Lightwater Surgery - Ratings and reviews
Reviews
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Review titled Impossible booking for workers
Rated 3 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 16 February 2024
Needed to see a doctor for a painful uti. Trying not to take sick leave. I have to drive into work, so can’t book online early, when I get to work the bookings are gone and I can’t stay on the phone waiting for the 36 other patients in the queue. I managed to talk to reception at 10am, who was very unsympathetic and said there were no evening appointments. I asked about the next day, and she said I would have to phone in the morning. When I said I couldn’t,I got a very unsympathetic response. Do you have to be a sociopath in order to have a job as a receptionist. I ended up having to go private, in order to stay working. I am fortunate that I could do this. However, the problem still remains. Maybe if I had seen a gp, and had a test done, I would not have had three sleepless nights and still be in discomfort. I see on the website that there are evening appointments available for workers. Where? And how do you access? And….why didn’t the receptionist mention this to me, when she said the latest appointments were 6pm.
Visited February 2024
Review titled Lightwater Surgery
Replied on 16 February 2024
Thank you for your feedback. We do have evening appointments for anyone that would find those time slots helpful. There aren't many and we can't offer them to you if someone else has already taken them. If you are acutely unwell it would be better to see you in the morning so we can promptly treat you. I am sorry that your work is inflexible even when you are so unwell. We do have high call volumes when we open each morning but we are confident each person will be given a GP appointment that day and you can always ring slightly later (before 11am) when wait times are much quicker. You can also book appointments on the NHS app from 7am onwards.
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Review titled Fantastic practice
by Anonymous - Posted on 01 March 2024
Lightwater surgery is a brilliant practice with very profession caring staff. I have needed to see a GP twice in a week, with an issue. I managed to see the same doctor both times. She was, very sympathetic and patient, she took the time to explain everything to me, answering even the most awkward questions, with an understanding approach.
Visited February 2024
Lightwater Surgery has not yet replied.
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Review titled Misinformation
Rated 4 stars out of 5
by Ms. Kay Shelford - Posted on 19 July 2023
Tried for 2 days to make an appointment with a particular GP but fully booked, no available appointment for this GP on online either(name was not displayed), no telephone consultation available either, would not pass the message even after disclosing the gravity of my health situation and thus imperative that I see or talk to GP when asked to make an appointment for a week or so in advance was told can not be done, but only on the day. This totally contravenes the surgery own website information as per below; Pre-bookable Appointments (More Than 48 Hours In Advance) Appointments are available to pre-book up to 3 weeks in advance for all GPs at the surgery. Most of these are in the afternoon, with a limited few in the morning. We also release some appointments 48 hours in advance. Appointments booked too far in advance causes an increase in patients not attending.
Visited July 2023
Review titled Lightwater Surgery
Replied on 26 July 2023
Dear Miss Shelford I'm sorry you have felt it necessary to post again on our feedback page. Our appointments are released exactly as described on our website, which you have quoted. Unfortunately there is not an unlimited number of appointments. If other patients have already booked the appointment you want then it will not be available. As always we can find you an alternative doctor to see if the matter is urgent, or you will be able to see the doctor of your choice, as we have done for you this week, at a different time.
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Review titled No caring for children, knowing the virus
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 08 December 2022
They refuse to register my child temporary knowing he was u well and dangerous virus is around, I asked temporary registration for my child they told me to register my child permanent, the child have two addresses and I told I can not change the GP because of surgery waiting date and I do not know how long I am going to stay to this address and I need to move because is related with work and not suitable for children and some of my childless or have growing up children neighbors already complains about bikes and noise which I never had issue before. I explained but they had own decision, they told me, they spoke with partners and said I need to register permanent for my child to be checked, my child does not even go to school in that area.
Visited December 2022
Review titled Lightwater Surgery
Replied on 09 December 2022
You called us yesterday about your child. We offered to register and see them yesterday morning. Registration takes less than 5 minutes. We could have done this and seen your child before 10am. You declined this offer. Temporary registration (up to 14 days) is for emergency treatment when you are away from home, for example on holiday or visiting relatives. As you clearly live in the area, you rent a home and your child is enrolled in a school in Camberley, you are not a temporary resident. Changing your registered GP has no effect on hospital services you maybe using or waiting to use.
