Spring Hall Group Practice
173C Spring Hall Lane, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX1 4JGContact details and opening times
Patient ratings and reviews
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Reviews
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Review titled Disappointing
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 19 September 2023
I was called for a 60 year old check up, August 2022. Reluctantly attended ( I do not go to doctors, unless absolutely desperate) still waiting for the results. Informed twice that the person with the results was off work. When I rang, I was advised not to ring again, as they would ring me. Still waiting 13 months on! In the process of trying to get an appointment, this is only through sheer desperation. There has been a distinct decline in service.
Visited September 2023
Review titled Spring Hall Group Practice
Replied on 09 November 2023
I am sorry you have had this experience at the practice. Unfortunately, as I don't have your details and I am therefore unable to investigate further. If you would like me to review this further, please email your complaint to the secretaries email on calccg.secretariesspringhallsurgery@nhs.net
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Review titled deteriorated since combining with other practices
Rated 3 stars out of 5
by Disgruntled - Posted on 14 September 2023
Why bother sending text messages to invite people to follow a link to book a covid/flu booster when within minutes of getting the text and attempting to book an appointment there are none available for the next four weeks and none offered for after those dates. Pointless and very frustrating exercise.
Visited September 2023
Review titled Spring Hall Group Practice
Replied on 09 November 2023
The surgery has been holding COVID/FLU vaccinations clinics each Weekend throughout September and October. Unfortunately these clinics booked very quickly. As these clinics are booked outside normal surgery hours we only add a few clinics at a time to ensure they book fully each weekend. I am sorry you found that the clinic was full when you tried to access the link but i trust you were able to evntualyy book one via the link
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Review titled No care and attention
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Jackie McCormack - Posted on 03 August 2023
1) My mom had an appt on 24/7 and couldn’t get there, as I couldn’t get through on the phone to cancel on the morning of the appt I drove to the surgery and cancelled in person and rearranged for 23/8 (1st available one). I was told I would get a txt and I didn’t. So I called in again today, when passing, as I couldn’t remember the time, to be told the last appt was cancelled by the patient and nothing had been rebooked. It’s a good job I couldn’t remember the time otherwise we would have just turned up presumably to be turned away. 2) I messaged and asked if a tablet for my dad could be put on repeat dispensing along with his other medication to save me having to remember to order in time. Was told that would be ok so whilst I was there I checked with the pharmacy who said it hadn’t so back into the doctors I went and the receptionist confirmed it hadn’t and she would sort. He will be due a batch of medication soon so I am hoping it will be sorted. I believe you have grown too big, your staff are not trained properly, do not take care and are causing unnecessary work ie my two extra visits today in person as I do not have the time or patience to sit at number 41 in the queue. If you are dealing with so many new patients you need a dedicated call centre run by professionals with enough staff to cope with your demand, you are putting added pressure on genuinely Ill people.
Visited August 2023
Review titled Spring Hall Group Practice
Replied on 10 August 2023
I am very sorry you have had these experiences and would be more than happy to review what happened if you could contact the practice directly by email for the attention of the Practice Manager. Unfortunately it is difficult to review what has gone wrong in these instances as i have no details for your parents. I look forward to hearing from you
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Review titled Unable to contact, no medication
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Robert Gray - Posted on 27 July 2023
A message was left for me over two weeks ago now to book a blood test for my annual medication review. I am unable to keep my phone with me at work and appreciate that the practise has at least three times tried to phone. However, I have also tried to phone back on no less than six times, spending a total of nearly two and a half hours in total waiting for someone to answer the phone. Its no fun having time and again to listen through the best part of 5 mins of annoying introductions, only then to be chastised by what can only be described at best as an intimidating lecture. Finally then you get in the que where you are then forced to listen continuously to some of the most violent and loud music ever composed. All this, it has to be said, without a que countdown either. It really does feel like it is been made as awkward as possible in order for people to give up and put the phone down (they then wonder why some people are ready to tear into the receptionist after been put through all that). Not rocket science but obviously is to some. Why, in my case, is it not possible to have a direct number left on the message given by the practise in order to call straight back? After all, the surgery knows what is occurring with my procedure, it would save time on the surgeries part and a hell of a lot of frustration on the patients part. Meanwhile, I still cannot get through today to sort this blood test and my medication ran out three days ago.
