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"Worst practice I’ve experienced in my lifetime"

About: Appletree Medical Practice

I have found trying to ‘use’ this practice as a patient so stressful that my partner has to phone or call in person for me. I find the reception staff impenetrable, one recent example is where I told them that I am not a regular visitor to the doctors so I need to have the procedures explained regarding blood tests etc, I could not get a clear answer from them. It took several phone calls to get this cleared up. I saw a consultant and am now trying to get the prescriptions on the NHS (my consultant wrote to the surgery), again could not get a clear answer from reception about how I go about getting this arranged, would I need an appointment? In the end I made an appt as I was running out of medication (not sure if this required and may be taking an appt from someone who needs it?) the final straw was discovering on the NHS app that my blood tests reveal 4 abnormal results but I was only told about one of them. My condition means that I become stressed and anxious far quicker than ‘normal’ but find using this practice makes me feel far worse than before I engaged, which is not right. I must stress that at no point did I get into any arguments with the staff either in person or over the phone as I just don’t have the emotional energy to do so.

I have decided to change to another practice.

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Responses

Response from Appletree Medical Practice 10 months ago
Appletree Medical Practice
Submitted on 11/06/2024 at 12:36
Published on nhs.uk at 12:36


Thank you for taking the time to provide such detailed feedback about your experience at our practice. We deeply regret that our service did not meet your expectations and that you found it stressful to navigate our procedures.

We apologise for any confusion and frustration you experienced with our reception staff and the lack of clear communication regarding your blood tests and prescription process. This is not the level of service we strive to provide, and we understand how this could exacerbate your condition and cause unnecessary stress.

Please know that your comments have been taken seriously, and we are committed to improving our communication and patient support. We will review our procedures to ensure that all staff are fully equipped to provide clear and helpful information to all patients, especially those who may not visit frequently and need more guidance.

We are also sorry to hear about the issues with your blood test results. It is crucial that all aspects of your health are communicated effectively, and we will address this with our medical team to prevent such oversights in the future.

We wish you the best of health and success with your new practice. If you have any further concerns or if there is anything we can do to assist during your transition, please do not hesitate to contact us directly.

Kind Regards

Lianne Burke

Practice Manager

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