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Review titled Great practice
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Christine - Posted on 12 December 2022
My husband and I had to change GPs as we moved just out of Camberley. Lightwater Surgery is the exact opposite of our Camberley surgery - you actually get to see a doctor! It is efficiently run, yes you may have to wait on the phone for a bit, but you can get an appointment on the same day, the doctors are extremely efficient and thorough and they phone with results when necessary. If you have any problems they are always followed up. I can’t recommend this surgery enough, we are so grateful we had to change surgeries.
Visited August 2022
Lightwater Surgery has not yet replied.
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Review titled Unhelpful Receptionists.
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 08 July 2022
At a pre-operation assessment the nurse found a problem which required me to see a doctor before the operation. I was told that if I explained this to the receptionist I would get an appointment as the operation date was fixed. I attended the surgery and explained. I was told that there are no appointments, received a Gallic shrug and told, that's the way it is'. I queue up on the telephone each morning and when I am not cut off and do get through - no appointments left today, try tomorrow. Looks like my op will be cancelled.
Visited July 2022
Review titled Lightwater Surgery
Replied on 11 July 2022
Dear patient, thank you for your feedback. I am disappointed to read that the pre-op nurses made matters difficult for you. The pre-op clinic has direct access to us and any issues they raise are dealt with immediately by our duty GP. I am sorry on this occasion they caused you to chase up the problem. With regards to booking our appointments we never tell patients there are no appointments left. If you contact us before 11am on any morning you will get a GP appointment. If you call after 11am and the problem won't wait then the duty GP will call you back or see you that afternoon. You don't need to queue on the phone, you can use the website, the NHS app, the automated telephone key pad system or come into reception. Appointment booking opens at 7am each morning.
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Review titled Farcical
Rated 2 stars out of 5
by Kay Shelford - Posted on 01 July 2022
This surgery really need to do something to make it more user friendly for its patient to make an appointment with the doctor/nurse of their own choice. Presently having a simultaneous system ( on line on phone and face to face) is not very clever at all. Firstly some people do not have computer or smart phone, secondly if done face to face with the surgery at its opening time, the usual answer is that all the appointments are already taken for that day (one can not book in advance, that would be too convenient for the patients) So really Lightwater surgery please and try to organise your selves in order for everyone to be happy, present system is very unfair and one sided, and oh please do not start me with the phone and the length of time before one is put true.
Visited June 2022
Review titled Lightwater Surgery
Replied on 08 July 2022
Thank you for your comments. We are required by NHS England to provide multiple methods of booking appointments and contacting us. We offer in person booking at our reception desk, by phone, internet and using the NHS app on a smart phone. We offer on the day appointments and appointments 2-3 weeks in advance. If a particular doctor or nurse is not available we will always offer you an alternative. We pride ourselves on prompt access to clinical staff and believe what we offer is the best in the area. Everyone that wants to be seen will be on the same day. We do not triage patients or insist on patients completing online forms before they are phoned back or seen.
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Review titled telephone apart
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Kay Shelford - Posted on 12 September 2022
nothing to say apart from ..how can one be 38th in a que precisely at 8 am...absolutely ridiculous...no wander people are complaining ..
Visited June 2022
Review titled Lightwater Surgery
Replied on 26 September 2022
Dear Miss Shelford, thank you once again for your feedback about telephone access to our reception staff. Our phone lines are always busy for the first 20 minutes on a Monday morning. You will always be able to get through and your call will be queued. We have over 13,500 patients at this practice and on a typical Monday morning our reception staff will book just over 300 doctor and nurse appointments. It is simply not feasible to employ 40 reception staff to answer all calls without waiting. To avoid waiting at peak times you could call after 8.30am, call volumes drop off very quickly and you will get through much sooner. Anyone that calls before 11am will get an appointment. As we have suggested to you before, the NHS app and Patient Access app offer appointment booking from 7am. In answer to your final point, we aren't aware of anyone else complaining about our telephone access.