kind regards Jo Morrison Practice Manager
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Review titled So Helpful
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Annette - Posted on 25 April 2022
We have lived in the village for 4 months and have used the practice on many occasions picking up prescriptions and also a referral to a consultant all carried out quickly and in a helpful and friendly manner what more can you ask
Visited April 2022
Review titled Great Barford Surgery
Replied on 26 April 2022
Dear Annette, I would like to thank you for taking the time to post such a lovely review about the services you have received from the team at the surgery. We use all reviews to help us to make any changes where necessary in order to improve the quality of the services that we provide and on this occasion am very pleased to hear that your experience of us within such a short time frame is so positive. I will be sure to share your feedback with the whole team which I know will give them all a boost! with kind regards Jo Morrison Practice Manager