Western Elms & Circuit Lane Surgeries
Western Elms Lodge, Western Elms Avenue, Reading, RG30 1ATContact details and opening times
Patient ratings and reviews
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Reviews
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Review titled Faultless practice!
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Neil Buchan - Posted on 11 July 2023
Yet another blooming ailment for me but yet another excellent response from the Western Elms/Circuit Lane team. I had to wait all of three-and-a-half minutes for my call to be answered this morning, the very polite and friendly receptionist took the essentials of my problem, I was called by a highly helpful and knowledgeable paramedic just over an hour later who discussed my symptoms in detail and told me exactly what I needed to do and what the surgery would organise for me and three hours later I had a phone call offering me dates for blood tests and a full med check. I am actually staggered – although very grateful – that with the load there is on GPs and their support staff these days that our surgery is able to offer such a first-class service – one that nevertheless I have experienced from the surgery many times over recent years – but I am also saddened that as I know there are many patients from the surgery who have all had similar excellent experiences that it is generally only people who feel the need to complain who give feedback. It would be really good to see a few more positive reports from patients who have received the great service that I have, to show the Western Elms/Circuit Lane staff – medical and administrative – how much we appreciate them being there for us!
Visited July 2023
Review titled Western Elms & Circuit Lane Surgeries
Replied on 02 August 2023
Thank you once again Mr Buchan for your kind comments. Lovely feedback to share with my lovely team. Kind regards Lisa PM
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Review titled Poor service
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Peter champion - Posted on 25 July 2023
Called into surgery on Monday 24th due to concerns with a mole on my back. The surgery waiting room was empty but told no slots available and told to call in morning. Tried to contact surgery in morning couldn't get through. Tried a bit later to then find I'm 14th in queue hung up as couldn't wait that long as at work. Difficult to call from work as unable to use phone in certain areas. Still haven't got appointment and concerns about the mole on my back. Totally disappointed with service
Visited July 2023
Review titled Western Elms & Circuit Lane Surgeries
Replied on 02 August 2023
Dear Patient I am sorry your experience of contacting the surgery was disappointing. I can assure you that the amount of people in the waiting room at a given time is not reflective of how busy we are. As well as seeing patients we also have telephone conversations, video consultations and eConsult requests that are also appointments. It is one of these that I might suggest you try if you cannot get through on the telephone. On our website you can upload your concerns and attach photos. Someone will then get back to you with a phone call or arrange for you to come in. Please use this link Consult Online from Home - Western Elms & Circuit Lane Surgeries (webgp.com) We are in the process of procuring a new phone system with some additional features that may help patients when trying to get through; one of these being a call back. We staff up and down for the busiest times of the day; for example on a Monday morning we have every seat covered to respond to the demand. Please contact us via the link if you have still not had any support and I will be sure to keep an eye out for you. Kind regards Lisa PM
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Review titled OMG, I have no words...
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 15 May 2023
You have a better chance of winning 6 in the National Lottery than booking a doctor's appointment at this clinic.... And if you're lucky enough to get a face to face appointment, they'll send you across town to a clinic at the Circuit Lane. If I would like to explore England, I'd book an appointment at some surgery near Snowdonia! Nevertheless, I am lucky and managed to book an appointment! Of course they sent me to Circuit Lane - and I don't have a car, so I'll have a one hour journey to my destination. Also I have to wait over a month for the mole to be seen, a bit long in my opinion, isn't it? I have already been to this clinic about two weeks ago regarding exactly the same issue!!!!!! I was sent to a triage nurse who (there were 2 nurses at the time of my visit), and now is the best, they told me straight up that she didn't know anything about moles and someone would contact me to book another appointment! What a wasting of tax payers money, resources and patients time!!!!!! I have been to several GP surgeries in Reading but Western Elms is the worst of them.... NHS, please sort this mess out!
