St Lukes Primary Care Centre
Timken Way South, Duston, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN5 6FRContact details and opening times
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Reviews
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Review titled Very difficult to get an appointment
Rated 2 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 12 September 2024
Recent experience, which is not rare - lines opened at 14:00 - by 14:02 they are at full capacity and I was cut off - as in, even the hold system was full and I had no chance of getting an appointment until the next day. When the same thing could happen again. Whats more worrying - this surgery is listed as ‘taking on new patients’ when it seems to me that they are already way beyond operational capacity.
Visited August 2024
Review titled St Lukes Primary Care Centre
Replied on 12 September 2024
Dear Patient Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback. We are sorry to hear of the difficulties you have experienced in getting through to the practice via telephone. We are working hard to alleviate these common struggles our patients are facing. We have increased our non clinical workforce which will enable us to have more staff answering calls, we have also expanded and are continuing to expand our clinical workforce to further increase appointments available. In addition we have launched pre-bookable appointments so patients are no longer limited to on the day appointments, we hope in time only patients who require an urgent same day appointment will call through at 8.00am and 2.00pm allowing non urgent requests to come through after this time, this change is going to take time to embed and we are working hard to continue to develop this process. Charlotte Wilson Practice Business Manager
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Review titled Not fit for purpose
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 06 August 2024
Since January i’m still waiting for an appointment. The phones are never answered, you can’t get an appointment online, you can’t walk in and get an appointment and when using the Livi app I was asked to make a face to face appointment! It’s a disgrace. I’ve moved to a better practice where the phone is answered and actual face to face appointments are available. I am now getting the care I deserve after 7 months of struggling.
Visited July 2024
Review titled St Lukes Primary Care Centre
Replied on 21 August 2024
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are aware of the ongoing difficulties faced in accessing the practice via telephone, we are actively working on projects to make appointments more accessible for all patients. Some of the changes implemented have been the reintroduction of pre-bookable appointments this allows us to free up on the day appointments for same day emergency care and the installation of a new cloud based telephone system which allows us to handle calls more efficiently. The practice has recruited additional clinical and non clinical staff to provide more capacity in answering the telephones and more appointment availability. If you would like to me to investigate further the difficulties you had in accessing an appointment please do send me an email to northantsicb.contact.stlukesduston@nhs.net Thank you again for taking the time to share your feedback Charlotte Wilson Practice Business Manager
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Review titled Terrible appointments system
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Caroline - Posted on 29 May 2024
When I first joined this practise around 8 years ago I could not fault it. The care once you get an appointment is good, but therein lies the issue. Since COVID it has become almost impossible to get an appointment of any kind, you cannot book in advance for non-urgent appointments and are therefore forced to call the emergency line at 8am and 2pm. I do not often need appointments but recently needed a skin cancer check, therefore urgent with my history, and tried for several days to get through at 8am and 2pm. The phone lines are constantly busy and you don’t even get a place in a queue - just told to call again later when less busy. All appointments are then gone and you have to start the process again. After doing this for several days,over a few weeks, I was eventually driven to call 111 as I needed to be seen. I do not find this acceptable but was left with no option as I had a potentially cancerous lesion. I finally got an appointment, booked by 111 and ended up having surgery. If I had continued to wait to get through the situation may have been worse. I have tried again to get through today and the situation is the same. There should be a facility to book ahead for non urgent appointments, so that people with real emergencies can be seen. 111 is overloaded because of this and I apologised when I contacted them! St Luke’s need to rethink their system.
Visited May 2024
Review titled St Lukes Primary Care Centre
Replied on 30 May 2024
Dear Caroline Thank you for sharing your feedback, I am sorry that you did not have a positive experience. The practice is aware of the challenges for patients getting through to us, we receive in excess of 1,500 calls per day which does make getting through to the practice incredibly difficult. We have recently installed a new telephone system which will help us to better manage the volume of calls coming through, we are also actively recruiting additional Care Navigation staff to support in answering calls. We have identified the need for increased pre-bookable appointments within the practice and acknowledge not all patients will require a same day appointment, we hope to be able to offer additional appointments in the coming months. We do offer online consultations via our website and through Livi which can be used should you be unable to get through to us by telephone. Thank you again for taking the time to share your feedback, if you would like to discuss this matter in further detail please do not hesitate to contact me - nccg.contact.stlukesduston@nhs.net Charlotte Wilson - Practice Business Manager
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Review titled A GP a difficult to access GP practice
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 01 March 2024
For 2 weeks now, I have been calling the GP practice just to speak with my doctor. Every time, right at 8am and 2pm, I phone only to hear: all the phone lines are currently busy and advising me to call again after a few minutes to try again. Needless to say, every time I called after that, I did not get the chance to get an appointment with any doctor. This is beyond frustration and disappointment. The CQC ought to review St Luke's practice's phone consultation process urgently. The practice is a joke-playing with people's health. Depending on what the issue is , you will only get redirected back to the surgery after you've reported to NGH to be helped. Are appointments given to some people and others not? The phone lines should have an option to leave your number for the receptionists to at least return your call. What's happening with St Luke's GP Surgery? There should be a system of telephoning whereby you are contacted if you do not get a slot to see the doctor and one offered-ie you should have an option to leave your number for the practice to get back to you. I would not recommend St Lukes to any friend or acquaintance, unless there are changes made.
