Friends & Family Test Results- April 2024

• “I have absolutely no complaints about your practice and am frequently commented on how lucky I am to have such a good practice. I have never had to wait a significantly long time for an appointment and am very happy to have you contacting me about my general health and regular assessment checkups.”
• “The willow practice give an excellent service reception staff always helpful and my doctor exceptional can’t thank her enough”
• “Helpful friendly and knowledgeable staff, easy app for booking appointments and repeat prescriptions and really like the new booking in screens..”
• “Empathetic doctor who listens to you and takes immediate action when necessary”
• “I got an appointment within a reasonable time. Dr Baum was wonderful and gave as much time as was needed. She was both helpful and reassuring.”
• “Keep up this level of service. I’m new to the practice but I find this practice very good.”
• “Very helpful and pleasant staff”
• “Doctor called be back very quickly and was able to help me. Reception lady was also very good”
• “Because it is always good.”
• “Dealings are always dealt with professionally & friendly. Any problems are usually sorted out ASAP.”
• “Because when I urgently need a doctor sometimes within the hour they will phone me back. They’re great.”
• “Excellent practice.”
• “I needed to make an appointment and the receptionist was very helpful.”
• “Familiar person on reception is very pleasant and helpful. I am usually able to see the gp of my choice, but happy with anyone if it can’t wait. The GP I prefer to see is pleasant and I’ve always felt listened to. They also are good at following up on things.”
• “Excellent service. Same day appointment.”
• “Felt I was listened to and helped I in the best possible way.”
• “Compared to my previous GP Willow is a godsend. Please keep up the good work, loving the experience so far.”
• “Receptionist was extremely helpful and very polite. Overall my experience has been wonderful.”
• “Always been very happy with the service. Staff very helpful to polite.”
• “My Dad has been diagnosed with dementia and all the staff at Willow Practice have been great and supportive. The receptionists have been helpful with booking appointments in, doctors and nurses in all the appointments with helping to assess my Dad and support my Mum and the practice secretary in chasing up referrals. The surgery is very responsive.”
• “30 years as a Carer to my son and 36 years as a Mum, all in the same practice, same doctor, it’s not the same as it once was, the Practice has had to evolve to survive but our GP is still amazing. When I was a young Mum and Face to face with receptionists a rapport was built up and I felt looked after. I was so fortunate and still am, and lucky that my children have grown up and are still patients in Willow.”
• “The ladies at reception are always helpful and professional.”
• “Always provided with polite and efficient service by all levels of staff at the practice.”
• “All the staff from the reception to Dr’s were friendly helpful and professional.”
• “Easy to arrange a convenient appointment. Very accessible location. Seen on time. Prompt and friendly service. Bright, clean and airy surroundings. Calm atmosphere. Well displayed information for patients.”
• “I always get an appointment quickly either over the phone or in person and every Dr or Nurse I have seen has been very understanding and thorough.”
• “I would like to take this opportunity to also say that the care I am receiving is exceptional. The staff are always very attentive, kind and caring.”
• “Always treated so well at willow practice.”
• “The care provided is excellent. Getting an appointment face to face can take time if you want a specific doctor as can getting through on the ‘phone. It would be good if we could book nurse appointments for blood tests online too.”- Thank you for your most kind review! Unfortunately we are unable to open Nurse appointments to online booking as it would be unfair to expect patients to know who is qualified to do which service. e.g. Health Care Assistants take bloods, not Practice Nurses and this could lead to not only patient disappointment when they have booked with the incorrect clinician, but also waste appointments.

Thank you to all of the patients who supplied such positive responses! It really does help the team, as a whole to continue to strive to provide the very best service to our patients.

• “The consultation was rush rush… not given enough time to explain your symptoms”
  
  Willow Response: Despite the pressure that Primary Care is under and our efforts to minimise the time our patients have to wait for routine appointments, we would never wish for a patient to feel that they are being rushed. Feel free to ask the doctor to slow the consultation down if you are feeling rushed. We do also grant patient requests for double appointments if they have more than one issue or if they feel is complicated. Just ask when booking the appointment. You can also submit your concern to our email [email protected] to allow us to inform the relevant doctor.
• “I have to wait 30 minutes for my GP consultation. I didn’t get the appointment confirmation text message also. I think the person who booked my appointment didn’t update it properly in the system. All other people come before me finished consultation and I have to wait 30 minutes for my turn.”
• Willow Response: Despite our best efforts, there are multiple reasons why a GP’s clinic might be running late, not always the fault of the Receptionist. We also have many clinics running concurrently across the three practices within the Health Centre so whilst it may appear that other patients are being seen first, they may be booked into another clinic. If you have such a concern ongoing, please kindly email us at [email protected] to allow us to investigate and update a staff member’s training if appropriate.

• “Receptionists suggest physio when asked for a doctor appointment and MISS the fact that under16s can’t be checked by physio’s.
  In general, getting appointment is very difficult and still waiting time is really huge although we arrive in time.”
  
  Willow Response: Thank you for alerting us to the fact that some Receptionists might need reminding about the different additional staff roles. I shall distribute a reminder to all today. Due to NHS and government policy we have been allocated differing staff with varying skillsets so it can be complex for receptionists to know who can do what for which age groups, so you feedback is appreciated and shall be acted upon. All receptionists are trained to navigate patients to an appropriate (often specialist clinician who patients should have to wait less time for may not be a GP).
• In regards to appointments, our routine wait for a GP appointment continues to be within the NHS target timings and we offer urgent, same day appointments where clinically appropriate.
• As patients ourselves, we do understand the frustration when a clinicians’ clinic runs late. This can be due to earlier patients presenting with more urgent or complex issues than anticipated. The clinicians have a duty of care to complete each patients’ care and to prioritise patients for whom delaying their consultation could cause them clinical harm, even if other, pre-booked patients are waiting. We apologise for these delays and are looking to introduce a new, triage system within the coming weeks which should help to reduce the latter.
• “Felt the doctor didn’t have time to listen or empathise with my concerns.”
• Willow Response: Please see above response.
• “Difficult to get an appointment, too few services available online, can’t book nurse online. Calls are not made of time. Drs, whilst friendly and kind have little time and had little knowledge of a common condition. Nurses excellent during appointments. I mainly use paid for private services to assure adequate care.”
• Willow Response: Unfortunately we are unable to open Nurse appointments to online booking as it would be unfair to expect patients to know who is qualified to do which service. e.g. Health Care Assistants take bloods, not Practice Nurses and this could lead to not only patient disappointment when they have booked with the incorrect clinician, but also waste appointments.
• In regards to call timings. GPs have a duty of care to prioritise any patients who may need assistance more urgently than others and as a courtesy to any patient who are waiting at the Health Centre for an in person consultation. It is for this reason that we state that any telephone consultations are not booked for an exact time, but for the morning or afternoon in which they are booked. When booking online, the slot type states that the appointments are not for an exact time but that the GP shall aim to call 2.5 hours either side of the booked time.
• In regards to your statement that doctors have little knowledge of a common condition, please could you kindly elaborate by emailing us at [email protected] with your name, date of birth and the appointment date to which this relates to allow us to investigate and share any learning with the clinical team?
• Willow Response:
• “I’m not happy with the last two Dr’s I saw , I want to see Dr Hiba. If I can’t have an appointment, I am requesting a phone call from her! I am not happy with the treatment I received.”
• Willow Response: Please note that these responses are anonymous therefore we have no way to contact you to assist. If ou have any such concerns ongoing, please email us at [email protected] including your name and date of birth so that we can