Dorking Medical Practice
New House Surgery, 142A South Street, Dorking, Surrey, RH4 2QRContact details and opening times
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Reviews
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Review titled Can the surgery actually be bothered
by Anonymous - Posted on 08 January 2024
Requested an appointment as have been quite ill for 5 days now. ( Unable to work ) explained my symptoms online. Got a text back! Apparently I "may have a respiratory tract infection" which in its self suggests I may not either. All I know is I'm ill and have been for the last five days! Does this surgery no longer provide proper diagnosis? Are they even able to? I'm disappointed and in bed!
Visited January 2024
Review titled Dorking Medical Practice
Replied on 10 January 2024
Dear Patient Thank you for your feedback, I would like to apologise for the experience you have received from the practice. We take our patient feedback seriously and I would be happy to discuss your concerns about your experience with you. If you would like to discuss these with me please do not hesitate to contact me. Kind regards April Haigh Operations Manager 01306 881313
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Review titled Incompetence
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 30 October 2023
I was with this practice for 4 years but what occurred this month was the final push to leave them for good. I am a single Mom, holding down a very successful career whilst parenting a beautiful 8 year old. The irony is that what occurred took place in the same month as Mental Awareness Day! I am on antidepressants. When going to reorder my prescription I was told I needed it to be checked by a clinician. Cue a week whereby I spent over 5 hours on the phone on hold waiting to speak to a person. I was eventually successful due to a meeting free morning on the Friday. I informed the practice that I was already without my meds. I was assured a prescription would be waiting for me at my nominated pharmacy later that day. Nothing. On Saturday, the day of my sons birthday party I was told by the pharmacy to phone 111. After being on hold for 45 minutes I had to hang up. I continued to play telephone tennis again the following week. Assurance that the prescription had been sent, confirmation from the pharmacy that it had not. Thank goodness for the pharmacy who at this point offered an emergency supply. On the Friday, a week after I had been assured the prescription would be waiting for me and the pharmacist again confirmed it had not been received, I booked with an online GP, paid £80 and got my meds that way. When I went to collect that prescription the other had finally miraculously arrived ten days after I had needed them. Simply not good enough and certainly not a practice I would trust my health or that of my son's with again. I took both prescriptions giving me 2 months to register at another surgery before I need my next prescription. The pharmacy confirmed that I was one of many who had similar experiences with the same practice. Not good enough!!
Visited October 2023
Review titled Dorking Medical Practice
Replied on 01 November 2023
Dear Patient Thank you for your feedback, and I would like to apologise for the poor experience you received from the practice, whilst requesting medication, and the time you spent on the telephone. Also for the assurance that your medication would be sent to your pharmacy for collection. If you would like to discuss this with me further, please do not hesitate to contact me. If I am not available please leave you name and I will contact you back. April Haigh Operations Manager Telephone direct Dial 01306 870227 april.haigh@nhs.net
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Review titled Great response
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Kerry Day - Posted on 04 July 2023
I used the form first thing on Friday and had a call very quickly that morning to book an appointment. I think the system works really well, so much easier than calling. The Dr rang when expected, and I now have an appointment booked at hospital, start to finish it will be less than two weeks.
Visited June 2023
Dorking Medical Practice has not yet replied.
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Review titled Needs More Practice
Rated 2 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 29 June 2023
I have been a patient at this practice for over 4 decades. I currently use the service once or twice a year, and when an online booking system was introduced a few years ago felt that it was a step forward to be freed of the constriction of only being able to contact the surgery during opening hours. For example, I was able to leave a message at a time that suited me, and the surgery could action a reply when it suited them. I am surprised and disappointed to find today that the online booking form is now only available for 2.5 hours a day, from 7.30am! Are the computers on a 'work to rule' in support of striking staff (with whom I deeply sympathise)? Or is this a case of one step forward, then 2 steps back?