Visited July 2023
Review titled Spring Hall Group Practice
Replied on 27 July 2023
I am sorry that you are having issues getting through on the phones. We are currently in the process of training new staff to speed up the waiting times. It is not possible to give every patient a dedicated number to contact the surgery to arrange and appointment as this would just be as busy as the current appointments line. I will pass on your comments about the classical music which is played whilst on wait and see if they have anything softer. the phone messages have been changed in the last few days in line with patients feedback. We do understand the frustration caused by long waiting times on the phones and are working hard to improve them. If you would like to discuss this further please contact the surgery to speak to the Practice Manager
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Review titled A downhill slope
Rated 2 stars out of 5
by Cate Payne - Posted on 10 July 2023
Southowram Surgery used to work effectively and quickly, appointments were available and the village health was managed really well. We moved here 4 years ago and have watched as it was merged with Spring Hall and the service started to deteriorate as appointments were taken centrally as well as prescription services. So it became much more difficult to get a doctors appointment and often prescriptions were held up centrally causing me some distress. So, we go through a pandemic which has decimated our NHS resources and caused a deficit in staffing, all of which I completely understand. Until recently I have found it relatively easy to get an appointment online with doctors calling me back, albeit not at the time stated which is annoying as I work and am often in meetings. But now, it is almost impossible to catch the appointments calendar and calling when you are 31st in the queue is not really a great experience. I stand up for the practice whenever I can as I do believe it is a resource that the village needs but to be told that there is a skeleton staff at a practice that had several doctors in the past is somewhat concerning. Did we lose all our doctors or are they at other parts of the practice, leaving Southowram short staffed? I am also concerned about the generic responses to the reviews on this site and wonder if there is something that is taken from the generally negative comments made. If they are discussed at practice meetings then it would be useful to know what actions are being taken to rectify these issues as it seems to be getting worse rather than better.
Visited July 2023
Review titled Spring Hall Group Practice
Replied on 11 July 2023
Dear Miss Payne I am very sorry you have felt the need to post this review. You mentioned your concerns around the generic answers on the website and I would like to assure you we do review each post however when comments are left as anonymous it is difficult to investigate specific issues, however the overall complaint is discussed in practice meetings. I would like to take the opportunity to assure you that we have not decreased the service at Southowram, contrary to popular belief we have in fact increased it when compared to the service prior to covid and the merger with Spring Hall. At the time of the merger Southowram had one GP who was running the surgery and one nurse 1.5 days per week. This was not sustainable long term. This was why the decision to merge was made to enable services to continue to be provided at this site into the future. Spring Hall Group Practice employ a range of prescribing clinicians including a prescribing nurse, Advanced practitioners, salaried GP, and Partners, as well as Physicians associates who currently work alongside the prescribing GP. We are also one of the largest training practices in Calderdale. Alongside this provision we also work closely with Central Primary Care Network utilizing the additional clinicians working within our PCN, these include first contact physios, podiatrist, mental health practitioner, social prescribing link workers and care coordinators. We are aware that there are large volumes of calls being received from 8 am and we are working hard to improve the speed at which we can respond to these. Our average wait time at present is 16 minutes from start to ending the call and our goal is to get this to under 5 minutes. Unfortunately, since the merger we have been busy recruiting for seven reception positions across the practice, this does have a dramatic effect on the speed at which we can respond to all the demand coming into the practice. Our main priority has been to recruit and train these new reception staff to ensure that our patients can get through to the surgery in a timely manner. We regularly review the number of appointments we provide each month based on the British Medical Association guidance for the gold standard number of appointments, and we offer way above the gold standard! However, we are not an infinite service, we have a limited number of appointments that each clinician can safely provide each day, this number is also based on the British Medical Association guidance for safe working practice. If you would like to discuss this further, please contact the surgery to speak to the Practice Manager or join our Patient Participation Group and help us to develop our services for the future.