Ashfield Surgery
8 Walmley Road, Sutton Coldfield, B76 1QNContact details and opening times
Patient ratings and reviews
Leave a review
Help others by sharing your thoughts and experiences about Ashfield Surgery.
Reviews
-
Review titled Very Bad
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 20 August 2024
I am registered with Ashfield for last 1 year and needed appt on several ocassions being a mother of 2 kids but has never got an appt even if you call at exact 08:30am automated call says we have no appointment and will divert you to 111. For the last 2 days my husband has been struggling to find an appt for district/practice nurse to see his pre planned wound care post op but they show complete ignorance by just saying we have no appt call 111. Someone going through a surgery and no one to care about you or look into your wound. We have been like a rolling ball between 111, surgery ,ward nurses and finally ended up in self referral to assessment unit. I would definitely try to change my GP if I can.
Visited August 2024
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 05 September 2024
Dear Patient Thank you for sharing your experience and I am sorry to hear of your difficulties in securing an appointment recently. In recent weeks we have be struggling with a higher rate of staff sickness absence than usual which has resulted in a number of clinics being cancelled and appointments being rearranged or moved to other clinicians at short notice. This does effect the number of appointments we are able to offer patients for same day appointments. In addition to telephoning the practice, appointments can be booked online via the NHS App. You can also submit enquiries to the practice via the Contact Us option on our website, which will be triaged by our team and an appointment offered if appropriate. If the matter can be handled over the phone, then you can download the LIVI app and book free video or telephone consultations with a GP quickly and easily. Regarding your husbands post op wound care. I can see as of today we have availability with the nurse for daily wound care dressings each day for the remainder of this week and next week. Once booked in for the first appointment the nurse will often arrange the necessary follow up appointments with the patient present. I know from prior experience that the practice team goes to great lengths to ensure patients that need daily dressings are accommodated. If you husband has been told something different by staff here I would be grateful if he could get in contact with me so we can discuss the matter further. While the practice does plan clinics ahead of time and strived to ensure sufficient staffing levels are maintained at all times. Short notice sickness absences are difficult to manage and we apologise for any inconvenience this has caused you. Thank you for brining your concerns to my attention. If you or your husband would like to discuss the matter further please do not hesitate to get in touch with me. Kind Regards, Matthew Lowe Practice Manager
-
Review titled Calling the surgery.
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 23 August 2024
Once again I have tried calling the surgery at 2pm to get an appointment for 2 weeks from now. I was caller number 2 for 20 mins and for the remaining 15 minutes I was caller number 1. I guess the person before me gave in trying because no one was answering. This has happened before to me.
Visited August 2024
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 05 September 2024
Dear Patient Thank you for sharing your experience and I am sorry to hear you waited over 30 minute without the call being answered. Without knowing more details such as the day you called or your telephone number I am unable to comment specifically on this case. The practice has call handlers on duty every day between 8:30am and 6:30pm answering all our calls. I am unaware of any technical issues on the phone lines in recent weeks that could have caused you to be stuck in the queue without anyone answering like you describe. There were some instances in recent weeks where due to staff sickness absence we had reduced staffing on the phones but there was always staff on duty and answering calls during our opening hours. In addition to telephoning the practice, appointments can be booked online via the NHS App. You can also submit enquiries to the practice via the Contact Us option on our website, which will be triaged by our team and an appointment offered if appropriate. Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention and once again I am sorry for any inconvenience this has caused you. Kind Regards, Matthew Lowe Practice Manager
-
Review titled Phlebotomist
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Stuart John Dunn - Posted on 08 August 2024
Had a blood test taken on 7th August 2024. The lady who dealt with me was courteous, polite and helpful
Visited August 2024
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 15 August 2024
Dear Stuart Thank you for your feedback on your recent experience of the surgery. I am so glad to hear your appointment with the phlebotomist was such a positive experience. We know having your bloods taken is not something anyone looks forward to, so our team here strive to be as friendly and attentive as possible to make the whole experience pain free and free from stress as possible. I will ensure your kind words are shared with our team here and thank you again for taking the time to leave your feedback. Kind regards, Matthew Lowe Practice Manager
-
Review titled Attentive caring Gp
Rated 4 stars out of 5
by Joyce - Posted on 07 August 2024
I attended Ashfield surgery 24/07/2024 The GP I saw was very approachable,made me feel at ease,took the time to listen to my concerns, Kind regards Joyce Taylor
Visited July 2024
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 15 August 2024
Dear Joyce Thank you for your feedback on your recent experience of the surgery. I am glad to hear the GP you saw made you feel so at ease. All our staff here strive to offer supportive and attentive care and I am so pleased this came through in your experience. I will ensure your kind words are shared with our team here and thank you again for taking the time to leave your feedback. Kind regards, Matthew Lowe Practice Manager
-
Review titled Absolute Shambles
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 16 July 2024
This surgery just gets worse and worse. I have currently been on hold for 30mins and haven't moved from number 9 in the que. My Dad had an appointment at 2pm but following a call from the doctor yesterday he is currently in hospital. I have been trying all morning to get through to the surgery to cancel / rearrange the appointment but spend hours on hold getting no where. I cannot just sit on the phone for hours trying to get through.They close for lunch in 20mins and don't reopen untill my Dad is supposed to be there at 2pm. This service is shambolic and not fit for purpose. Doctors appointments are booked weeks and weeks in advance and the prerecorded message saying "we have no appointments for today" is played from opening to closing. What use is that if you are ill. Patients are also now being told to go to the local hospital and wait for blood tests as they don't have anyone there to do them. No wonder the hospitals are at breaking point if the GP surgeries are not doing even the most basic services. Shame on you all!
