"Excellent doctors, chaotic booking system"

The regular longstanding doctors I cannot speak highly enough of. I feel confident in their judgment and advice whenever I've attended either for myself or with my 2 children.

However, the appointment booking system and general administration side of the practice desperately needs a review. There is a queue every morning about half an hour before the desk opens for appointments and it is very dependent on the staff member you see whether you can get an appointment that is at a time that is even vaguely convenient. I was recently told a mere 3 mins after opening that I was being handed the very last appointment with a doctor when I asked of there were other times available but I couldn't help feel I was being told this just to get me out of the way for the next person in the long queue (the receptionist already looking passed me to the next person as she informed me it was my only choice). The only way to get an appointment is to be there in person queuing before opening, if you call you can rarely get through for the first 30 mins and when you down through, all the appointments are gone. There is a huge pressure on this practice due to new housing estates surrounding it and the people that have been with them for decades are suffering massive slump in experience because of this. A couple of weeks ago, I called 2 days in a row to get an appointment for my young baby to be told one day that I'd have to go to the walk in center around 5 miles away and the next day to attend another nearby practice around 3 miles away. If you have access to a car that's fine, but others would need to get a bus or taxi there.

I feel desk staff are often over stretched and stressed and as a result can be ratty with patients on a regular basis, which antagonises worried and/or sick people trying to seek help from them. The practice does use Patient Access but there are not many appointments available through this and if there are, they always weeks in advance.