Wellington Medical Centre
Mantle Street, Wellington, Somerset, TA21 8BDContact details and opening times
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Reviews
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Review titled A very disappointing practice
Rated 1 star out of 5
by David - Posted on 10 April 2025
I think that the Wellington Medical Centre is so overwhelmed with patients that it must now be considered a failing practice. I remain uncertain as to whether the problems lie with lack of resources, or lack of training, but it is impossible to obtain an appointment, and the staff appear to hide behind the accurx (or should it be "accursed") software system that the practice uses. Twice I have wanted to come to the surgery. Twice have I instead been routed through the accurx system. Twice the result has been that I have NOT been able to see a medical practitioner. On the latest occasion, in March 2025, I was requested to fill in a response to a questionnaire via accurx. I did this on the 4th of March, and the fact that I had done so was logged by a member of staff on the 5th. My response was that I would like to see a physiotherapist, and in their communication, the surgery noted that this would not be until the end of March. As I write this on the 10th of April, I have heard nothing further. It may well be that the surgery is so overwhelmed that they have pushed me to the back of some long queue, but it would have been nice to know that. I think it more likely that an under-trained member of staff has just marked the enquiry as closed, and no further action will be taken on their part. On a prior occasion, when I needed to see a GP, they sent me a booking through the NHS app that I could not make. So I indicated that in the app. That was that. No further appointment was offered (and I just gave up). Again, they clearly marked the case as closed. So the problem here is that if you try to book an appointment through the app ... well, simply put you can't, none are ever available. And if you try to book in person or via phone, well, you can't. And if they do offer an appointment via the app, there is no apparent way to ask for it to be re-arranged, for as far as the practice is concerned, once an appointment is offered, that is enough, whether or not you can make it. As I said at the beginning, I don't know whether the staff are simply poorly trained, or whether the system is just broken, or whether the practice is so overwhelmed that it just cannot cope. Whichever it is, the point is that Wellington Medical Centre is failing its patients. Whether this makes it worse or better than any other NHS GP practice is unclear, but at this time, I cannot recommend it, and would advise anyone thinking of moving to the area to find an alternative practice. What is undeniable, though, is that the practice is using the accurx system - through lack of training/time/attention to detail - to deny access to its patients. And I would therefore urge the Practice Manager to, as a matter of priority, examine how many patient requests have been marked as closed when, in fact, they should still be considered open. And perhaps, as a mystery shopper, try to make an appointment. I think that they would be horrified at the outcome.
Visited April 2025
Wellington Medical Centre has not yet replied.
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Review titled Something is going wrong here
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Jo S - Posted on 26 March 2025
I contacted the practice over a week ago via the App as I’ve been concerned about a very small growth near my eye. Having only had surgery last year to remove a skin cancer from around the same eye I have been watchful for over a year. I was told I would be put on a waiting list. A week and a half later I decide to call because I am becoming very anxious about it….if it was a cancer albeit slow growing it can take many many months from referral….to biopsy….to results…and then surgery if my fears are confirmed. Having called I was then offered an appt the same day..today. Having attended the appt expecting to be feel reassured and cared for….I had a female Gp who didn’t seem to know what she was doing and spoke to me as if I was imagining it all. The fact is I have been seen three times about skin cancer. The first….no one knew what is and thought is harmless…but the care assistant I saw was professional and referred me on a fast track. The dermatologist I saw immediately knew it was cancer. The second time I saw a male Gp about a lesion I had had for over a year that wouldn’t heal on my cheek and was told to go away and put moisturiser on it, even after asking for a cream I knew could help me. The dermatologist had told me it was sun damage so I knew it was not dry skin. Thank goodness that my partner had also been prescribed it for pre cancerous cell changes on his skin and after being passed off as hysterical I decided to use it. Three weeks later, the lesion responded, dropped off and my skin healed well with no recurrence. I had been putting off consulting the Gp this time for fear of not being taken seriously and when I was told I was on a waiting list my heart sank but would just have to wait. At the consultation today she said that she was going to refer me. I asked for clarification that it was a fast track as before but she didn’t think I qualified and looked more closely at the referral criteria and showed me. It was very clear for me to read that something on the bridge of the nose or near the eye needs checking. She admitted she had only done one before and didn’t know how the process worked and kept saying that they might not want to see me. I couldn’t understand this and felt extremely anxious and quite scared to be honest. She said it could be scar tissue. It was not scar tissue. It existed before I had surgery and I have been watchful as the surgeon had advised. I felt as if she treated me as if I was demanding to be told I had cancer! I want to be wrong but I do need a specialist to tell me because no one thought that I small clear shiny lump could be cancerous before. I feel so saddened by the reduced faith I now have in this practice and don’t feel I can ask for anything without feeling patronised. I’m a 50 year old ex nurse and yet because the system has moved on-line it has been depersonalised and is much easier to be misunderstood, misinterpreted and judged inappropriately. Much like social media sadly and that is a worry.
