Share review of Ambrose Avenue Group Practice

Ambrose Avenue Group Practice 2015-10-30 Person 5 5 0

We have been at this surgery since we moved to Colchester 34 years ago. The care we received has always been excellent apart from one doctor who left the practise some years ago on health grounds. Over the past few years I have had a series of health issues & my wife has had a few less serious one. All staff have been exceptionally patient & helpful, even when they are clearly completely overwhelmed by demand. So yes we have had to wait to get through for an appointment on occasion, and when I asked the receptionists why, it was obviously because they had difficulty recruiting new staff, which is not surprising when I see the verbal abuse they get from some patients, which I feel is totally uncalled for. It is also difficult to get appointments sometimes, but they post the number of people who don't turn up for their appointments without letting them know, which is often very high, so this has probably got something to do with it. The surgery now has it's own pharmacy who again are superb, & is very convenient, and because the local hospital has cut back on blood tests (which I have to have every 6 months) I was very pleased when the surgery recruited their own phlebotomist, but sadly she left apparently with hardly any warning to go to another practise where her mother works. I have even seen the Practise Manager man Reception. Talking to friends at other surgeries it is clear that Ambrose is far & away the best in the area. The only improvement I could see is that like dentists already do, if the surgery was able to ban people who habitually don't turn up for their appointments, then hopefully it would make it easier to get one yourself. I do look at website from time to time, where they post details of forthcoming flu jab sessions etc, & I also get details of these & similar campaigns automatically by text message, which is very helpful. All in all, we are very satisfied patients.