Visited May 2023
Review titled Western Elms & Circuit Lane Surgeries
Replied on 17 May 2023
Dear Patient I am sorry to hear of your disappointment in the Surgery. We had 11 GP's and a further 11 clinicians working across both surgeries yesterday, delivering face to face, home visits and telephone appointments. This is not unusual, and we are in a better place than some of our colleagues locally; however whatever we have, we would need more. Having two surgeries enables us to have this number of clinicians delivering face to face appointments so we see it as a benefit. I completely understand that our patients might prefer one or the other and would encourage them to advise the patient services team this is the case, however it will have a bearing on the urgency or how far ahead you can book. Our appointments are available up to 6 weeks ahead. This should help those with chronic conditions to manage them proactively and support us in the delivery of on the day emergency challenges. If we could educate patients to do this, then there would be less need for emergency appointments so we could convert even more to face to face. Sadly, we have no cap in a day of what we see that is classed as an emergency so there has to be some capacity there. I can promise you we are never left with an appointment free but have to find them from somewhere. All our staff are mentored on a daily basis by a lead GP who can discuss any issues they may have so I am very shocked that someone would see you and say they know nothing about a patients issue without calling them in to support them. Unfortunately, as your comments are anonymous I cannot investigate this nor put it right for you. I am also unable to see if I can help facilitate you in a different appointment more to your convenience at Western Elms. If you would like me to pursue this further, please email we.scripts@nhs.net quoting reference NHSC150322 for the attention of Lisa and Jane. We would be happy to help you. Regards Lisa Practice Manager
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Review titled Excellent practice!
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Francoise Cesar - Posted on 20 April 2023
I have just had a telephone consultation with a doctor at the surgery and bearing in mind that seemingly most people only give feedback to complain I thought I would say how helpful, thorough and caring the doctor was … as always. I have nothing but praise and thanks for the attentions I receive from Circuit Lane/Western Elms.
Visited April 2023
Review titled Western Elms & Circuit Lane Surgeries
Replied on 09 May 2023
Dear Patient Thank you for taking the time to relay your positive comments to us. It certainly makes a difference and I will be sure to share with the team. Kind regards Lisa Practice Manager
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Review titled Caring as always
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Neil Buchan - Posted on 22 March 2023
I felt it was once more time for me to express my gratitude to the medical and the administrative staff at Circuit Lane Surgery. There is so much bad press these days about GP surgeries and I find ‘my’ surgery so caring, responsive, competent and proactive. As the years go by, these factors become ever more important to one’s day-to-day well-being, having the comfort of knowing that if I do present with health issues they will be promptly and properly attended to. Well done guys, and thank you!
Visited March 2023
Review titled Western Elms & Circuit Lane Surgeries
Replied on 31 March 2023
Thank you Mr Buchan for your kind comments. I will be sure to share with the team. They certainly do help to make everyone smile. Kind regards Lisa PM
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Review titled Terrible practice
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 16 March 2023
Over the last few years the level of care and service from this practice has steadily declined. It's almost impossible to arrange an appointment unless it's an emergency, there's no continuity of care for follow up appointments. Today I've had a phone appointment booked, the gp did call but as soon as I answered they hung up and then I received a text saying that I missed my phone appointment!!. I called back to wait on hold for ages to be told that the gp would call me again. 5 minutes before closing I called again to be told the GP had left for the day and my only option was to go through the same process tomorrow. This is 4 months after my initial contact for the same issue which is still unresolved, there have been errors at every point. Appointments booked incorrectly, blood tests have been either lost or missed and had to be repeated, phone appointments haven't been completed, medication hasn't been reviewed and no one seems able to resolve any of the issues. Separately specialised referrals haven't been carried out and GP's have on occasion been rude and insensitive. The receptionists do their best in an impossible situation and all of the nursing staff have been professional. I will be moving surgery.
Visited March 2023
Review titled Western Elms & Circuit Lane Surgeries
Replied on 31 March 2023
Dear Patient Thank you for your feedback. I am terribly sorry to hear that your experience of the practice has declined. We do have problems with the volume of calls especially at certain times of the day. Despite changing phone systems and a massive recruitment drive we still have not been able to make this much better. Many of my colleagues across Berkshire have exactly the same feedback. This does not mean however that we stop trying to improve things. I am more concerned however that you say our GP's are rude and hang up on you. If I were able to have your details, I would be able to listen to calls and understand what has happened here. We would not tolerate rudeness. I would also like to understand more about your missing referrals which I can only do if I know who you are. It seems to be a catalogue of disasters for which I am sorry and would like to resolve. If you would like to help me understand your plight and put things right, please email we.scripts@nhs.net with reference NHSEC160323 and I will be in contact with you to arrange how we might do this. I look forward to hearing from you. Kind regards Lisa Practice Manager