Papworth Surgery - Ratings and reviews
Reviews
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Review titled Training Days and web site information
Rated 3 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 27 February 2024
I think it’s good that there are regular training sessions. However, with so few appointments available wouldn’t it make sense to have these sessions on a Saturday morning thereby freeing up more appointments instead of creating a backlog. These dates are published on the web site, however I noticed the site has a lot of outdated information.
Visited February 2024
Review titled Papworth Surgery
Replied on 07 March 2024
Dear Patient Thank you for your comment. Regular training sessions are vital to keep all staff up to date with developments in the NHS and general information crucial to the running of a surgery. The ICB authorises our closure afternoons and indeed every surgery over the Cambs and Peterborough area closes for training one afternoon a month. We don't close in August or December because of holidays. Given how exhausted staff are with the relentless pressure in the NHS, I don't think it is fair to expect staff to give up their weekends, and it is not in anybody's contract of employment so it could not be enforced anyway. In addition the surgery is being squeezed financially and we would struggle to pay overtime to every staff member for attending on a Saturday. In January we had 83 patients who did not attend appointments but didn't cancel them and in February we had 121 patients who didn't attend but didn't cancel them. It would help appointment availability hugely if all patients cancelled appointments rather than just didn't attend. Alexandra Mackenzie - Practice Manager
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Review titled From amazing to awful
Rated 2 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 01 February 2024
Used to be an amazing practice, now is awful. The new booking system is horrendous hardly get an appointment anymore. Have more chances to see gold on the street than a doctor at this surgery. Always on training days, or understaffed due to sickness, on hold for min 30 mins to get to reception and when you do it is very dismissing. God forbid you have a problem on the day past 10am as the system is closed and you need to do the same song and dance next day or until you give up and go to hospital.Poor communication between doctors and reception and blood tests take 3-4 weeks to book. No wander why the waiting time for A&E is 6 hrs when GP surgery is most of the time, inaccessible. Saddened so hear so many in the village complaining about the service and yet it only gets worse.
Visited January 2024
Review titled Papworth Surgery
Replied on 07 March 2024
Dear Patient Thank you for your comment. I am sorry you are so unhappy with our surgery. Unfortunately like most of the NHS, we are overwhelmed with demand and are doing our very best under increasingly difficult circumstances. We are currently booking routine appointments a few weeks ahead, but our Online Triage is open at 8am every weekday morning and is available for more urgent problems. The Triage Dr looks at all the requests each day and uses their clinical expertise to see who really does need an urgent on the day appointment, who can maybe see a nurse instead, or who can wait a couple of days to see a Dr. Sometimes they may refer a patient to the pharmacy or sometimes they may feel that a little advice is all that is needed. We do close triage when we are at capacity, but if the receptionist speak to someone who they feel may need urgent help, they will liaise with the Triage Dr and we very often squeeze patients in, especially the very young, very old or palliative care patients. We have just taken on another phlebotomist who will be working 4 days a week, so it should be easier to get a blood test more quickly now. I am more than happy to meet with any patients who are not happy, to try and explain the pressures we are under and see if I can help. Alexandra Mackenzie - Practice Manager
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Review titled How Lucky We Are
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 19 October 2023
When the NHS is suffering such difficulties and all medical practitioners are under such terrible pressure, we are lucky to have such a caring and committed team at the Papworth Surgery. The team working in the pharmacy, with advice from doctors, were able to come to my rescue and solve a problem I had with my online postal pharmacy, who were unable to supply a medication I needed, even though they had many other ongoing surgery prescriptions to deal with. The team couldn’t have been more supportive and reliable. It is very much appreciated and my thanks to you all at surgery.
Visited October 2023
Review titled Papworth Surgery
Replied on 06 November 2023
Thank you for your comment. It is always lovely to receive good feedback. All our staff work above and beyond and as you say the whole NHS in under tremendous pressure these days, and our surgery is no exception. I will pass the message on to the pharmacy who are actually a separate business to the surgery. Alexandra Mackenzie - Practice Manager
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Review titled Unhelpful
Rated 2 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 29 August 2023
I went to the GP today after speaking to them last week. After being discharged from hospital I needed order more painkillers - discharge notes had not been emailed over and was told that it could take up to 3-4 weeks for them to be received. I obtained the paperwork directly from the hosiptal - went back to the Surgery - to be told that I would need to put a note in to request the prescription. Could still have to wait days for the dr. to sign off - I'm in pain, trying to work and get back to some normality after 2 weeks and to be met by an unhelpful receptionist who couldn't care less is very frustrating, she was as unhelpful to the person in front of me too! I would have thought that computers and email should speed up the process but why can't the hospital just issue you a discharge letter when you actually leave, it would be a much better and quicker process. GP receptionists could be a little more understading and helpful, a friendly face would make the whole process much nicer when you are feeling pretty rubish!
Visited August 2023
Papworth Surgery has not yet replied.