Visited March 2025
Wellington Medical Centre has not yet replied.
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Review titled Very disappointed
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 02 October 2024
Rang the surgery through the emergency line due to daughter being ver breathless after been sent home from day care due to being breathless to be given a call from a rude receptionist saying my only option was to either take her to A&e or ring 111 as they have no room to see her today but then continue to say the doctor fells she should be seen today and then to find they have given some one with Covid and appointment so let’s just spread it a little more around the place I am fuming the NHS theses days are rubbish the GP answer to everything is take them to A&E or it a virus Wellington medical centre is a waste of time unless they can say it a virus or take them to A&E so they don’t have to do any work
Visited October 2024
Review titled Wellington Medical Centre
Replied on 17 October 2024
Dear Patient Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback regarding our services. I was sorry to hear of your experience and that you feel the Receptionist was rude as that is not the level of service we aim to deliver. Without further information, it is not possible to identify the staff involved or to investigate further but if you would like us to do this please contact us. Kind regards Practice Manager
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Review titled Poor customer service
Rated 3 stars out of 5
by Andrew - Posted on 08 October 2024
Have tried for several days to arrange to see a nurse. Unfortunately although this is not urgent I amount unable to get through on the phone due to the surgery being fully booked. Have also tried online however the staff are continuing to have training in the afternoon. Apart from driving to the surgery I cannot think of any other option to get through to book an appointment.
Visited October 2024
Review titled Wellington Medical Centre
Replied on 17 October 2024
Dear Andrew Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on our services. I was sorry to hear of your experience. We are aware that it can be difficult to get through to us by telephone as we continuously have a queue of patients waiting to be answered. However, we have a recall system that you can use which means that you can put the phone down, the system will retain your place in the queue and call you back when you reach the front of the queue. Other patients are reporting that contacting us via the website or NHS App is working well so I am sorry that you have also had difficulty using these services. You are correct that we close regularly for essential staff training but this is only on one afternoon a month and even then we are not completely closed and are still available for urgent medical issues. If you would like us to investigate your issues further please let us know Kind regards Practice Manager
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Review titled Well Established and Efficient Practice
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by David Cottey - Posted on 25 September 2024
I have enjoyed extremely good and friendly treatment at Wellington Medical Centre for about 40 years. I realise that since Covid, and other things, some procedures have, naturally, had to be made. I have to confess that I have been somewhat frustrated to hear 'you are number ? in the queue'! However, recently I needed to contact the Centre due to an injury. This time I did what was suggested in the message. I went to the website and requested online. Within two hours I was attending an appointment at the Centre and the following day I was fortunate to be able to have Ultrasound scan! Since then I have needed to contact the Centre a number of times regarding progress etc. This I have done online and have, each time, received either telephone call or text message within a couple of hours . I would recommend anyone to use this method. Not only is it beneficial to the patient and the Centre, but it releases phone waiting time for people who are unable, for whatever reason, to use the internet
Visited September 2024
Review titled Wellington Medical Centre
Replied on 17 October 2024
Dear Mr Cottey Thank you for taking the time to provide a review, for your positive rating and your kind comments. The GPs and staff appreciate and are encouraged by your feedback. Kind regards, Practice Manager
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Review titled Distressing Let Down
by Anonymous - Posted on 22 April 2024
Trying to access care from this clinic is an ordeal. Trying to call up to book an appointment is met with at best an automated response saying not to book appointments over the phone and to just use the NHS app instead (which not everyone can do), and at worse being left on hold for over an hour with the most eye-twitchingly agitating automated message still telling you to hang-up and use the NHS app (which some people cannot use). I am unable to organise anything via the NHS app as I cannot access the NHS app. In order to access this app I am required to have certain ID based documentation, but due to the nature of my medical care requirements I am left with invalid ID for accessing the NHS app. When I explained this predicament to the staff they instead sent me a letter with a paper version of the same request for ID which makes me think they didn't understand the problem and thought my only issue was in trying to access the NHS app online. I have seriously been contemplating biting the bullet and going back to my old clinic and taking the 3 to 4 hour round trip just to get a service that is accessible. Just to wrap up, please give this clinic more funding to get more staff, please make the NHS app accessible to those who don't possess "valid" ID, and please allow me to call up to book appointments. I want to like Wellington Medical Centre, I really do, but it is not able to meet my needs as a patient and that is letting my health care down.
