New Pond Row Surgery
35 South Street, Lancing, West Sussex, BN15 8ANContact details and opening times
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Reviews
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Review titled Appointments
Rated 4 stars out of 5
by George Drew - Posted on 16 May 2023
I have been registered as a patient with New Pond Row for almost 20 years , always first class service , patient care being paramount .This morning I needed to make a telephone appointment to speak to the practice nurse . Usually a 2 minute call . Today after listening to a ridiculously long message I tried to log in on the internet to the new booking system . I am quite computer literate but gave up . I phoned again and after listening to the message again , I selected option 1 and within 1 minute I had spoken to a receptionist and my request was sorted , easy . Why the need for change ? It is just change and in no way improvement , in fact the opposite . How long before somebody dies because they cannot get through to a doctor . What is the next step ? Artificial Intelligence doctors ? The General Practitioner system was set up to help people without hospital care not to make them unable to see a doctor because the internet does not work or a form did not arrive . Your voice message says a couple of times keep the phone lines clear for those that need help , if people got through to a receptionist without the delay of listening to recorded messages treatment could be provided quicker . The old system was not broken so why change it ? Somebody has to read an internet form , is this quicker or more efficient than speaking to the patient ? We know the answer to that . Finally you have all the patients contacts , phone numbers , e mail addresses etc . Contact us all to see if we want or agree with this new system and abide by our decisions , not doing so will prove that you already now the outcome . Get shot of it before some poor soul perishes because of it . Who will take the blame if that happens ? Serve the patients not the internet companies . Just another unnecessary expense .
Visited May 2023
Review titled New Pond Row Surgery
Replied on 16 May 2023
Thank you, Mr Drew, for taking the time to leave a review of the surgery. I understand your frustrations at having to manage another/a new way of contacting the practice; we'd certainly prefer to not have to change our processes, however we have to respond to not only our patient demand, but also changes to our contracts with NHS England that cover patient access. You will have no doubt read in the media for a number of years that GP practices have been struggling to meet the demand for our patients, especially where there are housing developments that lead to increasing numbers of patients registering with surgeries, and with recruitment of GPs and other clinical staff. Quite recently all GP practices were advised that our contracts were being amended to ensure "all patients should be offered an assessment of need at first contact with the practice". With all the problems General Practice faces right now, to have the instruction that surgeries have to review all patient contact has compounded the problems and caused huge concern across the UK. As I mentioned when responding to another review, we completely understand the trepidation that some of our patients have as technology within the NHS has never been the best. However, we feel that this new system is one of the few options we have available to us to try and meet the demand for appointments and care. Any funding opportunities offered to GP surgeries usually comes with a myriad of restrictions as to how and when it can be spent. When we were offered funding for digital tools to assist with patient care and contact, we were given only a short time frame to agree on what providers we would opt for. Many practices went with funding existing technologies, already in use within their practices. We decided we would try a new system called “Klinik”, one that has been adopted by a number of practices across the UK and had incredible feedback on its ability to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of contact and care for patients. Patients will not be compromised by trying this new triage system. We have had a huge number of patients tell us how well Klinik has worked for them but we do understand there will be some patients for whom the system doesn’t fit with and we hope, by freeing up the telephone lines with people opting to submit their queries online, people who can’t use Klinik will be able to reach the surgery over the phone far easier than before. Those ringing in will still have all their details submitted into Klinik, and an appropriate person within the practice triage their submission, mainly our clinical triage team made up of GPs. And the submitted form gives a detailed overview of what the patient is experiencing, therefore triaged effectively without the need for an additional call to gather more information before a pathway is agreed. Thank you again for your time. Clair Fallows, Business Manager.
