Shawbury Medical Practice - Ratings and reviews
Reviews
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Review titled Appointment time shambles
Rated 2 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 08 April 2024
The appointment booking system is shambolic. The only way to get an appointment is by phone and then only by the lottery of the queuing system! I rang at 0830 only to be told that the queue was full and my call was terminated. This happened twice more before I eventually got into the queue. Having held for a couple of minutes the message changed to inform me that the queue was full and my call was again terminated. After 2 more attempts (by this time it was 0842) I eventually got through to a member of staff, only to be told that all the morning's appointments were gone and that the only way to get an appointment was to ring back at 1330. I duly rang back at 1330 only to go through almost the same sequence of events and with the same result, once again being told to ring back, this time in the morning. There is no wonder that A&E departments are getting inundated with patients presenting with minor ailments when GP surgeries are handling their patients in this manner. I find it exceptionally hard to believe that a surgery with a catchment area the size of Shawbury's was only operating with one GP (apparently there will be two on tomorrow!!!!). I find it equally difficult to understand how an entire morning's worth of appointment slots can be filled in the space of 12 minutes and for the same to be said for the afternoon. How many slots were there? Even if each appointment was 30 minutes long (which they aren't), that equates to 7/8 slots for the morning which apparently get allocated on a first come first served basis. Given that it would take a couple of minutes for the member of staff who answers the call to ascertain personal details and symptoms it seems incongruous that those 7/8 theoretical appointments had been taken before 0842 when I was turned away.
Visited April 2024
Review titled Shawbury Medical Practice
Replied on 08 April 2024
Good Evening Anonymous Reviewer Thank you for your comments and observations Shawbury Medical Practice
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Review titled Tax rebate
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 18 April 2024
Unable to get appointments at this surgery as unable to even get through. Therefore no failure to triage as not even allowed to log the issue. It should not be based on who gets through jostling for position, standing by the phone to ring and hog a space like uncivilised grabbers. Everyone should get a chance to state their need and preference and then triaged accordingly. This would make best use of limited resources on many levels, be fairer, more equitable, just and ensure resources are allocated appropriately. We should get a tax rebate as we are paying for a service we are not able to access. There’s an apparent shortage of gps yet if I have the cash I can pay for an appointment with my tax rebate. Freedom of information request will be made to find out number of available appointments, number of gps, who is getting the appointments, who is prioritised, and what/if any plans for a better booking system are in the pipeline. Other surgeries seem to have a web based system in this era but a surgery with many people outlying in countryside areas does not. Seems wrong especially as for residents of this practice they must travel quite far to get to a walk in centre or ed/a&e department due to rurality. Not easy when you are incapacitated due to illness! Not to mention the waiting times in these places we don’t want to be using their resources unnecessarily as others need them! Praise to the staff who turn up day in day out to give their best to such a dysfunctional farce.
Visited April 2024
Review titled Shawbury Medical Practice
Replied on 18 April 2024
Dear Reviewer Thank you for your comments and for the praise to the staff that you include in your closing - that is very much appreciated and will be shared with our team As the Practice Manager I 100% feel your frustrations and difficulties and very much appreciate receiving feedback that acknowledges the failings 'in the system' are rooted in the failings across the NHS Primary Care System as a whole. As a practice team we work our absolute utmost day in day out to prop up a failing Secondary Care Service - not our role but many, many patients across the NHS are experiencing increasing instances where many contacts they try to have with 'hospital systems' are bounced straight back 'to the GP to deal with' and I know I have spoken with many, many patients who have had that experience. Added to this there is a Funding and Recruitment crisis across Primary Care that is really, really impacting everyone's ability to provide the service we all joined the NHS to provide. We all hate this. As part of the Management Team, every day I spend 12 hours a day, trying to spread a tiny funding resource as widely and thinly as possible to cover everything we need and want to provide - it is not enough and means I fail our patients and community on a daily basis. It is not enough to say 'we do our very best with what we have and we cannot get any more' but I would be misleading everyone if I were to say that anyone in Primary Care has the power or influence or ability, to make a change to this national situation. The need for appointments, the failings in the national and local IT systems and offering, the recruitment crisis, the referral into secondary care crisis and all the painful, upsetting impacts of these, are replicated across Primary Care everywhere. The issues are bigger than Shawbury MP and my/our ability to spread the little we have , even further. It would be wrong and immoral to suggest we could offer any answer that would address or solve this crisis. We continually review what we provide and how we provide it and what we can do to change / expand that - every week. I thank you for putting this review on the NHS website as these are reviewed by NHS England and our funding bodies and they need to hear these issues from more than just myself and the practice team. They will be contacting me to ask why I haven't addressed this crisis and I will be repeating the above to them and asking how they advise we spread our woefully inadequate resources, any more thinly I can only apologise that at present this is where Primary Care is at. It upsets, embarrasses and pains me that we cannot do more. I know this is not the answer you are hoping for but I feel now is the time to be completely transparent that nationally these challenges are pushing patients and Primary Care to the brink. K Akrinstall Practice Manager
