Portsdown Group Practices

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.

Had to register here after old practice closure. So far so good but I wish it was easier to phone and the on line appts never have any spaces.

My Dr - Monnery great guy

I have used The surgery a lot over the past year for myself and my daughter and have always been very impressed with the kindness of the team and the thoroughness of the support. I have usually been able to make an appointment when I have needed to and they have been especially helpful when my daughter was ill.
The online appointment and prescription service is especially useful.

There have been some minor issues with getting through on the phone and repeat prescription mix ups and it is true that medical team and receptionists do seem to move around a lot but overall I would highly recommend Heyward Road surgery!

I have been with this Doctors for a while now. The Doctors are fantastic. My Doctor takes the time to sit away from the computer and talk, he makes you feel you can go there with trust and have a professional relationship with his patients.

Myself and my family have been patients here for a long time. It used to be a lovely surgery with friendly staff who knew their patents. Sine portsdown group has taken over it has sadly become awful..doctors have left and the receptionists and nurses are never the same people..it's as if heyward road is an inconvenience to the group who would rather concentrate on their big surgeries. I expect heyward road will soon close..time to look for another surgery!

I have been with this surgery for over 15 years. It was amazing and I still can't fault the doctors and their care. All have gone above and beyond in the treatments for myself and family. However they recently merged into the ports down group. Since then I have had appointments cancelled on me over 4 times I've had appointments made for me at somers town despite me saying it's too far away. I have had to use st marys walk in several times as there has been no emergency appointments. The telephone system is a nightmare and you rarely get through to the right person or surgery and no one is helpful on the phone any more. They really don't care about you or your situation. I am sure the doctors would be horrified by the attitude of staff on the phone and that we can't get to see them when we need to. I am seriously considering moving now.

When I first moved to Southsea I felt lucky to have found a good doctors. Since its become Portsdown group my only option for an appointment is at Sommers town an hour walk away from my home. With no car and 2 small children this is hardly any help. On top of this they now tell me that they are to busy to issue prescriptions meaning that 8 days after putting in a request for a repeat prescription it still wasn't available having previously been been told by them on the phone it would be 4 days. I will be moving my family to a doctor's which can actually provide basic care.

I'm not excited that Heyward joined Portsdown Group, especially when I am forced to go to Somers Town for appointments, which is an inconvenience as Heyward is closer to me. But it is what it is.

What I don't like is how the receptionists shout across the room at you, instead of speaking in a confidential manner. They don't seem to care or consider that perhaps the patients do not want to share their Date of Birth, or why they're there for an appointment, with the whole room. The receptionist recently announced to the whole room that I came in for a blood test. Why would they do that? Very unprofessional!

There was also a time when I called the Surgery to book an appt with the doctor to get test results and the receptionist took it upon themselves to give me my results instead!! I was livid...even more so because they gave me the wrong results! How do I know? Because I made sure to discuss them with the nurse at the hospital when I attended my appointment, so I did have an idea of what they would be. How unprofessional are these receptionists? I did tell the receptionist off and mentioned that they had no business giving me my results seeing as the receptionist does not have a medical degree or any sort of medical qualification. I also complained to the doctor, who I eventually spoke to, and the doctor said they had a policy whereby the receptionist could give out results that are negative (or where there is no concern). I did say that I did not like that policy and didn't think it was professional to have a receptionist interpret medical results. I hope they have made the right changes here! I agree that there's no need to wait to see a doctor if there is nothing to worry about, but at the very least, the doctor should write or call the patient and explain that there is nothing to worry about - not send the receptionist!!

And let's forget to mention the toilet at reception. God forbid you are in a position such as mine where I had to give a urine sample. The toilet is just by the reception so everyone can see you go in and out. The nurse asked me to pass the sample to the receptionist and I asked them if I could hand it to them instead (at their office) because I was embarrassed that everyone at the reception would see me hand in the sample. I would feel embarrassed for any other patient in that position. The nurse actually laughed at me! The nurse then asked what it mattered as I was still going to use the loo at the reception. Needless to say I was infuriated!! The nurse couldn't care less... I am sure there is another toilet at the surgery that is more private that they could have let me use, but for some reason the nurse was insistent that I use the one at the reception. Again, very unprofessional!

Heyward Road is a good surgery, but the admin side of things need vast improvement. Confidentiality and professionalism is key!

When I came to this doctors they found out I had kidney problems. My doctors before never found this out. Sometimes it can take a while on the phone to be contacted, but you have to bare in mind that you're not the only one with health needing to be checked. Also any calls from 11:30-2pm won't be answered as it's their lunch time.

Always had great service here and been able to get a same day appointment every time

Good