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Review titled Unable to book appointment or repeat prescription
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Geoff Cook - Posted on 25 April 2023
As the previous reviewer pointed out, booking anything via the Klinik website is impossible! I can only assume this is down to New Pond Row Surgery, as Klinik clearly states "Online enquiries to New Pond Row Surgery are temporarily disabled" How can it be acceptable for a doctor's surgery to refuse patients access to services? Further, on 25th February this year I wrote to this practice outlining concerns regarding my eyesight and diabetes. They have not had the courtesy to reply.
Visited April 2023
Review titled New Pond Row Surgery
Replied on 27 April 2023
Dear Mr Cook, I am sorry to hear of your frustrations, and that you felt a one-star review was appropriate. The Klinik system was disabled on the afternoon of Tuesday 25 April, which is what I assume you are referring to, as the practice was closed for training for the entire afternoon - as per the telephone message and posters displayed in the practice advising of such for a number of weeks. When practices close for mandatory training, we are closed entirely meaning we do not have patients on-site, do not take telephone calls and therefore equally could not manage enquiries made through Klinik as there were no staff to look after what would have been submitted. The full message on Klinik says "Online enquiries to New Pond Row Surgery are temporarily disabled. The service will resume online on: Wednesday, 26 April 2023 at 07:00. If you feel you have an urgent medical problem that cannot wait for the next working day, please contact the surgery directly. Outside of practice opening hours, you can seek help from: https://111.nhs.uk. Why am I seeing this? Our Klinik online form may be closed for a number of reasons. This may be because you are contacting us outside of our practice and/or service times, which are available on our website. Or the Klinik service may be closed for other reasons such as mandatory staff training. We also may temporarily suspend Klinik online form submissions if we feel that we are unable to provide a safe and timely service due to excessive demand or significant staff shortages." I hope that clarifies the situation on Tuesday for you. The surgery is open between 08:00 and 18:30 Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays) and Klinik available from 07:00 to 17:00 over the same period. Anything required between 17:00 and the surgery closing at 18:30 can be rung through but we ask that anything non-urgent be processed via Klinik on the next working day. I will pass your concerns relating to the non-reply to your letter to our Operations Manager and she will be in touch next week. Lind regards, Clair Fallows, Business Manager.
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Review titled Website redesign with Klinik is inoperable for patients
Rated 4 stars out of 5
by Natalie T - Posted on 18 April 2023
Their website has changed to incorporate Klinik on online appointment booking service. * I tried to find how to acess my previous account - no sign of logging in! * I need to make an urgent repeat prescription electronically - no simple way of doing so, or seeing what I have previously ordered! There are plenty of descriptions on what the new system is supposer to be, but they just send the reader roung and round in circles and there is no way of actually doing anything. New Pond Row Surgery used to be so good, but going electronic has destroyed their reputation overnight! As a disabled person, this almost excludes patients like me! We don't have any other GP option nearby!
Visited April 2023
Review titled New Pond Row Surgery
Replied on 19 April 2023
Dear Natalie T, thank you for the 4 star review but truly sorry to hear about your difficulties with the website. The website and Klinik are separate and only connect as the website is the link to the Klinik portal. As I understand, the old website allowed for retention of prescription data to a low level and therefore patients were able to request repeats via that system. With the change to a new provider which meets accessibility standards, that functionality has been sadly lost. However we can assist you with accessing the NHS app if that is an option for you? The NHS app is a very simple way of requesting repeat prescriptions - we'd be very happy to help you. I am sorry you feel going electronic overnight was not a good idea. We are working hard to try and provide access for all patients and sometimes need to try new methods to meet the demand, but take your comments on board and will discuss with the team at the next training afternoon. I will also ask a member of the team to call you to see if we can assist with setting up another method for your prescriptions. Thank you again for your comments. Kind regards, Clair Fallows, Business Manager.
