Ashfield Surgery
8 Walmley Road, Sutton Coldfield, B76 1QNContact details and opening times
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Reviews
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Review titled Distressing
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 30 August 2023
10 months ago I had two falls at home which resulted in my being bedridden. Since that time I have had little interaction with my GP, as there are never any appointments to do so. As a result of this, I now have several health problems which are causing me concern. This came to a head when yesterday I needed antibiotics urgently but again there was no way to speak to my GP, (despite numerous phone calls, all replied to by a useless recorded message). It took me over four hours of web searches and phone calls to finally get a simple prescription sent to a local pharmacy, (something people don't need when lying flat in bed feeling ill). I am left feeling that nobody at the surgery ever follows up on cases like mine, even though it is obvious, from my personal experience, that this is urgently needed. I do appreciate that doctors only have so much time but unfortunately I cannot schedule my health problems for a more convenient time to fit into their timetable!
Visited August 2023
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 18 September 2023
Dear Patient Thank you for your feedback. We have already discussed your problems now and I believe the matter in question has been addressed. I am sorry if you felt that the service you have received is inadequate. Patients requiring an appointment at the surgery or to request a home visit if clinically necessary are advised to call the practice and speak to a member of our team. Having reviewed our call logs I can see that you have only made two recent attempts to contact the practice, on the number we have on record for you. These were on the 28th August when we were closed for the Bank Holiday and on the 29th August where I can see you requested a ring back and my team attempted to call you back three times that morning. Help and support is available to all patients that require it and I am pleased that we have been able to assist you after reaching out to us. For non-urgent communication, we encourage patients to call the practice or use the contact us page on our website or via the NHS app. For urgent matters, patients must call the practice and speak to a member of the team. A call-back option is available if you do not want to wait on the line, but we do ask that patients keep their phone close to them in order to answer when we ring back. The email address of individual members of staff and the NHS comments section are not monitored daily and as such not a suitable method of contacting us. Thank you Mr Matthew Lowe Practice Manager
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Review titled Don’t bother.
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 20 July 2023
Called the surgery. Was on hold for 55 minutes. Got cut off. Called again. Took 36 minutes for the call to be answered. Explained that I was in the car, driving home from the south east of England after working a series of 12 hour night shifts. Explained my symptoms, and was told a doctor would call back “today or tomorrow“. Was called an hour & a half later to be told that the only appointment available was at 11:45. I wouldn’t be back in time for that, so was offered an appointment the following day at 11am. Went to the appointment. No doctor, was a nurse. Couldn’t see an ear infection so was told it was vertigo type symptoms (yes, I know that!), was told I’d be prescribed stronger doseage travel sickness tablets than the ones I’d bought over the counter, was then prescribed the same dosage, was told I’d be given some exercises to help, then wasn’t given any. Don’t bother phoning the surgery, as you’ll struggle to get through. Don’t bother trying to see a doctor, as you’ll get to see one of “the team”. Don’t bother complaining, as you’ll be told that doctors time is limited, and other member of the team are qualified to help.
Visited July 2023
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 01 August 2023
Dear Patient Thank you for your feedback and I am sorry to hear you were dissatisfied with your recent experience. Demand for appointments is high and I am pleased that we were able to offer you a same day appointment when you called. Sadly, this was not at a convenient time for you and it was rejected so you were offered an appointment the following day with the practice nurse. For ear infections, an examination by a suitably trained clinician is standard practice. Not all appointments require a GP and in this case it was deemed appropriate that you be seen by a nurse. You state no infection was found and the diagnosis made by the nurse matches your own expectations. You were then prescribed medication for the issue after the appointment. Without knowing your details, I am unable to investigate the remaining points you raised. If you would like to reach out to discuss this further I would be happy to talk. Our website has some useful information on the best healthcare professionals to see for various conditions. https://www.ashfieldsurgery.co.uk/health-information/who-do-i-see/ If you would like to discuss the matter further please don't hesitate to get in touch. Regards, Matthew Lowe Practice Manager
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Review titled Excellent Practice
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 31 July 2023
I saw a doctor to discuss something I was extremely concerned and worried about. Although the outcome of my concern wasn't what I expected or wanted to hear, I cannot thank the doctor enough for her support as well as being non judgemental in her understanding. She was genuinely sensitive in her delivery around the questions I asked and was incredibly caring. This immediately put me at ease and allowed me to ask any questions I needed too as well as leaving the appointment with confidence in the information provided. Unfortunately I'm unable to put the Dr's name in this review as when I do, I keep being informed it won't be submitted!
