Portsdown Group Practices

This person left a star rating but no comment.

Since Portsdown Group have taken over, access to Heyward Road surgery by phone is impossible. Now when you call you get through to a call centre type set up, which at times takes a very long time then to request a routine appointment giving at least a months notice to be told you can't book routine appointsment this far in advance. Advised to call back a week before appointment is required. Did this and guess what? No appointments available, this is an impossible system when you're working and trying to fit things around your working week and giving your employer sufficient notice!
We are aware that the NHS is under extreme pressure however, our understanding is that they should still offer client centred care and as far as our experience this is severely lacking.
How does anyone who is working manage to obtain a routine appointment at their convenience? On previous occasion we have been offered appointments at alternative surgery but this has only been the case for urgent appointments. With the group being larger you would think that there would be more flexibility and availability again not our experience. Very disappointed

Been trying to get my husband an appointment for the last month...every time I call there is no appointments...he works nearly 60 hours a week and finds it hard to get to the drs and can't drop work to answer call backs or go there on same day, even though his health problem has started to deteriorate, I'm still having to keep calling at 8 am every morning to try and resolve it. I usually have the same problem when booking for myself, even though I book by internet, there is never any appointments available online, so I end up phoning (being on hold and not end up with an appointment). We may have to visit the walk in centre if this carries on!!!! Have just got off hold and because it's Easter, they haven't got any routine appointments for 3 WEEKS!!!!!

I had been with this practice many years ago. Doctors were kind and took time to listen.Everybodies visit is individual, some need more care. It was always difficult to get an appointment even years ago. I have recently returned to the practice. Telephoning can be very difficult. I have had bad experiences of that.Online appointments few and far between, trying night after night until one becomes available. When finally you get an appointment, not necessarily with your choice of GP, it feels as though they are watching the clock for your 10 minute slot to end, more or less as though you are a nuisance, passing insensitive comments. I have found apart from one doctor there, who I shall probably never manage to get an appointment with again, they are quite uncaring. I feel I have made a bad mistake coming back to this practise. The reception staff are friendly, although the queue is sometimes nearly out of the door. So arrive early just in case.

Well may I say Heather your community nurse has just been to give me my Flu and Pneumonia injections.What a lovely lady, she is a credit to this surgery.

This person left a star rating but no comment.

The staff were all very friendly and made me feel safe and welcome. They were knowledgeable and helpful.
I've always been able to get an appointment when I've needed one and I am given choices for care when appropriate.

My parents are patients of the practice,so I thought I’d change gp as my daughter would not see my last gp because she was quite rude.
The doctors I have seen here are lovely,the only thing they need to do better would be issuing prescriptions when they are supposed to,and be able to make an appointment after 8am to see a gp.
Be able to make appointments for the following week (this practice does not offer this option to patients

Rude and unpleasant staff, doctors are almost never there.

Its me again, my first phone call was on hold for 29 mins and i call on another phone told to hang up on first call as it would never get a reply as it been to long put on hold and its been another 15 mins ans still no one has picked up , i think i shall try another surgery this one is a waste of time, very poor service,

Had to wait for almost 2 months to be seen, then when i was seen its been 3 weeks without any contact, i have phones today and have been on hold for 20 mins and counting and still waiting to be spoken too, i am in a lot of pain and don't think this is good enough it least you could pick up a phone from time to time,

I have been with this Doctors for just over three years, I have brought my family and children to this Doctors due to how safe I feel while being treated here.

Over the years I have had a number of test and Hospital refuels done that have been quick due to the Doctors efforts and the treatment is fantastic, they have everything there from GP to HCA even a small minor operation room.

You will be involved every step of the way of your treatment and decisions. The Doctors will not sit on the PC writing away as hey tend to sit back away from the desk to fully understand what is going on, you will be able to build a good relationship with them also.

I can fully recommend this sugary

Same day GP or Nurse intervention
Calls from a Doctor no matter how busy they are.
Fast treatment
Confidential consolations.

