"Poor accessibility to good GPs."

I share the same frustrations about this practice as other reviewers.

The appointments system for this surgery is frankly unworkable and self-defeating. The ability to phone and make a routine, non-emergency appointment with any of the doctors simply isn't possible in my experience.

The information provided on the website outlines the process of making an appointment for one of three types of appointment: The appointment options offered are either same-day emergency appointments, follow-up appointments (for results and the like) and nurse appointments. What about non-emergency consultations?

Apparently it is not possible to have one of those. It seems that the only way to make any kind of appointment is to call the surgery at exactly 0800 in the morning. The main problem with this approach is that everyone else is trying to do exactly the same thing at the same time. I end up hanging on the phone for hours listening to either the engaged tone or a recorded message which then just shuts off when the practice hours are over.

Even when I once went in to the surgery in person to make an appointment, I was told I had to go away and ring at 0800 in the morning! And of course, polite complaint at the desk about poor service is now considered as abuse so no point in even trying to voice an objection for fear of having the service withdrawn completely.

For emergency and more pressing appointments this approach of calling at the start of the day may be appropriate, but for non-emergency appointments it makes no sense at all.

According to their website there is an online booking service, however on applying to take part in this scheme (it is necessary to do so in writing with photos and proof of ID - why I have no idea as all this information is retained by the practice and an online application should merely confirm what they already have), I have had no response after almost a month!

The cynic in me suspects that this approach toward booking appointments is more about what is convenient for GPs and practice staff rather than what the patient needs. The whole thing is massively frustrating and made especially more so when the doctors are eminently competent and efficient, but simply not accessible. The practice needs to urgently revise their approach to customer care as it is pointless having a great standard of patient care if your patients can't access it.