Visited July 2023
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 01 August 2023
Dear Patient Thank you for your lovely feedback and I am pleased the doctor was able to reassure you and put you at ease on this occasion. I will ensure that your thanks are passed onto the GP team. Warm Regards, Matthew Lowe Practice Manager
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Review titled Poor practice
Rated 1 star out of 5
by John Daly - Posted on 12 June 2023
While trying to get an appointment for just over 3 months i finally get one, then when i go to the appointment, i dont get to see an actual doctor, i am seen by the registra, having explained my symptoms the registra then tells me she will give me a prescription for said symptoms but she cant write the prescription because she is not a doctor and only doctors can sign them and ill have to come back later on to collect my prescription, is this some kind of joke, this practice is becoming an absolute joke, they are taking more patients on yet they cant help the ones that are already registered with the practrice, absolutely disgusting, the receptionists think that they are qualified doctors and ask you what your symptoms are, so where is the patient confidentiallty, absolute nightmare trying to make an appointment, since it got bigger it has got considerably worse and i feel for the older generations having to deal with this practice and the way they treat their patients.
Visited June 2023
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 15 June 2023
Dear John Thank you for your feedback. I am sorry to hear that you were dissatisfied with your appointment. Not all appointments require a GP and in order to make the best use of the GPs we have available, minor illness and injuries are managed by other members of our team. In order to effectively utilise the clinicians we have available, our reception team are trained to gather some information in order to book you in with the most appropriate clinician. Some patients are unhappy to talk to a receptionist and you are not obliged to divulge any information if you do not want to but this may result in a delay in being offered an appointment. Our physician associate deals with a variety of minor illnesses and injuries along with HRT and contraception queries. We have a pharmacy team that deal with prescription related enquiries and physios for muscle and joint pain, along with nurses and healthcare assistants that deal with a wide variety of wound care, health checks, bloods and BP readings. Where a prescription is necessary, these are done the same day and ready for collection within a few hours generally. While you state you are unhappy with how you were treated, it is worth noting that on the morning you called the practice, you were offered an appointment the same day, received a thorough examination and were prescribed treatment. Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback. The practice is always seeking to improve how it operates and your comments will be taken into consideration. Regards, Matthew Lowe (Practice Manager)
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Review titled No appointments booked online
Rated 2 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 14 April 2023
Your GP Practice has no appointments that can be booked online. Not sure how many more times I can be bothered to try when this is the message I get on patient access every time. Tried mornings lunchtimes afternoons evenings - even in the middle of the night. Weekdays and weekends - its always the same. No way am I just happening to miss all the appointments coming for online booking - they just don't exist. In this day and age you'd think there'd be a better alternative than having to call up all the time. Very frustrated and disappointed.
Visited April 2023
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 17 April 2023
Dear patient Thank you for leaving feedback on your experience trying to book online appointments. I am sorry that you have had difficulty. While we do offer online appointment booking, these appointments are in high demand and we do find they are booked quickly. It can help to speak to a receptionist to explain your problem as there may be another member of our team other than a GP who can see you. Changes to your medication can be handled by our practice based pharmacists. Issues relating to back, neck, knee pain can be dealt with by our in-house physio. While HRT, coughs and colds and other minor ailments can be booked in with our physician associate. Demand for appointments continues to increase and we are making every effort to increase the number of appointments we offer to handle this. This includes offering a wider number of appointments online. If you would like to discuss the matter further please don't hesitate to contact the surgery on 0121 351 3238 and ask to speak to either myself or the deputy practice manager. Thank you Mr. Matthew Lowe Practice Manager
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Review titled Terrible service
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 21 April 2023
Spent an hour and a half waiting for my call to be answered surprise surprise no appointments. Phoned 111 who took all my details and passed them to the surgery with the message I should be contacted within 2 hours no call so phoned the surgery another hour and half only to be told phone back after 2 which I did only to be told no appointments and to phone 111 I told the receptionist that I'd already done that she repeatedly talked over me saying there are no appointments so you just go round in circles. I wouldn't have bothered phoning at all but I was in extreme pain. So now I have to spend the whole weekend in pain with no hope of getting an appointment anytime soon. Why is this surgery still not seeing patients they can't blame covid forever
Visited April 2023
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 24 April 2023
Dear Patient Thank you for your feedback. I am sorry to hear you have had difficulty in securing an appointment here at the practice. Without knowing more about you, I cannot comment specifically, but it often helps if you explain to the call-handler the reason for the appointment, as we may be able to get you seen sooner via another clinician or department. We have a first contact practitioner here who specialises in musculoskeletal health. For medication queries, a chat with a member of our practice pharmacy team can be arranged most days. Furthermore, we have a team of nurses, healthcare assistants and a physician associate who can handle a wide range of minor injury and illnesses. The NHS 111 handling of your call set an unrealistic expectation that the practice would be able to accommodate you even after we had already established there were no appointments available that day. Ashfield Surgery sees more than 1,700 patients each week, with the vast majority of these being face-to-face appointments with a GP. We offer a variety of ways to book appointments, both online, in person and via the telephone. Our lines are very busy in the morning as this is the time the same day appointments are released. If your symptoms do not go away please call us again to try and book an appointment via one of the above methods. Please be reassured that the practice is doing all it can to improve access to appointments for patients, including the recruitment of additional clinicians, and improved signposting of calls to appropriate services. Thank you Mr. Matthew Lowe Practice Manager
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Review titled Superb communication and care
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 08 March 2023
My family and I have used Ashfield Surgery for many, many years now. They have always been fantastic but last week they went above and beyond. My daughter who has an autoimmune disease was very poorly last week which resulted in numerous phone calls and appointments. All staff were absolutely fantastic! So kind and genuinely caring. Nothing was too much trouble. Thanks so much to a fabulous team.
