Ponteland Medical Group
Meadowfield, Ponteland, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE20 9SDContact details and opening times
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Reviews
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Review titled The Curse of Anima
Rated 2 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 16 November 2024
When telephoning for an appointment you are told to make contact via "Anima" this is a web based questionnaire which may take "several days" to respond. My enquiry was about a suspected infection. My Anima response came the next day with the advice that I contact my pharmacy. I have mobility issues so need someone to take me there or use a taxi. I assumed my pharmacy would have received a message from the GP about my issue. Wrong. The pharmacist said I would need to go back to the GP because they could not issue the medication without a prescription. I telephoned the GP practice and explained and was told I'd need to complete another Anima. I protested and eventually the receptionist posted an Anima on my behalf. She didn't actually speak to a Doctor - just posted another Anima. Anima responded to me directly 2 days later with an appointment to see a GP the next day. There were endless complaints in the waiting room about Anima, obviously not listened to - Anima continues. When you have the basic courtesy of actually speaking to someone, anyone, at the practice, they are perfectly nice but what a shambles the system is.
Visited November 2024
Review titled Ponteland Medical Group
Replied on 05 December 2024
Dear Patient, Thank you for your feedback. My name is Nicola, I am the Practice lead at Ponteland Medical Group. Your feedback is important to us so we are able to learn and improve our services. I'm sorry to hear you have had a negative experience with Anima on this occasion. Anima has been helpful to enable us to provide the most appropriate appointment for patients depending on a patients request. The GP will triage all medical queries submitted via Anima in order to advise the most appropriate appointment/ signpost based on the information provided. A receptionist will submit an Anima on behalf of a patient or encourage a patient to submit their own Anima request. This enables us to distinguish those that need more urgent treatment as apposed to those who need a routine appointment. Again, all non urgent medical requests are triaged via clinician and we aim to respond within 2 working days. In the first instance if your request meets the criteria for a Pharmacy appointment, we can make this referral for you based on the information provided. I am sorry that in your case this meant you had to return back to the surgery as the pharmacist was unable to prescribe the medication you needed. I can confirm that you should of received a message following this referral from the practice. Again, I am very sorry you didn’t receive any contact. The Pharmacy would usually get in touch with us to let us know if a referral was inappropriate so we could make alternative arrangements. Going forward, i will keep a log of these so i am able to share back within practice meetings so we can improve and prevent this going forward. Id be more than happy to look into this further and provide me with more details to see if theres anything else i can do to make our patients have a better experience. You can email me on pontelandmedical.grouppractice@nhs.net FOA, Nicola. Thanks again for your feedback please do not hesitate to get in touch. Thank You, Nicola Rice Snr Practice Lead
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Review titled Very poor telephone service
Rated 3 stars out of 5
by Allan - Posted on 17 June 2024
I have tried repeatedly to speak to someone but no one ever answers the phone. This happens all the time and is not just an isolated incident
Visited June 2024
Ponteland Medical Group has not yet replied.
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Review titled No reply
Rated 1 star out of 5
by John - Posted on 11 April 2024
I've tried for 3 days to get a telephone reply. Over an hour in minutes waiting. I must speak to a receptionist but can't. I rang the other ponteland doctors once and including wait time I got a full verbal reply in 10 minutes. Should I remain a patient with a practice I can't communicate with.
Visited April 2024
Ponteland Medical Group has not yet replied.
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Review titled Shockingly Bad Telephone Response Times
Rated 2 stars out of 5
by Ian - Posted on 16 November 2023
Their inability to answer the telephone in a timely manner beggars belief. They don't even have the now customary "you are now number ? in the queue" to indicate how long the wait might be. There's not much choice in the area, so it seems they know you are stuck with them. Through our various taxes we are actually paying for this "service" - deplorable!
Visited November 2023
Ponteland Medical Group has not yet replied.
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Review titled Same old story.
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 19 April 2023
Like so many others, trying to get an appointment is absolutely ridiculous. I rang at 0800hrs and waited 35 minutes with no answer, I hung up and tried the alternative number provided in their answer phone message, sat waiting for 10 minutes and was then cut off. So my wife rang on her mobile while I drove 10 miles to the practice to book an appointment that way, as it was quicker. When I arrived at the surgery I contacted my wife who was still on the line waiting to get through. I spoke to the receptionist who told me that there were no issues with the phone system. Despite the fact that the answer phone message states they are aware of problems with their telephone system and also there was a printed notice next to the receptionist stating there were issues with the phone lines. So she either did not know or refused to accept it. I tried to book an appointment and was told there were none left and to ring back the following day. I asked for a phone consultation and was told they could send a message to the relevant Doctor to arrange this. I opted for this and asked if there was an approximate time the Doctor would call on the arranged date. I was then told there was no guarantee I would receive a call and that a message had only been past asking if I could be called. It's an absolute disgrace and after all this time claiming it is down to issues with the telephone system, why has it not been fixed? If this was a regular business it would have had to close down a long time ago. When you do eventually get to see a GP they are actually very good. I am due my phone call tomorrow, but I am going to drive the 10 miles to the surgery for 0800hrs so I can book an appointment in person as I have no confidence in receiving a call. While doing this review I'd also like to relate to a time I went to pick up a prescription (when there was a pharmacy). It was during Covid so I had to buzz to be allowed in. After pressing the buzzer at least ten times over ten minutes I was eventually let in by a nurse practitioner. A long review but it is through sheer frustration and anger that the same issue remains months and months later, despite multiple promises that it would be resolved. Who is responsible for getting this fixed??
Visited April 2023
Ponteland Medical Group has not yet replied.