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Review titled Despair
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 18 April 2024
Staff are so helpful in surgery no complaints there. However, booking system is crazy. Ring at 8.30 do so dead on, must listen to call 111/ don’t be abusive strapline every. single. time. Told you are in the queue and receptionist will be with you. After waiting told the queue is too full and cut off! Try again several times. Same occurs. Get through at 10.30 told to do it all again at 1.30 as full and no phone appointments. Try again 1.30 exactly same happens. Rang as soon as clock strikes 1.30 (at 13.29.6 minutes it said it was closed on answerphone). Listened, queued and waited then surprise surprise cut off! I only call in emergency as I know what they are like. Failed to get appointment for my child also 2 weeks ago. So called 111. Did the whole 111 answering questions rigmarole. Told to call enhanced pharmacist. Called them. They said 11 should not have directed me to there as it’s not their remit. What a time wasting, energy sapping, inefficient, ineffective joke it all is. Staff on the ground It is not you. Not at all. In this day and age I can’t believe this is what we are tolerating and paying for! It is causing much much stress and undue suffering. I cannot see why it is not possible to get a 5 minute phone call. It’s not a one off. Especially when you ring at 8.30 or 1.30 dead on as they ask. The system is awful nationally. Not sure what other surgeries are like. They are definitely trying to run the whole thing into the ground so privatisation occurs and we are all sleepwalking into this by not speaking up. Do we really want to take this rubbish for years for our families and then accept a u.s. style system where you have to pay for everything from insulin to inhalers to hospital admissions to verification of death. So upset with system. In the meantime can something be done about Shawbury appointment system. Could an email system be set up and then phone for only those who can’t access would be win win, more transparent regarding who is getting the appointments. I realise with limited resources triage must happen but we are not even getting through to triage!
Visited April 2024
Review titled Shawbury Medical Practice
Replied on 18 April 2024
Dear Reviewer Thank you for your comments and for the praise to the staff that you include in your opening - that is very much appreciated and will be shared with our team As the Practice Manager I 100% feel your frustrations and difficulties and very much appreciate receiving feedback that acknowledges the failings 'in the system' are rooted in the failings across the NHS Primary Care System as a whole. As a practice team we work our absolute utmost day in day out to prop up a failing Secondary Care Service - not our role but many, many patients across the NHS are experiencing increasing instances where many contacts they try to have with 'hospital systems' are bounced straight back 'to the GP to deal with' and I know I have spoken with many, many patients who have had that experience. Added to this there is a Funding and Recruitment crisis across Primary Care that is really, really impacting everyone's ability to provide the service we all joined the NHS to provide. We all hate this. As part of the Management Team, every day I spend 12 hours a day, trying to spread a tiny funding resource as widely and thinly as possible to cover everything we need and want to provide - it is not enough and means I fail our patients and community on a daily basis. It is not enough to say 'we do our very best with what we have and we cannot get any more' but I would be misleading everyone if I were to say that anyone in Primary Care has the power or influence or ability, to make a change to this national situation. The need for appointments, the failings in the national and local IT systems and offering, the recruitment crisis, the referral into secondary care crisis and all the painful, upsetting impacts of these, are replicated across Primary Care everywhere. The issues are bigger than Shawbury MP and my/our ability to spread the little we have , even further. It would be wrong and immoral to suggest we could offer any answer that would address or solve this crisis. We continually review what we provide and how we provide it and what we can do to change / expand that - every week. I thank you for putting this review on the NHS website as these are reviewed by NHS England and our funding bodies and they need to hear these issues from more than just myself and the practice team. They will be contacting me to ask why I haven't addressed this crisis and I will be repeating the above to them and asking how they advise we spread our woefully inadequate resources, any more thinly I can only apologise that at present this is where Primary Care is at. It upsets, embarrasses and pains me that we cannot do more. I know this is not the answer you are hoping for but I feel now is the time to be completely transparent that nationally these challenges are pushing patients and Primary Care to the brink. K Akrinstall Practice Manager
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Review titled Great practise
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Colum - Posted on 27 October 2023
The people on reception are always extremely kind and caring. I feel they deliver a very professional service and go above and beyond to help. Service from Senior GP is always fantastic. My most recent diagnosis would have taken a lot longer to establish had he not consistently gone above and beyond. He made multiple phone calls on my behalf which helped speed up the process. His communication is brilliant - always explaining what he is thinking. By far the best GP I have ever experienced and feel very lucky to have Shawbury as my local GP.
