"Beyond poor"

As a family we have been at this surgery for the last 10 years, over this time the service has declined to the point that last week we all had to register with another practice. I'm not sure what the internal issues are that have resulted in the decline but it is directly affecting patient welfare. Last week when I tried to get help with an issue there were only 2 GPs on duty, no practice nurse and no diabetic nurse available for a whole week. I appreciate staff need holidays but cover should be organised to ensure patients can still access necessary services when needed. Last week my partner ended up in A&E due to an issue not being diagnosed and dealt with correctly when he attended for treatment, he is diabetic and it could have had disastrous effects, luckily Stepping Hill A&E were on form and it was dealt with quickly but put at least 2 weeks on his recovery time. It really is very sad that a practice that was so good is now in such a state that it should be put into special measures.

This is just our experience on one occasion and ultimately it does come down to funding of the NHS but the management of this practice is sadly lacking.