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Review titled Poor receptionist attitude
Rated 4 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 29 August 2023
Generally very good attitude from all the staff, except for one receptionist, who's only attitude always appears to be unhelpful and be none co-operative, a sensible query over my wife's medication, resulted in obstruction rather than compassion or empathy. Pharmacist resolved the query in 15 seconds, why couldn't the receptionist do the same!!!!
Visited August 2023
Review titled Papworth Surgery
Replied on 11 September 2023
Thank you for your comment. I am pleased to hear you say that there is generally a very good attitude from all the staff, that is nice to hear. I am sorry that you feel that one receptionist always appears to be unhelpful. Without knowing which receptionist you are talking about it is difficult to deal with. I will however remind all receptionists that they should be polite and helpful at all times. If you feel badly treated in future please look at our complaints procedure on our website, or ask to speak to me or the Assistant Practice Manager. I note you say the Pharmacist resolved your query quickly. It may be that it was a pharmacy issue and not a surgery issue, which is why the receptionist didn't know how to help. The pharmacy is a separate business to the surgery and is owned by an independent company although they share our building, so the surgery reception staff are not trained in all pharmacy issues . I hope this information helps. Alexandra Mackenzie - Practice Manager
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Review titled Barriers to patient care
Rated 2 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 05 June 2023
I saw the nurse today she told me I should check something with the dr. I told reception the nurse said I should check something with the dr can I leave this note / you put the query on the system they said I had to go home to ask the follow up question from the nurse to the dr by filling out the online form but that I can’t do that today because the from (at approximately 10:30 am) was now already closed for the day. paperwork procedures in the way of what should be a simple internal communication admin policy taking priority over patient wellbeing
Visited June 2023
Review titled Papworth Surgery
Replied on 08 September 2023
Thank you for your comment. It is not medically safe for us to accept notes to be handed to the Dr. There is risk of something important being mislaid or delayed. Our online Triage system is the best way to get an administrative issue dealt with and is open from 7am every day. We close Triage when we are at capacity. If there was something specific to discuss with the Dr then you would need either a telephone or a face to face appointment. We have this system because our priority is patient safety and well-being. Alexandra Mackenzie - Practice Manager
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Review titled Disappointing service re. X-Ray
Rated 4 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 27 June 2023
I was requested by my Dr. to go for an x-ray but due to personal circumstances I have been unable to do this within the set time frame before the request expired - I was not made aware at any stage, by any Dr., that there is a time frame and that x-ray requests expire. I've had 3 appointments since the initial request was made, including yesterday where I told a second Dr. of the circumstances and who failed to tell me that I'd be wasting my time today. This poor level of communication fron the Drs and failing to inform me of a time frame for expiration has meant that I have unnecessarily taken time off work and I will now have to wait for a new request to be written up as well as wait for a new suitable time to go for x-ray, delaying investigation further. I passed on these concerns to the GP receptionist not long ago and they failed to acknowledge these concerns and instead carried on talking about something else.
Visited June 2023
Review titled Papworth Surgery
Replied on 08 September 2023
Thank you for your comment. X-Rays are carried out at hospitals who have their own rules and regulations and unfortunately our GPs are not aware of the time frames for every hospital in the area. It may be best another time to contact the hospital and speak to them directly to avoid any problems. I am sorry you were inconvenienced and trust your issue is now resolved. Alexandra Mackenzie - Practice Manager
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Review titled Gone from Excellent to Good
Rated 4 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 11 July 2022
If Papworth surgery is now dealing with medical emergencies in the mornings, does this mean they are going to consider extending their working hours each day? Because routine or non-emergency appointments are being delayed by weeks now. It would be a great help if they did, especially for patients working outside their normal hours.
Visited July 2022
Review titled Papworth Surgery
Replied on 17 November 2022
The NHS is under extreme pressure at the moment, and our surgery is no exception, with very high demand for appointments. We understand how frustrating it can be in trying to get an appointment and always try our best to help. Pre-bookable appointments for non-urgent matters are usually available 2 -3 weeks ahead. We have a limited number of urgent 'on the day' appointments which are released at 8.30am for a morning appointment and 1.30pm for an afternoon appointment. All ‘on the day’ appointments are for medically urgent issues only. Our reception team is trained in what is medically urgent and what isn’t. If they are in any doubt then they know to refer to the Duty Doctor. The number of requests for urgent 'on the day' appointments varies hugely from day to day so on busy days you may be asked to call back in the afternoon or the next day. From Monday 31st October West Cambs Federation will be offering appointments every evening between 18:30 til 20:15 Monday to Friday and from 08:30 til 12:15 on a Saturday and Sunday. These appointments will be either at Roman Gate Surgery in Godmanchester or the Acorn surgery in Huntingdon and are available to all Papworth patients. These appointments can be booked by calling the usual number for Papworth Surgery – 01480 830888.