Visited March 2024
Review titled St Lukes Primary Care Centre
Replied on 30 May 2024
Dear Patient Thank you for taking the time share your feedback, I am sorry you have not had a positive experience. We have recently installed a new telephone system for managing our increasing call volumes, this system will help us to better manage incoming calls into the practice. Our new system features a "Callback" service which enables you to continue to hold your place in the queue requesting a call back from one of our Care Navigators. The practice also acknowledges that not all patients will require same day appointments and will be increasing its pre-bookable appointments in the coming months. Thank you again for taking the time to provide feedback, if you would like to discuss the matter in more detail please do not hesitate to contact me nccg.contact.stlukesduston@nhs.net Charlotte Wilson - Practice Business Manager
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Review titled Terrible Practice
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 21 March 2024
Been trying to book an appointment but its impossible, the staff are rude and of no help at all and following the instructions on the website is of no help. I ended up having to have a video consultation where the doctor stated I really needed to be examined in person but I am unable to get a face to face appointment, I have now been told to book an urgent blood test but this is St Lukes so I can't do this and even calling at 8am just means the phone system rudely ends you call just like the staff do. Shocking and very worrying!!!
Visited March 2024
St Lukes Primary Care Centre has not yet replied.
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Review titled Unavailable
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 27 February 2024
Impossible to get to even speak to a receptionist, even when you've had a message to ring the surgery
Visited February 2024
St Lukes Primary Care Centre has not yet replied.
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Review titled Virtually impossible to make urgent appointments
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 28 November 2023
I've been registered at this doctor's practice for literally decades It has never been so awful. I'm not I'll very often but on the occasion when I'm feeling in need of an urgent appointment to see a doctor or nurse or even to get phone advice from someone, forget it!! Phone lines are busy is all we get. Day after day I've tried at 8am and 2pm to get through. I call constantly for half an hour and all phone lines are always busy. My wife tried and also failed. The only option is to use the NHS emergency system. Of course many others take the same route so expect several hours waiting. Why did this practice take so many patients in when they can't look after the ones they already have? Appalling service and a real concern as the population is ageing. I wish I could find another practice to move to but they are all full. What a state this has got to Why??
Visited November 2023
St Lukes Primary Care Centre has not yet replied.
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Review titled Understanding and respectful
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 01 November 2023
I attended for a blood test which is one of my biggest phobias. I tried really hard not to cause a fuss and just wanted to get it done. On a previous blood test at a different surgery I was left in a lot of pain and with a majorly bruised arm which worried me a lot. With that in the back of my mind I turned up worried but just wanted to get it over with. The nurse/doctor who took my blood in room E was beyond exceptional with me. She was very patient, understanding and told me how to be in order for it not to hurt and be done as quickly as possible. She didn't cause a fuss and did it within seconds of me being there which in hindsight was the best thing she could have done. I had a funny turn afterwards, probably because I worried so much about it and she gave me all the time and support I needed and gave me advice on future appointments. I felt so lucky that it was this doctor who took my blood because I've met some majorly impatient nurses before and was scared of this happening again. It went as quickly and painless as it possibly could have and I could not have asked for more support from anyone. I left very positive and feeling much better about how to handle having blood taken if i have to go through this again in the future. Thank you, its genuinely had a massive impact and means a lot.
Visited November 2023
St Lukes Primary Care Centre has not yet replied.
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Review titled Good Doctors but you can't get an appointment
Rated 3 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 07 November 2023
I tried for 3 days to call the doctors for an appointment I called 18 times one of those days but you can't get to speak to anyone. You don't even get in a queue now they just say try again and Cut you off. I had to call 111 in the end and they arranged for a doctor to call me. Its also no good going in because they don't help. When / if you do get an appointment the doctors are lovely.
Visited October 2023
St Lukes Primary Care Centre has not yet replied.
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Review titled Perfect GP Review
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Bill Haylock - Posted on 26 September 2023
Following a 6 week review after a total knee replcacement operation on my right knee, I had a discussion with one of the St Lukes's Surgery GPs. I made this appointment as I needed urgent advice regarding new medication and the process for referral for another operation on my right knee. The GP I spoke to was incredibly supportive and professional. The GP obviously had read my current notes regarding my situation as the GP was aware of current care and was very informative regarding next steps. My entire experience was outstanding. Thank you.
Visited September 2023
Review titled St Lukes Primary Care Centre
Replied on 01 November 2023
Dear Mr Haylock Thank you for leaving such a positive review in relation to your recent contact with the surgery. We are delighted that you found our staff supportive and professional and I will ensure that your comments are passed on to the practice team. Patient feedback is important to us so that we can review our systems and processes and identify any staff training that may need to be addressed. Thanks again Kindest regards Sharon Hennell, Practice Manager, St Luke's Primary Care Centre