"This doctors surgery should be shut down"

The reception staff are not capable of having any customer service skills. You wait hours to get through to someone on the phone and the receptionists don’t care about you and are extremely rude. Even when you email them, the majority of the time you don’t get a response but even when you do, there is no name in the signature. Customer service starts with just even saying ‘hello my name is…’ and signing an email with kind regards and the persons name. They also don’t have an online system as advertised on their website.

Unfortunately I ran out of my repeat prescription medication. So the next morning I called the surgery to explain and asked for advice on what to do. The receptionist on the phone was so rude to me, and stated ‘if you had put the request in 72 hours in advance this wouldn’t happen’ and that I needed to ‘make the request in writing’. I explained that I did put it in writing and also did it 72 hours in advance. I also told the receptionist that I have issues every time when getting my repeat medication, even when I allow 2 weeks. She said they will try to get it done today, so I simply asked ‘what should I do if it is not, as based on previous experience the surgery hasn’t previously got my medication to me on time’. She responded ‘stop being so pessimistic’. I explained again to her that I was just going based on previous experience and not wanting to leave it until the end of the day as can’t miss another day without my medication. She said ‘the sooner I get off the phone from you the better’. I was speechless! And said to her that good customer service and manners doesn’t cost a thing and hung up.

My medication was for anxiety (as she knew). So telling someone who has anxiety to stop being pessimistic is disgusting. And also she was shouting at me on the phone for simply asking for advice. There was no need for her attitude, she could have said ‘in the mean time you can get an emergency supply from a pharmacy’ or even said ‘don’t worry I understand the importance’ but there was absolutely nothing.

So once again I emailed the request confirming the pharmacy to send it to and their response was that ‘it’s been completed’ and the following ‘and I believe we have delivered good ''customer service'' as you asked for.’ Again this is so passive aggressive and actually disgusting to get from someone who works in healthcare setting.

As predicted my medication didn’t arrive on time at my pharmacy. Luckily the pharmacy were amazing and managed to give me an emergency supply.

I’ve never once experienced good service or helpful advice from the surgery.

Looking at other peoples reviews and the low score the surgery has on the nhs website and CQC, also acts as evidence on the low standards to expect at this surgery. Even their responses to peoples reviews doesn’t show any compassion.

Good customer service costs nothing, but can be massively detrimental to someone’s health.