"Very poor"

I have been registered with the Uplands since moving to the area 20 years ago. I feel that I have not always received the best care: I was once prescribed anti-depressants when I wasn't depressed; and I was told I had a sprained ankle which later turned out to be plantar fasciitis. However, in the main, I have found the care from the doctors at the surgery to be reasonable. My biggest problem is with the general management of the practice.

Firstly, unless you call at 8am for a same day appointment, it is impossible to get through on the phone. Even if you do call at 8am it will usually take several attempts to get through. If you haven't got through by 8.30am it's likely all the appointments for the day have been taken. If you want a non-urgent appointment you have to call after 2pm. In recent months, I tried around half-a-dozen times to get a non-urgent appointment, allowing the phone to ring for between 3 and 5 minutes each time, but I have been unable to get through.

Secondly, when you do get an appointment, you are never seen on time, no matter how early you turn up. Delays to appointments that either I or my family members have experienced within the last few years have been anywhere from 10 to 45 minutes and I can't remember the last time I actually saw a doctor at the time of the booked appointment.

Finally, and perhaps worst, is the disconnect between the administration of the practice and actual patient care, which is a constant source of frustration. For the past several years I have been invited for a free flu vaccination, for which I am not eligible. This is because I have a medication that is used in the treatment of diabetes, although I take it for a different reason. I haven't taken advantage of this, but it does appear that I could've claimed a free flu vaccination on the NHS without having the grounds to do so. The practice's approach to smear tests (and I assume other similar clinics and tests) is also somewhat lacking: the last time I was invited for a smear test was less than a month after receiving the results for a smear test! That was more than three years ago and I haven't received an invitation since. I have also received letters from the surgery asking me to attend to discuss test results, only to find that there was nothing of concern and the information could've been discussed over the phone. And I have recently received a letter from the surgery asking me to make a non-urgent appointment (which I can't make). I don't know what this is for but the surgery has since delayed my regular prescriptions as a result.

I don't feel like I am being cared for at this surgery: Getting an appointment is a nightmare, attending is inconvenient and the place is miserable (I can't get out of there fast enough!), and any follow-up is a joke because of the terrible administration. Seeing a GP is now my last resort because of this practice.