Visited October 2023
Review titled Shawbury Medical Practice
Replied on 30 October 2023
Many thanks Colum for your very kind review of the surgery ! We are all pleased you had such a good experience and that we were able to help I have shared your comments with Dr Clark and the whole team - it was a real boost to read Many thanks Kind regards Kirsty, Practice Manager SMP
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Review titled Concern for future of this practice
Rated 3 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 17 September 2023
I have been trying for over three weeks to book an appointment for a due repeat injection. I have been told by a rather abrupt receptionist on several occasions that there will be no appointments with either a doctor or a nurse for the foreseeable future, due to staff sickness. I was told to find an alternative source for my injection, for which she would arrange a prescription. I rang 111, who said that is a total impositions ask me to find an alternative, as the practice's duty of care meant that if, unable to provide the injection, the practice should arrange an alternative. Most of the staff at this practice, including most receptionists, nurses, and doctors are usually very helpful. I guess every establishment has to have one who falls far short in their people skills! It does beg the question as to whether or not this practice is in imminent danger of closing down altogether. No doctors, no nurses, no appointments, and a lone receptionist taking all calls, but providing no services whatsoever. What is a practice in this situation? A shut down practice.
Visited September 2023
Review titled Shawbury Medical Practice
Replied on 22 September 2023
On behalf of Shawbury Medical Practice, may I thank you for taking the time to raise your concerns and provide us with feedback on your experience at the practice. Please be assured we take all concerns seriously, welcoming and valuing patients, carers and families giving us feedback, comments and observations on their treatment and experiences. We are sorry to hear you feel you have had a difficult experience with the practice. Please be reassured it was not the intention of the Practice to cause you any inconvenience or distress. If at all possible I would ask for your support in contacting me directly so I can take a few more details and investigate fully. I sincerely apologise that you have been given incorrect information and I would welcome the opportunity to speak with the individual involved. To address some of the points raised, we routinely have clinical appointments available within a week if not within a matter of days – nobody should be waiting for three weeks for help. We have, unfortunately recently, had one week where our nursing team was severely depleted due to staff being out sick with Covid. During that brief period we were updating callers on a daily basis, as staff returned to work and cover staff were secured to add in additional clinical capacity. Fortunately everyone is now well and back in practice. Reading your comments regarding ‘a lone Receptionist taking calls’ I feel I may have an idea of what has a happened here and would welcome the opportunity to explain directly to you. I think, unfortunately you were on the receiving end of someone else’s inappropriate agenda and I wholly and sincerely apologise for that. Please be reassured – everyone – that we are very much open and providing services across the practice. Please also be reassured that all staff, both clinical and non-clinical, at the practice, are highly dedicated professionals, working in very challenging times, to ensure patients, carers, families and our community are provided with the utmost standards in care and compassion. If you would like to contact the practice directly, with more detail, please be reassured that as soon as we receive your email / letter / call we will respond directly. I am sorry that the practice has not met your expectations in this interaction. As with any feedback received, your comments will be shared with the practice team as a way of us learning and progressing from elements that need improvement. Dr K Arkinstall Practice Manager Shawbury Medical Practice Shawbury.admin@nhs.net
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Review titled Unprofessional receptionist
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 31 January 2023
Being at this doctors for a number of years now, alway believed was a good doctors. im one of them if i cant get to work, i must be ill . This month had blood test, requested by doctor, few days later had a letter asking to make a doctor appointment. Being trying for over a weeks to get to talk to doctor . But today ,I was faced with a rude unprofessional receptionist, who thinks she knows better. Even better after listening to phone message everytime you ring about not putting with abusive patients, you will be removed, how about rude and abusive receptionist, Why aint there removed? She would not listen after trying to explain i recieved a letter asking me to make an appointment iv being trying for a while now, for this rude member of staff to tell me there's nothing she can do even after I said should I go to A&E for her reply " thats your priorities" then put phone down on me. She should had at least easier my mind and just said " your blood test results aint to bad just a little life style change or yes your blood results are urgent i need to book you in asap, just any form of help would have helped. After all this doctors surgery asked ME to make an appointment. This doctors need better to get a better receptionist ,very rude unprofessional, if she can't cope. Leave the job and give it to someone who cares. let's hope I get my blood results soon. Plus we've all had a stressful 3 Years with lockdown, so that is no excuse for being rude,
Visited January 2023
Review titled Shawbury Medical Practice
Replied on 31 January 2023