We moved to the area 4 years ago and when we joined this was a lovely surgery. However, that no longer remains!
1) 90% of the time I am given an appointment at the Somerstown surgery miles from where I live
2) There has been no communication about the changes
3) I can never get through on the phone to make an appointment. And you even have to ring at 8am for routine appointments
4) Being pregnant I have had to have 100% midwife care due to the St Marys being aware that at Heyward road you won't get appointments
5) They were supposed to have a new building in the newly built flats and haven't

But the biggest is:
I can't ever get an appointment at my local surgery and my health suffers as a consequence.

I have recently been told by midwife to see my doctor about High Blood pressure. But I can't get an appointment so have had to just hope for the best.

I will be moving myself, my husband and my 3 year old to a new surgery shortly. I am disgusted.

I've been with this GP for about 3 years and have finally had enough and am looking at other GPs.
There are very long waits for appointments, I'm usually told 3 weeks minimum though urgent appointments are booked the same day. Waiting for appointments is also long, I've not once been seen on time and usually feel rushed in my appointment.
The number services available have decreased with myself now having to have some treatments privately at my own expense or join a long hospital waiting list for "non essential" problems.
My partner uses the perscription service and has rarely had his perscription sent to his pharmacy on time, there always seems to be problems getting his medication in good time before he runs out.
I would not recommend this surgery, I've been to a number of far better ones in other towns.

I feel the same as many others in that the Heyward surgery has been so helpful and supportive over the years and the doctors patient ,kind and understanding but since they merged with the Portsdown group I never even get to go to the heyward but instead end up at the Somerstown site where you are left waiting for ages and where at least one of the two occasions I have attended I have had an unsympathetic and abrupt doctor who was less than friendly. I really don't want to leave but I can see no other option.

I have seen one of the Nurse Practitioners at the surgery a couple of times and they have been outstanding. They are extremely helpful and very reassuring about my health concerns. The Nurse Practitioner takes the time to listen and acknowledge my worries. Always professional and reassuring. They are a credit to the practice and if I need to be seen again I hope to see them.

I have been registered at this surgery for 30 years, and have sadly decided to leave, since merging with 'Portsdown group practice' you can no longer call the surgery directly (you get put through to a call centre) you can't get an appointment at the surgery you are registered at ie Heywood Rd, I have been constantly sent to the 'Hub' where I don't know ANY of the Drs and they don't know me, and where I have 6 different chronic illnesses makes things very challenging for me, I can't even see my own GP or even request to see my own GP anymore, today I found out my GP and the other I know there has left and we weren't informed, this is the last straw. I am definitely leaving and so is my daughter and also my mother. I would very much like to know why everything has changed so much, but keep getting no answers. Patients have not been kept informed of all the changes, and quite frankly I think it's disgusting we can't even get to see our own GP at the surgery we are registered at anymore, being disabled and having many health problems this has been really hard on me, I dread to think how it's affected the older generation and people who have even worse health problems. I'm so very sad to this this happen.

I have just come out of hospital and called at the surgery, at Cosham and Paulsgrove and they were both shut, time was approx 12.50.

I brought my step daughter in to be seen yesterday as she had not been well for a few days. She was seen by a nurse practitioner, dealt with prescribed appropriate medication and given a first class service. same day appointment with no complications. I am really pleased with the service she received from Nurse Practitioner Nicola

Absolutely awful, get appointment unless you are the first to call at 8am, however not everyone can call that early. I have a job and I cant just sit around waiting on the phone for 40 minutes to an pouring waiting for the receptionist to answer and decide that you can see a doctor. Awful system of only being able to book 2 weeks in advance on that day only. Even when you need urgent care doctors hardly ring back. They don't care about your symptoms only getting you out as soon as they can. always going for quick easy diagnosis even though you know something is actually wrong. Would recommend you stay away from this Doctors Surgery.