Northcote Surgery

Phoned the surgery around 10am and was delighted to learn that I was 2nd in the queue. It was agreed that a telephone consultation with the GP was appropriate and duly arranged for later that morning. Duty GP phoned around 11 and offered me two options. A surgery appointment or a telephone diagnosis. I opted for the 2nd option where a prescription would be sent to the pharmacy with a request that the medicine be delivered. It arrived just after 1pm. That is what I call service I wa also given advice as to who to contact if I felt unwell over the weekend.

I am writing this review because I feel it is important for people to hear my experience at this surgery before they trust the doctors there with their health. I chose this surgery because it was close to my flat, seemed well-kept and the only bad reviews were vague enough that I thought they might be the kind of disproportionate responses to minor inconveniences that some people have. I used to play contact sports but had never experienced a concussion and so did not know the symptoms and was uneducated about the consequences of mismanagement. I sought out care and assessment from this practice and the doctor ignored my concerns about head injuries and insisted my symptoms were due to a post viral condition. When I returned after my symptoms came back after another incident the same doctor assured me it was “a coincidence” and I’d been overexerting myself despite me reiterating my concern about head injuries. It took me several months to recover from this and believing my doctor I went back to contact sports. I subsequently received another such injury and immediately made an appointment. I had a different doctor this time and she conceded that I’d had a “minor concussion” but when I asked if I needed to be concerned about long term effects from this and my previous incidents she told me that concussions couldn’t cause long term effects and that I could return to full contact as soon as my symptoms resolved. Again, naively, I believed my doctor. Unfortunately I received another seemingly mild injury which has persisted for almost a year and continues as I write this. When I returned to the surgery to seek referrals for help, the third doctor almost scolded me saying “now I see you’ve come here before worried about brain damage as well.” These injuries have severely affected my career as a researcher, my relationships and quality of life. I have now done my own research and spent quite a lot of time and money trying to recover. What I learned, and my doctors should have clearly understood and warned me of is that there is no such thing as a minor concussion. Head injuries need to be treated and can have dramatic and long lasting effects, especially if multiple are received. If the doctors at this surgery had bothered to listen to my concerns or even just do a quick google search to check that they were giving me up to date information I would never be in this situation. I have since changed surgeries where they have been far more helpful and willing to help me with referrals and treatment. I would urge you to be cautious when choosing your surgery, I never thought that I would receive such terrible advice from not one but three qualified medical professionals. I cannot recommend this surgery to anyone and I hope that my review helps people avoid the same outcome.

Receptionists try to talk you out of a same day appointment request. Alternatively the wait time for a regular appointment then quoted by the receptionist as two and a half weeks. What also worries me is their attitude as they screen you. Blood tests you now have to have taken elsewhere (another journey, not easy to get to on public transport and this additional journey when you are ill). Then the wait time for these were 9 days! I had to chase for a sickness absence certificate last time I was in - earlier in the year.

Several of the receptionists are rude, unpleasant and arrogant. They would do well to remember that answering the phone and booking appointments for doctors does not make them doctors. They have zero medical training or knowledge and they compensate for this by being offhand and abrupt with patients who do. The doctors are fairly mediocre and although competent on the whole, I have noted several instances of bad medicine and bad practice. Overall, I would not rate this practice very highly.

I would normally class Northcote Surgery as 5* but today I had the unfortunate experience of dealing with Jennifer a receptionist, who was not helpful at all and in fact was ridiculously patronising. This is most unlike the other receptionists that I have been in contact with at Northcote as I have always found them to go above and beyond. Very disappointing as I had nothing but praise for this surgery.

Excellent standard of care. Thank you!

Very helpful

Care is 5 star plus. The professionalism is 5 star plus. If did not know better you would think in private surgery with private doctors and not nhs. Even the look inside is outstanding. Clean, beautifully kept and keeps up to date with the times in all ways. Doctors outstanding and make you feel they care and you are valued and their goal to take great care of you and will do their very best. Staff are friendly helpful and great and nothing any bother and there to help. Fantastic practice.

Hello This is just a short note to summarise why am so happy with the service provided by the surgery, and this morning by Dr Rees specifically I returned home yesterday from holiday having suffered “man flu” for the last few weeks. I decided I need to make an appointment to see the doctor and I contacted the surgery this morning at 8 o’clock and was given a 10 o’clock urgent appointment (this alone exceeded my hopes ) I received a very professional examination and consultation and I’m delighted with the agreed action All in all a first class service, and I’m grateful for it Kind regards David Franks