Visited June 2023
Review titled Dorking Medical Practice
Replied on 03 July 2023
Thank you very much for your feedback. Clinical forms on our website are generally open from 07:30am- 10am Mon-Fri, we do need to close them earlier on occasion due to high demand where it would not be safe to allow forms to be submitted which we might not have resource to triage or appointments to allocate. Our phone lines are open Monday to Friday from 8am-6:30pm (closed for lunch from 1pm-2pm) and when the online forms are closed, our patients can contact us via telephone with urgent queries which cannot wait until the next morning. If you would like to discuss this further, please contact us via our website. Kind regards, Mamta Azad Assistant Operations Manager
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Review titled Exceptional service
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Jacky - Posted on 18 May 2023
The Doctor was so caring and thoughtful. I can't thank her enough for reacting so quickly and helping me feel much better.
Visited May 2023
Dorking Medical Practice has not yet replied.
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Review titled Forgotten about and left in limbo
Rated 2 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 02 May 2023
When I was being treated by a specific professional, I was monitored and treated appropriately. Now I have been waiting for biopsy results, to rule out cancer, for a month. I have also been left in limbo with an untreated uti. Despite being initially referred to fast track. I have had no contact with health professional, for weeks. People should not be able to slip through the net. I have contacted online, but gp did nothing.
Visited May 2023
Review titled Dorking Medical Practice
Replied on 04 May 2023
Dear Patient, Thank you very much for your feedback. I'm sorry to hear you are still waiting for your test results and we would like to follow up on the concerns you raise. It seems that these are issues relating to your care with a different provider following a referral to secondary care. Ordinarily we would ask you to contact the hospital you were referred to in order to resolve these issues. However, if you get in touch with me via the surgery, I will investigate to see if there is anything further we can do to address your concerns and support any follow-up that is required. Kind regards, John Glosto Operations Manager
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Review titled Such a wonderful practice
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 27 February 2023
I cannot praise the doctors, nurses, pharmacists and lovely receptionists at this fantastic practice highly enough. My medical concerns have always been dealt with kindly, efficiently and most thoroughly. I have always been properly listened to.
Visited February 2023
Dorking Medical Practice has not yet replied.
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Review titled Total loss of confidence
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 02 February 2024
My husband has a very serious and potentially life-threatening medical condition. A consultant is advising him on medication but it's down to the surgery to oversee the administration of this. What has followed has been a catalogue of administrative errors and poor communication (for which my husband was blamed, when he verifiably was not) leading to major frustration, stress and ultimately being left in limbo with no resolution. Sadly, these problems are by no means unusual at this practice now. I know many other patients who've experienced similar difficulties, and I had cause to contact the practice manager with my concerns about 18 months ago. At that time I was assured that the failings in the system and administration, the lack of access to the triage forms, plus staff shortages, were temporary and that things would improve over the coming months. They never have and they now seem dangerously bad. The upshot of my husband's recent appointment (confirmed by text and then, when he arrived, non-existent) is that he is still without the medication that he needs, although everyone knows that he's at risk without it. Despite being told that this was being referred back to the duty doctor immediately, that was 3 days ago and he's heard nothing since. We have been with this surgery for over 30 years and at one time I would have said (and frequently did) that it was one of the best. It's been very sad to see the decline. I realise that the NHS is not what it was and that there are all sorts of pressures on surgeries, but this practice doesn’t appear to be able to cope with them. I know there are some very good doctors, but despite what it says on the website, you can't specify that you want to see them. (I tried to do this recently and told the receptionist I was prepared to wait as long as it took, but the duty doctor just ignored that and put me with a doctor I didn't know.) Although I’ve had good service at times, it's extremely inconsistent, perhaps because the systems are consistently failing the staff as much as the patients. Sadly, the way these are being managed (or not) is causing us to lose all confidence. I hesitate to leave a negative review and have never done so before - I know it must be demoralising for staff who are very overworked – but trying to even contact the surgery is almost impossible at times: you do it online at the specified time and access is denied; you call in at what you hope are less busy times and get told to ring instead at 8 o'clock when the phones are jammed; you ring at other times of day and it's nothing to wait 25 minutes. But to be blamed as the patient for blatant administrative errors that have left you without treatment is the last straw.
