"Mixed experience and feelings about this practice"

After careful consideration, I have decided to write this review to share my experience. I hope it will assist other residents in finding a suitable GP practice.

The nurses deserve 5 stars; they are excellent.

Admin staff deserve 5 stars for their helpfulness.

Pharmacists, I'd rate 2.5 stars. They've denied prescriptions without informing me, leaving me to find out at the pharmacy. For example, after surgery this year, I needed follow-up painkillers, but the GP only gave me a two-week supply each month. I've also had partially filled repeats with no explanation and recently, they prescribed the wrong item but blamed me, despite having written proof.

Medical staff? I was scheduled to see a doctor about a matter that the physiotherapist had written to the GP about. It took several weeks to get an appointment. When I arrived, the lady thought I had come for test results. It appears she was not a doctor because when I explained the problem, she mentioned needing to consult a doctor and get back to me.

Today, appointments can no longer be made by telephoning or visiting the surgery. Patients must now submit an online form detailing their problem and specifying what they require from the doctor. These email messages are then reviewed to determine whether or when a patient can see a doctor. This process is impersonal. While conditions like "flu" or "belly pains" might be straightforward, other issues are not. Sharing very personal medical problems with an anonymous person at the other end of the computer might be uncomfortable for some. In the few years I have been registered at this surgery, I have had to resort to going to A&E, walk-in centres, and a private GP.

On one occasion when I had to go to a private GP, the surgery did not accept his findings – even though he is a consultant and specialist in the field at Northern General. I had to go through a longwinded process that took several weeks.

That’s my experience which I hope can help inform the decision of others who are looking for a surgery.