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Review titled More technology , less care
Rated 3 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 10 March 2023
Having read your latest news letter I think that the use of more technology will just delay treatment and cause more confusion to patients , it could even cause patients to become even more seriously ill through delayed treatment . The system used when patients needing to see a doctor telephone and received a same day appointment works and works well . If a patient does not have internet access they will still need to phone for a receptionist to fill out their form , more work for the reception and inevitably more confusion and less care for the less able and the elderly . Since the modernisation of the surgery treatment has declined and now will decline further . Technology is only as good as those who operate it . Maybe a survey of all your patients to see if they think it is a step forward or backward would be a sensible idea . Save money on this ridiculous system and use the money on patient care .
Visited March 2023
Review titled New Pond Row Surgery
Replied on 13 March 2023
Dear 'Anonymous'. Thank you for your feedback regarding the news that we will be moving to a new triage system in April. We completely understand the trepidation that some of our patients will have as technology within the NHS has never been the best. However, we feel that this new system is one of the few options we have to try and meet the demand for appointments and care. It is well-known that GP surgeries across the UK are struggling to meet the needs of their patients and New Pond Row is no different. We are at capacity in the building and have no further options for increasing our estate at this time. We are faced with a national recruitment crisis for clinicians, and our funding from the government does not increase to match what general practice has to spend to maintain a decent level of care. Any funding opportunities offered to GP surgeries usually comes with a myriad of restrictions as to how and when it can be spent. This time, we were limited to using the money on offer for digital tools to assist with patient care and contact, and given only a short time frame to agree on what providers we would opt for. Many practices went with funding existing technologies, already in use within their practices. We decided we would try a new system, one that has been adopted by a number of practices across the UK and had incredible feedback on its ability to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of contact and care for patients. We will reach out to our patients for feedback after launching the system, looking for ways we can tweak the background processes to improve patient access. Whilst we have faith the new system will be better than what we have now, it would be foolish to not have a contingency plan for if it doesn’t work. If we need to go back to the way patients access care right now, we will be able to do that very quickly. Patients will not be compromised by trying this new triage system. We have an opportunity to try and do things better; that is important for the team and for our patients. Thank you again for your time. Clair Fallows, Business Manager.
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Review titled Actively malicious
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 04 February 2023
I honestly think the staff here are malicious. As though they are enjoying being able to help people and choosing not to. Every time I go in it's an uphill battle. They always act like you're inconveniencing them by needing help, and can't wait for you to go away. I've been waiting 12 weeks for them to get a doctor to read 1 paragraph from my endocrinologist and prescribe 2 medications. The doctor doesn't even need to see me, just tick two boxes and sign the prescription. Today I finally managed to get one half of the prescription filled. I need regular blood tests and every time I get one I tell them they need to give me the results to pass on to my endocrinologist. They don't give me the results and when they do they often haven't tested what they were supposed to and have tested me for diabetes instead and say the reason they didn't give me the results is because they were 'normal', yet are unable to explain what 'normal' is, and it seems like they're just covering for their mistake in the most unconvincing way. I average 2-3 blood tests to get them to test what they're supposed to and then give me the results while they're still relevant. Every time I need a repeat prescription for antidepressants, they promise me it's been filled, I go to the pharmacy, and they haven't heard from the surgery since the last time. Then I go back in to the surgery and am told 'Oh when we said it had been filled we meant we asked the doctor to look at the repeat prescription'. I feel bad for the nearby pharmacy as they seem simply resigned but not surprised by how consistently incompetent the staff here are. I wish I could be kind as know the NHS is struggling but this place is unbelievable. The only way to get anything done seems to be to go in every day in person and nag them over and over. If it was possible to give zero stars I would, I'm moving soon and I'll be so glad to leave this absolutely horrible place and its callous, unprofessional staff behind.
Visited February 2023
Review titled New Pond Row Surgery
Replied on 09 February 2023
Dear Anonymous, I am sorry to hear of your experiences. Please can you contact the surgery and ask to speak to our Operations Manager to discuss, so we can investigate further. Without your details it is very difficult to look into. Please be assured that we can investigate fully if you feel confident in giving us your details. Kind regards, Clair Fallows, Business Manager.