Visited July 2024
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 15 August 2024
Dear patient, Thank you for getting in touch with your feedback. I am sorry to hear of the difficulty you have had in trying to get through to cancel your fathers appointment. I am grateful that you went to such efforts to cancel your father’s appointment in order to allow another patient to make use of the time slot. On average our call handlers get through approximately one call every 2 minutes. While some calls require longer, having to wait 30 minutes while in queue position 9 is very unusual and I have looked into this. While I can’t see any faults on our phone line at this time. Our logs show calls on and around the 16 July when you submitted this review, did have a longer than average wait time for answering in the morning. Patients with a mobile number on file are sent text messages 24 hours before their appointment, which includes a link to cancel the appointment if it is no longer required. We do encourage patients to use this to avoid the queues when calling the practice. Alternatively patients with access to NHS App or Patient Access, can cancel their appointments online. We are also working towards introducing an option on our phones to allow patients to automatically cancel an appointment. We also plan to introduce a form you can complete on our website to cancel your appointment. Once these are available we will let patients know. Our phone system operates a dynamic messaging system, which allows us to keep patients informed of appointment availability and avoid waiting in the queue unnecessarily. While the ‘no GP appointments for today’ message can be triggered early in the morning, especially if we receive a large number of calls for appointments first thing, this is not on from opening to closing as you state. Patients are also welcome to stay on the line to speak to a member of the team who may be able to signpost you to another service or clinician within our practice. In addition to same day appointments the practice also offer appointments with a GP up to two weeks in advance subject to availability. While on occasion, appointments for bloods can exceed a weeks wait, this is very rare and often we have appointments available the same week or early next week for patients to book. For urgent bloods our team will often squeeze patients in if the doctor requests this in order to avoid any delay. Having looked at current availability I can see that phlebotomy appointments are available this week and next week for booking. Both General Practice and Hospitals are struggling in recent years due to an ever increasing demand for appointments and a lack of meaningful funding. Despite this, Ashfield Surgery has increased the number of appointments it offers year on year. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and rest assured, we will continue to make improvements based on patient feedback to ensure our services are accessible to all. Kind Regards, Matthew Lowe Practice Manager
-
Review titled Great experience
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Maxine C - Posted on 25 July 2024
Saw the phlebotomist today, seen on time, lovely lady, didn’t feel a thing! Also booked in a non urgent face to face appointment within the next 10 days with a GP without any issues at all. Guy on reception very pleasant and helpful Thank you 🙏
Visited July 2024
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 15 August 2024
Dear Maxine Thank you for your feedback on your recent experience of the surgery. I am so pleased to hear your appointment with the phlebotomist went so well, and you were able to book an appointment within 10 days with the GP. GP appointments are often made available for booking up to two weeks in advance and can be booked via the telephone, at reception or online subject to availability. I will ensure your kind words are shared with our team here and thank you again for taking the time to leave your feedback. Kind regards, Matthew Lowe Practice Manager
-
Review titled Why
Rated 2 stars out of 5
by Diann - Posted on 20 May 2024
Why do I physically have to leave ‘a piece of paper’ about my prescription, when I can speak to you in person or call?????? It is just very hard to understand why?????