Visited January 2023
Review titled Dorking Medical Practice
Replied on 07 February 2024
Dear patient Thank you for your feedback, I would like to apologise for your experience that you and your husband have received recently at the practice. I understand from your feedback that your husband has experienced problems with appointment bookings, being issued medication recommended by a consultant, and problems when trying to access the practice either online or by telephone. We take out feedback very seriously I would be willing to discuss your feedback with you in more detail, so we can learn from your experiences and review our processes. If you wish to discuss these issues with myself please do not hesitate to contact me. Kind regards April Haigh Operations Manager 01306 870227
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Review titled So different from how it used to be
Rated 2 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 01 February 2023
This used to be a model practice with some great doctors, one of whom I've seen for years now: it's always a locum, and always a different one, who often questions what you were told on the previous visit. What is really concerning is how difficult it is to make an appointment, even a telephone one, even saying you're happy to wait a week or two. My experience is that if you phone it won't be answered. Two weeks ago I did this for 20+ minutes each time, was told I was number four in the queue. Eventually I walked to the surgery, hanging up four minutes before I arrived. No phones were ringing or being answered. Now you can't even get a non-urgent appt by asking at the desk; instead you are referred to the online service which today says demand is too high and therefore it is not available. It is as if it is being made as difficult as possible to book an appointment. Covid is not an excuse for this.
Visited January 2023
Review titled Dorking Medical Practice
Replied on 03 February 2023
Dear Patient, Thank you very much for your feedback. At Dorking Medical Practice, we are keen to offer a high standard of patient care and customer service and so we are grateful for your feedback, which will enable us to learn and improve. As you have submitted your feedback anonymously, it is difficult for me to investigate the points you’ve raised. As do most GP practices, we do occasionally employ locums to supplement our resource and be able to meet patient demand, however we have 11 GPs who work for our practice on a permanent basis and who offer regular clinics throughout the week. We understand the benefit of continuity of care, and it is possible to request an appointment with a specific GP, depending on how flexible your needs are. It is worth noting that we are a training practice and so we host doctors on rotation, hence the new faces. We have limited availability of appointments, and so requests for appointments to see a doctor are triaged. We offer those with urgent needs appointments before those with more routine health complaints as you would probably expect. We have had feedback in the past that waiting times to get through on the telephones were sometimes longer than our patients would have liked. I’m pleased to say that we have now upgraded our telephone system and initial statistics indicate that waiting times to get through on the phones have been considerably reduced. We do encourage our patients who have internet access to request their appointments online via our practice website. This enables us to make use of our limited resource more effectively. Generally, the forms to request an appointment on our website are open Mon – Fri from 7.30am – 10am, however sometimes they do close early when there is high demand. We cannot leave them open indefinitely, as we have a limited number of appointments available, as well as limited resource to triage the requests that come in. Our phone lines remain open Mon – Fri from 8am – 6.30pm (with the exception of 1pm – 2pm for lunch) and if the online forms to request an appointment are closed, our patients are still able to contact us via telephone with urgent queries which cannot wait until the next morning. We are here to serve our patients and be as accessible as possible and are offering more appointments now than we were pre-Covid. If you’d like to contact me via the surgery and give me more detail, I’d be happy to investigate. Sincerely yours, John Glosto Operations Manager
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Review titled Great practice
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Jacky - Posted on 14 December 2022
Exceptional service from Hillside Surgery - there were quite a number of patients attending and the receptionist met everyone with the same welcome and good nature. It was a pleasure to attend.
Visited December 2022
Dorking Medical Practice has not yet replied.