Visited March 2023
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 04 April 2023
Thank you for your lovely feedback. I am pleased we were able to help you when it was needed the most. I will pass on your thanks to the rest of the team who I am sure will be delighted to hear it. Thank you Matthew Lowe, Practice Manager
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Review titled Great team, terrible appointment system
Rated 2 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 31 March 2023
I've been with this surgery since its inception and the team have always been great. The introduction of online appointment booking was fantastic for people like me who, with a full-time job and anxiety, really need to be able to plan in advance for routine review appointments. Cut to covid-19 in March 2020 and this service was completely suspended. Understandable at the time, but I have rarely been able to book an appointment online since. This is incredibly stressful, as I'm often working or travelling when the appointment lines open and appointments are all taken by 10am. More than once, I've run out of antidepressants and contraceptives because I just haven't been able to secure an appointment in time. The Practice Manager assured me 2 years ago that they would be making more appointments available online, but these haven't materialised. All in all, very disappointed that the administration is letting down a really brilliant team of reception, secretarial, and medical staff.
Visited March 2023
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 04 April 2023
Dear Patient Thank you for leaving feedback. While I am happy to hear your opinion of our practice team, I am sorry to hear you had such difficulties in booking an appointment. Appointments continue to be available to book online, but with the increasing number of patients opting to do it this way, those appointments are in high demand. The practice makes approximately 1 in 3 GP appointments available to book online in advance. I am sorry to hear that you have ran out of medication due to being unable to book a review with the GP. The practice will never knowingly allow a patient to run out of medication, and urgent prescriptions can be issued to tide patients over until a review can be arranged. Outside of practice open hours, your local pharmacy can also provide you with a short-term supply in an emergency. Not all repeat medication requires a review before issuing. If you register with the NHS App, you can use the messaging service to contact the practice during normal working hours to request your medication. If a review is required beforehand, and an appointment is available, this can be booked for you. Alternatively you may be sent a link to book an review for a future date and issued a short-term prescription to tide you over. Please be reassured that I have taken your feedback seriously. This will be discussed in our next practice meeting. Thank you Matthew Lowe, Practice Manager
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Review titled Need a bigger surgery
Rated 3 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 30 March 2023
Find it extremely hard to book an appointment with the surgery no complaints about staff there just doing there job the present surgery isn't large enough to cope with appointments and yhere building new houses around here its going to get worse
Visited March 2023
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 04 April 2023
Dear Patient Thank you for your feedback, I am sorry to hear you have had difficulty in booking an appointment recently. The practice has had two major extensions over the years as our practice population has grown. This will continue to be the case into the future. In the meantime, with the use of technology and more efficient use of our clinical rooms, we have been able to accommodate more clinicians in the surgery then ever before. Furthermore, we now work closely with our primary care network (PCN) to offer additional appointments in the evening and weekend at our partner practice of Ashfurlong. Please be reassured we will continue to increase our capacity in line with the practice population. Thank you Matthew Lowe, Practice Manager
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Review titled Saved my life
Rated 4 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 29 November 2023
Your Review: I visited the GP surgery for a blood test, which was requested by the GP because I had high cholesterol. Whilst my bloods were being taken by a member of staff, who suggested having a PSA test. The results were high for the PSA and investigations took place eg consultations, biopsy’s etc. Having an agonising wait for the results, it was confirmed I had Grade 2 prostate cancer. My world was turned upside down and I really didn’t know what option of treatment I wanted. Visiting the consultant at Solihull hospital, the decision was taken out of my control and I was told that surgery was going to take place to remove the prostrate. My operation was planned now for early December 2023. I would like to say a big thank to the staff member who has saved my life and agreed to take their advice and have a PSA blood test. However, I have personally thanked this staff member and told them of my journey. It was a very emotional meeting to which I am pleased I had the chance to do so. So, my advice to men over 40 years of age, please, please get a PSA blood test, as it too can save your life.
Visited January 2023
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 11 December 2023
Dear Patient I was very touched to read your message. I am so pleased to hear that you are receiving the treatment you need and wish you a speedy recovery. Our clinicians often take a holistic approach when treating patients and will often suggest further testing if they have any concerns. While nobody likes having more blood tests or extra investigations, I do strongly recommend patients take the opportunity if offered. Wishing you all the best for the year ahead. Warm regards, Matthew Lowe – Practice Manager