Visited April 2024
Review titled Wellington Medical Centre
Replied on 15 May 2024
Dear patient Thank you for your feedback and for your efforts in trying to access the NHS App. I am sorry to hear of your experience. I don't know if you have tried contacting the NHS App support team but will feedback your frustrations to the NHS Digital team. If you have access to the internet you can make a request through our website https://tauntondeanewestpcn.gpweb.org.uk/wellington-medical-centre There is a button towards the top of the initial screen "Click To Consult Your Doctor" or further down the page a "Consult Us Online" button. both will allow you make a request very similar to if you had the NHS App. I appreciate that demand for our services is very high so accessing us by telephone often results in patients having to queue to get through. We do however have "queuebuster" technology which means that when that telephone queue gets to a certain level you can press a button which will add you to the queuebuster so you can then put your phone down but retain your position in the queue. The system will then call you when you reach the front of the queue. That may be an option for you. You can also attend the medical centre in person and speak to a Patient Services Advisor or there are forms in the Reception area that you can fill in to submit your request. I am sorry that your recent experience of the Medical Centre has not been satisfactory but thank you for raising your concerns. Please contact the Medical Centre if you need any further information or advice. Kind regards Practice Manager
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Review titled Great response
Rated 4 stars out of 5
by Jim - Posted on 11 April 2024
I had an operation and the practice has given me great support with my recovery with re-issuing a sick note that the hospital hadn't done correctly, medications needed and also a post-operative infection. Every e-consult I carried out was answered and sorted the same day. Very impressive.
Visited April 2024
Review titled Wellington Medical Centre
Replied on 15 May 2024
Dear Jim Thank you very much for leaving your review and for your positive comments regarding your recent contact with the surgery. We will make sure to share your comments with the team. Kind regards Practice Manager
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Review titled Going downhill
by Abbie - Posted on 16 April 2024
My 1yo son has had persistent problems that has meant back and forth to the GP for months now. Saw someone yesterday - unsure what their qualification even was as no one said - I assumed it was an emergency doctors appointment, as I had requested. But it wasn't. Straight away I got extremely frustrated as the recurrent theme seems to be that no one can read the history before my son is seen. The first question is always "so what's bought him in today" and it is getting ridiculous how many times I have to recount what has happened and what's going on. However that is not specific to the woman he was seen by yesterday. My complaint is that he was barely triaged and immediately told us to take him to A&E as she was unable to assess and felt he needed a specialist to assess. I specifically asked if she could refer us to A&E or the specialist at Musgrove so we could be seen by the right person and not sit in A&E for hours to be triaged and she said "it's the same process either way". I asked if it would at least be on his notes and she said yes. But it wasn't even accurate when the consultant at A&E looked. So we went to A&E, and sat there for 5 hours, by which time the specialist my son needed to see had gone home. We finally saw a nurse and another consultant who had to call the on call specialist consultant. It was a simple call and assessment. But all agreed that it could have been solved hours earlier had the person we saw at the GP surgery referred in properly. So now I'm £15.50 out for musgrove car park, my son spent an unnecessary evening in A&E, I have PTSD and am triggered by hospitals - the length of exposure could have been reduced drastically. All of it could have been avoided had someone done their job properly. I feel like there are so many great doctors and most of the nurses etc are so lovely and do their best but there is a lot letting the surgery down at the same time. Specifically who we saw yesterday was just really frustrating, but also just generally I feel like there is a lack of communication and a lack of deeper consideration, which is leading to missing things and putting extra stress on patients who are having to take so much responsibility to push, fight and question and remember all the details.
Visited April 2024
Review titled Wellington Medical Centre
Replied on 15 May 2024
Dear Abbie Thank you for your feedback. We are sorry to hear that you have had a negative experience at the surgery recently. It would not be appropriate to comment on your issues here but I understand that a GP has made contact with you regarding this matter. However, if you feel that there are still outstanding issues that need to be addressed, please contact the surgery and we will investigate further. Kind regards Practice Manager
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Review titled Poor practice
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 14 March 2024
I had called in after days of not even getting in the que to get an appointment! Once I had my blood taken I had asked for meds The receptionist that called me back was rude had no intention of helping me just passed me off basically because I had asked for a tablet that I know only that works for my pain spike he made me feel like I was asking for it because I like popping tablets !!! He didn’t want to help and made me feel like I was just completely making up my pain issues I really wouldn’t recommend this doctors to anyone they are half my anxiety problem it leaves me worried to even call them for help !
Visited March 2024
Review titled Wellington Medical Centre
Replied on 15 May 2024
Dear patient We are sorry to hear you have had a negative experience at the surgery. It would not be appropriate to comment on your issue here but if you would like us to investigate further please contact the surgery. Regards Practice Manager
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Review titled not happy
Rated 3 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 02 February 2024
normally when i go to the gp i have no issues but today i went and my doctor couldn’t put 2 and 2 together and i felt like they was really rude, considering i am quite young my doctor was telling me that i’m pregnant and made me feel really scared, the doctor didn’t think twice about how to word what she was saying expect for telling me i was pregnant and had no proof of it
Visited February 2024
Review titled Wellington Medical Centre
Replied on 19 February 2024
Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback. I am sorry to hear that you are unhappy with the consultation you had recently and disappointed that you did not feel able to raise this matter directly with us. Without greater detail it is not possible to investigate further but if you would like us to do that please do make contact. Regards Practice Manager