The Grange Practice

It was fine- good response from GP.

Recommend

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Written by a patient

I waited 2 weeks for today's appointment and I was there on time for my appointment at 9.30 a.m. I was seen at 9.50 a.m. The customary meaningless 'sorry for keeping you' was muttered. The Dr who attended to me, who was a locum, gave the impression he was totally disinterested. Although, I was in his surgery for a few minutes, we were disturbed on 2 occasions, once by an administrative member of staff and the other by the Practice manager, neither apologised, and both appeared to be content with the invisible patient and unaware that the had wanted to discuss sensitive issues. However, one had gathered, after a few minutes, that the Dr appeared to be more interested in his lack of computer skills than my issues. My blood pressure was recorded as 160/100 I believe this was due to to the fact of his attitude, appearance of lacking to care and the appearance of an insincere apology for seeing me 20 minutes later than scheduled. Had he been attending to a patient just before me (I enquired at reception that he last saw a patient at 9.10 a.m) I might have been more understanding but from what I observed he appeared to be 'faffing about' before considering to see me at the appointed time. Usually, and in my experience, Drs take at least a couple of minutes to read through the patient's notes on screen before inviting patients into their surgery, this Dr didn't even have the computer skills to log on, hence the interruption of the administrative member of staff, who didn't know either. To add more insult to the whole experience his only suggestion was for me to return several days later to see the nurse. Here are a few suggestions to improve patient/Dr / surgery relationship, Reception staff to ascertain from patient if they require a blood test, If the patient do require a blood test then an appointment with the nurse not the Dr to be arranged. For the reception staff to give the patient a choice of seeing their 'own' Dr or a locum or at least have the courtesy to inform the patient that they might be seen by a locum. To give the locums the opportunity to get to know your computers system in private rather than during the patients appointment. To employ Dr's who give the appearance of pretending to give a dam rather than the appearance that they would much prefer to be having their fourth Big Mac!! I came away not having the opportunity to discuss matters properly, disheartened and pitying people who do not have the time/skill or perhaps the inclination to write a review as I am sure I am not the only patient who feels invisible by the purported caring profession!

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Written by a patient

All the Reception Staff are wonderful, they are very patient with difficult people, and I believe that there should be more than one Staff Member available at busy times, and there should be a Staff member available to be a "Back-up" Receptionist when a difficult person takes a lot of time up, and a queue builds up. Getting through on the telephone is very frustrating, there should be one Staff Member dedicated to be given the job of answering the phone, it seems to be left to the Main Receptionist to do this? I am sure that there is someone, who perhaps does filing or writing letters who can do their job between answering the phone, and the balance of their job later in the day when the phone may possibly be quieter. Thursday is usually a fully open day, but sometimes there is a training day and the surgery is closed, there should be an answering machine on that day to tell people that fact, rather than just having to wait, get frustrated, then give up because you just do not get an answer. In businesses I have managed, the telephone is the main contact, and its answering tells people about the way a place is run. If it is answered quickly, after a couple of rings, the place is very efficiently run, if it rings forever, then people think that people just cannot be bothered to answer it, and do not care less. The Staff at the Grange DO care less, but it seems the person in charge has not got the system right. Please do not let your Staff down. Implement some changes, to help your patients, like the Reception Staff do their best to, under very challenging conditions of being overworked, being on their own. All these comments, are meant to be, to help the Practice Run Smoother, and I do hope they are taken in that context.

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I have always found Dr S Marsden very helpful. She tells you all about the treatment you are being given. I couldn't wish for a more polite doctor.

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I find the practice very well run and very helpful. The reception staff are always helpful.

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