Dear Reviewer On behalf of Shawbury Medical Practice, may I thank you for taking the time to raise your concerns and provide us with feedback on your experience at the practice. Please be assured we take all concerns seriously, welcoming and valuing patients, carers and families giving us feedback, comments and observations on their treatment and experiences. The whole practice team work incredibly hard at providing a comprehensive, caring and continuous service to all our patients and our community - during some exceptionally challenging times over the last three years - and your wide ranging comments and statements about how you report have been treated are not reflective of the lived experience and monitoring of provision across the practice. With this in mind in order that we could fully understand and investigate your experience of how you feel we are not providing the fullest range of services and access possible we would need more details to enable me to explore this further. We are sorry to hear you feel you have had a difficult experience with the practice. Please be reassured it is never the intention of the Practice to cause anyone inconvenience or distress. Please also be reassured that all staff, both clinical and non-clinical, at the practice, are highly dedicated professionals, working in very challenging times, to ensure patients, carers, families and our community are provided with the utmost standards in care and compassion. With the review being submitted anonymously to a third party, if you would like to contact the practice directly, please be reassured that as soon as we receive your letter we will respond directly. Dr K Arkinstall Practice Manager Shawbury Medical Practice
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Review titled Rude and unprofessional staff
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 19 January 2023
Being at this doctors for a number of years now, alway believed was a good doctors. im one of them if i cant get to work, i must be ill . This month had blood test, requested by doctor, few days later had a letter asking to make a doctor appointment. Being trying for over a weeks to get to talk to doctor . Bit today ,I was faced with a rude unprofessional receptionist, who thinks she knows better. Even better after listening to phone message everytime i ring about not putting with abusive patients, you will be removed, how about rude and abusive receptionist, Why aint there removed. She would not listen after trying to explain i recieved a letter asking me to make an appointment iv being trying for a while now, for this rude member of staff to tell me there's nothing she can do even after I said should I go to A&E for her reply " thats your priorities" then put phone down on me. She should had aleast easier my mind and just said " your blood test results aint to bad just a little life style change or yes you nlood results are urgent and i need to book you in asap, just some form of help. After all this doctors surgery asked ME to make an appointment. This doctors need better staff ,very rude unprofessional, if she can't cope. Leave the job and give it to someone who cares. let's hope I get my blood results soon
Visited January 2023
Review titled Shawbury Medical Practice
Replied on 25 January 2023
Dear Reviewer On behalf of Shawbury Medical Practice, may I thank you for taking the time to raise your concerns and provide us with feedback on your experience at the practice. Please be assured we take all concerns seriously, welcoming and valuing patients, carers and families giving us feedback, comments and observations on their treatment and experiences. The whole practice team work incredibly hard at providing a comprehensive, caring and continuous service to all our patients and our community - during some exceptionally challenging times over the last three years - and your wide ranging comments and statements about how you report have been treated are not reflective of the lived experience and monitoring of provision across the practice. With this in mind - and in particular as you refer to medical matters that are confidential to you personally - in order that we could fully understand and investigate your experience we would need more details to enable me to explore this further. We are sorry to hear you feel you have had a difficult experience with the practice. Please be reassured it is never the intention of the Practice to cause anyone inconvenience or distress. Please also be reassured that all staff, both clinical and non-clinical, at the practice, are highly dedicated professionals, working in very challenging times, to ensure patients, carers, families and our community are provided with the utmost standards in care and compassion. With the review being submitted anonymously to a third party, if you would like to contact the practice directly, please be reassured that as soon as we receive your letter we will respond directly. Dr K Arkinstall Practice Manager Shawbury Medical Practice
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Review titled Excellent Surgery
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 27 January 2023
Couldn't ask for a better experience - with every aspect of my contact and interaction with the whole team, being top rate Many thanks all Keep up the excellent work
Visited January 2023
Review titled Shawbury Medical Practice
Replied on 31 January 2023
Dear Patient Thank you for taking the time and trouble to provide such positive feedback of your experiences at Shawbury Medical Practice. We work hard to ensure we do our best to provide a high quality service, so patient satisfaction and customer care are always important issues to us. We are very pleased to hear that you are happy with the services you have received from the practice. Your kind comments are encouraging for us all to hear. As with any feedback received, your comments will be shared with the practice team, and I know that your positive comments will be very much appreciated. Thank you again. Dr K Arkinstall Practice Manager Shawbury Medical Practice