Visited May 2024
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 25 July 2024
Dear Diann Thank you for getting in touch. There are many ways you can contact us about your prescriptions including writing to us. Other options include calling general enquires or visiting the practice in person and leaving a message for the prescription team with the receptionist. Visit our website https://www.ashfieldsurgery.co.uk/contact/ and submit a request via the Contact Us option. Submit a request via the NHS App. Our prescription team work hard throughout the day to process the hundreds of prescription requests we receive each day. While they can't take phones calls directly, they will respond back to all enquiries within two working days. If your medication is unavailable and you need an alternative prescribed. You can also book an appointment with our practice based pharmacists who can make the necessary changes. Thank you Matthew Lowe Practice Manager
-
Review titled Appointments system
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 11 April 2024
I telephoned exactly 8.30. The automated system infirmed me I was no. 5 in the queue. I was stranded at no. 3 for over 40 mins. 59minutes later I finally got thru to reception and told no appointments were now available. This is not the first time this has happened. I complained both times and was told the practice manager would look into it. The appointment was for my husband who had been trying for a week to get an appointment. I dug my heels in and finally was offered an emergency appointment at ashfulong practice on Saturday. The Dr's and most receptionists are good. But the system is horrendous. The automated system needs a serious overhaul!
Visited April 2024
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 25 July 2024
Dear Patient Thank you for your feedback and I am sorry to hear of the long wait you experienced when you last called. I am aware of the incident in question and have been liaising with our phone provider to ascertain the reason why some callers in the queue were not being answered promptly. I am happy to report that the issue has been resolved and additional training given to staff to ensure it does not happen again. When patients call for an appointment we do encourage them to explain to our reception team the reason for the appointment, so that we can signpost you to the most appropriate clinician or member of our team to deal with your enquiry as not all appointments need to be dealt with by a GP. We do offer Saturday face to face appointments at Ashfurlong medical practice. We can also offer evening telephone calls most days. Patients can also download the LIVI app and book video consultations with a GP for free. If you are unable to wait on the phone for a member of staff to answer, you can also leave a message for us via our website at https://www.ashfieldsurgery.co.uk/contact/ Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences with us. Matthew Lowe Practice Manager
-
Review titled Prompt Appointment and Good Attention
Rated 4 stars out of 5
by Kevin Davies - Posted on 10 April 2024
I've been with Ashfield House for many years, and yes it can be very difficult to get a timely appointment at times, but I believe this is more of a general issue with the NHS these days rather than Ashfield specific. Anyway, I felt I needed to see a GP and I phoned for an appointment just before 12.00 mid-day and was given a slot for 1.00pm. Super! I was seen promptly by the Doctor, who conducted a thorough examination, and a review of my recent conditions. Everything was properly explained. I was given a prescription and a follow up call for next week was also arranged. I was very pleased and satisfied with thE whole process. Thank You.
Visited April 2024
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 25 July 2024
Dear Kevin Thank you for sharing your experience of the surgery with us. As you point out, appointment availability is a challenge all practices face and we are constantly working hard to find solutions and ensure all patients receive prompt care first time. I am so pleased that on this occasion you were able to be offered an appointment so quickly when you called. I will ensure that your feedback is shared with the wider practice team. Thank you Matthew Lowe Practice Manager
-
Review titled Terrible service
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 10 April 2024
I went into the practice 9/4/2024 to make an appointment for a doctor to look at two skin lesions, I had to change the appointment from next week to be told there were no appointments for 4 weeks. Seeing they could be skin cancer I feel that this wasn’t good enough. The receptionist didn’t look to see if there were any cancellations and she wasn’t in the least but kind or apologetic. I had to ring 111 who got me into a surgery in Erdington. Thank goodness for 111 and the Erdington surgery
Visited April 2024
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 25 July 2024
Dear Patient I am sorry to hear about your recent experience of the practice. A prompt appointment was offered for you to see a doctor, however you needed to rearrange the appointment and the only suitable appointment offered that you could attend was in 4 weeks time. While every effect is made to accommodate patients needs, this does unfortunately often mean a longer wait for appointments when patients are unable to attend at the times offered. Without more information, I am unable to look into the specific details of your complaint. But if you would like to contact the practice and speak to a colleague we can investigate further. Thank you Matthew Lowe Practice Manager