The Vesey Practice

Too much red tape to get a face to face appointment with a doctor

Almost impossible to get an appointment. If you are lucky enough to get someone to answer the phone, you have to explain your problem to a receptionist. I assume this person has no medical training. She then decides if you are worthy of an appointment and whether it is with a nurse or a doctor. This system relies on a medically unqualified person making crucial decisions. Each patient apparently has a named GP, but there is never an option to see them or speak to them. So the named GP is pretty pointless. The whole appointment system assumes patients are free at 08.00 in order to dedicate an hour to repeat phoning in attempts to get through to the practice, then waiting in a phone queue listening to inane music if you do manage get through, then describing symptoms to aforementioned unqualified receptionist, then waiting by the telephone for a doctor/nurse to call you back at a vaguely specified time. It just doesn’t work for anyone who is trying to work at the same time. You have to take a whole day off work to dedicate to trying to get an appointment.

Poor since moving to phone consultations. I have had two occasions to contact the doctors and both have been dealt with initially by a nurse. Both resulted in being prescribed medication which did not resolve the issue and which needed multiple follow up calls. In the first case a urine sample which showed that the course of medication prescribed was not suitable was ignored and it was only on me following contacting them again as I was not getting better that a GP changed the prescription. The second occasion was for a skin condition, the prescription made things worse and I have given up on the prescribed treatment. Skin conditions need someone to look at them, not guess from a description over the phone. I am really disappointed with the service and hope I don’t get ill anytime soon.
Prize Draw Data

Since 2018 when it became part of a 7 group practice access to appointments has got worse weekly even taking covid out of the picture You can no longer book appointments online or do telephone requests for repeat prescriptions It has taken up to two weeks of trying to actually get to speak to a GP A GP asked me to email some information and when I did I got an abrupt email back saying book an appointment which took another week to do This is not acceptable I have had incorrect referrals done I have been put on less good medication so they could avoid doing tests in the surgery Not good enough at all
Prize Draw Data

It is almost impossible to get through at 8am to book an appointment to see a doctor. After weeks of trying, I got through today but it took 45 mins before I could speak to a person. It felt as if it had to be a real emergency before I could see my GP. Thankfully it was and I was booked in for a telephone consultation. The timeline was anytime after 12 and before 2pm!! I had to get my daughter from school so that she could be there although the dr didn’t even need to speak to her, just asked about her condition and asked to see her face to face for the next day, which is great but it means a morning off school now. I cannot fault the GP as he was amazing but I am very dissatisfied with the appointment system.
Prize Draw Data

Kept waiting 40 minutes only to be informed no appointments available. Next day I called again and when I tried to mention my previous waiting time I was told to get to the point re my medical issues.

Great surgery. Doctors always considerate. On many occasions they've squeezed my kids in at the end of the day so we can get eye drops etc so they aren't out of school. The practice nurses have been awesome throughout.

A very reliable doctors great practise been there since I was born and now 38 very freindly too.

No GP service now. On the phone 30 mins at a time trying to get through. Then eventually told no appointments available today try again tomorrow. Will not book any appointments in advance.

Whilst GP surgeries say they are open and business as normal, that is not strictly true. Getting a face to face appointment is difficult, not everyone has a smart phone, online booking has gone. People are in pain and suffering because GP surgeries are sending off patients rather than allowing face to face.