Friends & Family Test Results- May 2024

• “I have been with the practice since 1982/83 and it is s definitely more advanced and better bearing in mind at the time Dr. Jefferey Baum was a rare gem ..”
• “All the willow practice are super kind and professional from reception till the doctors super nice and helpful, especially Dr.Baum she is very kind and sweet, one of the best.”
• “I have been going through a lot over the past two years. Dr Baum and the nurses who take my bloods are always so incredibly kind and supportive especially because of my overwhelming fear of needles! I thank you all for your kindness and support.”
• “No I think in very, very busy time the practice tries very hard. It’s a great practice.”
• “My doctors always listen to me first then discuss what the best plan of treatment is and how I feel about it.”
• “Always happy with the experience. Appointments are made easily and within a reasonable time. The health professionals we have seen provide excellent care.”
• “I was seen within a few minutes of arrival, before my appointment time. The nurse was extremely friendly and professional.”
• “Thorough, professional service from Dr Higham.”
• “On time, kind and courteous staff.”
• “Immense thanks to the whole Willow Practice team.”
• “I have always found the Practice to be very helpful, always treated with politeness. Dr Baum and the Team are amazing and very reassuring when you need clinical support. Dr Higham was also very helpful recently with a problem with my hand.”
• “I love my GP”
• “I was able to book my appointment within a reasonable time and my wait to be seen was not too long.”
• “Prompt appt and pleasant GP”
• “Very good always helpful”
• “I arrived five minutes before my appointment time and was called in promptly. The doctor was very pleasant and answered all of my questions.”
• “Always a good experience. Do however need to expect a short or long delay for your appointment that’s why I bring a book”
• “Whole Team is very helpful and address the issues with patience and guides correctly”
• “Nurse was excellent and knowledgeable, put me at ease.”
• “I was sent to the practice by RAM pharmacy who realised I needed antibiotics for an arm infection. I was seen and prescribed within half an hour.”
• “I had an appointment with the doctor Hanna Higham. I was pleasantly surprised by the course of the visit and the way I was taken care of.”
• “They always treat me really well. The phone access is much quicker than earlier.”
• “Because I got same day appointment to see a doctor who in turn was kind enough to refer me to A & E with a note to the hospital as well.”
• “I’m really happy with willow Practice can’t fault them they have been so so helpful to me.”
• “Dr Baum was very thorough and understanding. I did not have to wait.”
• “Always very helpful and polite”
• “You make a big effort to help through situations that the broader NHS are unable to help with. I love that we can contact via email and pictures and we can get an urgent appointment if necessary. Thankful for your service when a lot of other places have abandoned us.”
• “I have used the surgery for more than 19years. I had many visits and every time I visited the treatment provided was exceptionally well either it was GP or Nurse.
  I have really wonderful experience seeing Dr. Baum she could diagnose the illness so well and her knowledge of medicines makes her different from all doctors. I highly recommend surgery.”
• “I was able to obtain an appointment within a week and was seen promptly when I arrived at the clinic. The receptionist was very pleasant and the GP who attended me was very polite and answered all my questions.”
• “Doctors, nurses and admin staff are always caring and easy to get on with.”
• “Was professional, friendly and treated with care.”
• “Always very helpful and I feel safe in the hands of your practice. Thank you.”

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.

• “Doctors are good. But the lack of time sometimes i feel that doctors donot hear patients concerns properly. The only doctors i love going to is dr sophie knight because i feel that she makes you feel heard ane understood. Receptionist need to be patient. They sometimes come across very rude and disrespectful. I understand some patients are difficult but you can not take your anger out on someone who’s talking to you with respect.“
  
  Willow Response: Sorry to read your concerns regarding your experience. Regarding your words in regards to our Receptionist, we do not condone any patients being treated in such a way. A reminder has been made to all staff. Please could you kindly contact us at [email protected] so that we may investigate and attempt to identify which team member might require further training?

• “Was not listened to be doctor who reluctantly said I could have a blood test. The result has come through marked non urgent and to make a telephone appointment which I have done
  and is nearly a month away. He makes me feel I am wasting his time, perhaps it is because I am old”
  
  Willow Response: Sorry to read of your dissatisfaction in regards to your experience at Willow Practice. If a test result is received by the practice, a GP shall triage it to ensure that any results which require urgent action or response is handled immediately. I hope it reassures patients if the GP deems, in their trained opinion that a result can await a routine review with the patient. Our wait for a routine GP appointment is currently 6 working days (although this can be longer if requesting a specific clinician) so I am somewhat surprised that you were asked to wait a month. If you would be so kind, please could you kindly email us at [email protected] with your name, date of birth and any further pertinent details to allow us to look into this for you?
• “I always feel very nervous about calling the surgery and this is since reception staff have changed. There is one lady in particular who is rude.
  Some of the reception staff are lovely but it really depends on your luck on the day you call.”
• Willow Response: We do not condone any patients being made to feel this way. A reminder has been made to all staff. Please could you kindly contact us at [email protected] with your name, date of birth and if able, when and how you contacted us so that we may investigate and attempt to identify which team member might require further training?.
• “I gave blood test twice because they lost the blood test and same with my husband-he gave blood test thrice because they lost or mixed the blood test. Need to improve this as it’s very difficult to give blood test again and again for the same thing”
• Willow Response: Could I ask you to email us at [email protected] so that we may investigate on your behalf? Losses of samples can unfortunately occur as they are sent to an external laboratory for testing, but for 3 samples to go missing requires further investigation. Thank you in advance for your assistance.
• “Services become more and more limited, impossible to order medications over the phone . This overall digitalisation is a nightmare, specially for the elderly people.
  I have a patiently blind mother who’s absolutely unable even to get her meds without my assistance cos of your digitalisation.”
• Willow Response: The digitalisation process is an NHS England initiative to allow more efficient use of limited workforce to ensure that all patients can access any assistance that they require. Please accept our apologies for the necessity to cease taking repeat medication requests via the phone. This was a decision of the GP Partners and the Practice Manager in an attempt to reduce the amount of time patients have to hold when they need to call the practice for medical assistance. There are many alternative ways to order medication but we do have a failsafe for patients who may not be able to use such digital methods nor family members to assist them. Please ask your Mother to mention this issue at her next GP appointment and at the GP’s agreement a note can be added to her notes to allow her to order via the telephone.