Ashfield Surgery
8 Walmley Road, Sutton Coldfield, B76 1QNContact details and opening times
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Reviews
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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
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Review titled Lovely phlebotomist
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Victoria Jones - Posted on 24 April 2024
Great experience today having my regular blood test. The phlebotomist at Ashfield surgery is always very friendly and professional. She gave me permission to use her name but this reviewing platform forbids me to use it! Thank you so much s g, you always do a brilliant job!
Visited April 2024
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 25 July 2024
Dear Victoria Thank you for your lovely feedback following your recent appointment here at the surgery. I have passed on your kind words to the phlebotomist who treated you. Thanks Matthew Lowe Practice Manager
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Review titled Tried for a week and still couldn't get an appointment
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Marie Fincher - Posted on 26 March 2024
Having been a very happy with the surgery form many years. Not now. If you can get that all elusive appointment, great! Doctors are excellent. But therein less the problem. I rang last Monday at at 8.30. Didnt even ring out. Then I get a message to say can't take your call. Then I rang again on the Friday to get the message "there's no routine appointments today" Receptionists unhelpful, almost rude sometimes. When I eventually get through, it was a 3 week wait for an appointment!! What a disgrace! Surely there has to be accountability for how terrible this practice at the front line has become? Do better!!
Visited March 2024
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 25 July 2024
Dear Marie Thank you for your feedback. I am very sorry to hear about the difficulty you have experienced in securing an appointment with one of our doctors. Demand for appointments is on the rise, and our team are working hard to ensure that everyone who calls gets an appointment as quickly as possible. As with the majority of practices, there is always high demand on our phone lines in the morning when they open. In recent years we have upgraded to a digital phone system to better handle incoming calls and ensure all calls are handled fairly and in the order they are received. You can also use our online website https://www.ashfieldsurgery.co.uk/contact/ to leave messages for us if you do not want to wait in the queue. Due to sickness absence or just an increase in demand, we do find that longer waiting times for appointments can occur. When this happens we encourage patients to explain to our reception team the reason for your appointment, so that we can signpost you to the most appropriate clinician or member of our team to deal with your enquiry. Additional support is available via NHS 111, Pharmacy First and LIVI which you can download via your phone app store. Thank you for sharing your own experiences with us. Matthew Lowe Practice Manager
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Review titled terrible service
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 08 February 2024
spoke to a lady early on the 7/2/24 and asked for a expedite letter as i have been waiting for gallstone surgery for 18 months and my health is getting worse and worse. the last 3 weeks i have been constantly sick and in pain. the lady said this letter will be sent off right away. i called back around 5 pm to see if this had been done. there was no record of me calling in the morning and that my request will now be sent to the admin team and id hear back by 6pm, 6pm came , no phone call. i called today around 4pm, apparently the person who deals with this has gone home. i do not understand why they have such a laps attitude. I could end up having a massive gallstone attack and collapse at home!!
Visited February 2024
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 15 March 2024
Dear patient Thank you for your feedback and I am sorry to hear your experience trying to arrange an expedite letter for your gallstone surgery. Long wait times in secondary care means that patients often find themselves coming back to us time and again for advice and treatment as their conditions worsen. The team here are just as frustrated as you are at the situation and we do try and do all we can to help expedite these referrals wherever possible, but the decision on what referral takes priority does not rest with us. It is unusual that your request was lost and without knowing more details I am unable to investigate this any further. This is not a regular occurrence so I suspect there may have been mitigating circumstances at the time. While our team are busy with many referrals and enquiries daily, if you were promised a call back then you should have received that call back and I am sorry that this did not happen. Thank you for getting in touch, I will ensure this is shared with the administration team, along with your feedback on the call back and lost enquiry. Kind regards, Matthew Lowe Practice Manager
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Review titled Phlebotomist
Rated 4 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 15 February 2024
I was feeling anxious about my scheduled blood test. Blood’s taken by Sophie the phlebotomist. She was friendly and professional Did not feel a thing. Well done Sophie
Visited February 2024
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 15 March 2024
Dear patient Thank you for your very kind words. I know for many patients, having your bloods taken can be cause of anxiety. All our team go to great lengths to reassure patients to try and make the experience as pleasant as possible. I will be sure to share this with Sophia and the rest of the team, who I know will be delighted to hear about this. Thanks again Matthew Lowe Practice Manager
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Review titled Not best practice.
Rated 2 stars out of 5
by Female - Posted on 20 February 2024
I waited a considerable time to raise an urgent medication query on behalf of my father who has dementia. The promised call back didn't occur (not for the first time) so why not transfer this type of call to either the pharmacist or prescriptions clerk ? My partner works for a surgery in another Integrated Care Board where there is a daily dedicated prescriptions line at certain times.
Visited February 2024
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 15 March 2024
Dear patient Thank you for your feedback and I am sorry to hear your experience trying to arrange medication for your father was not up to our normal standards. You are correct that in most cases, prescription requests like this are passed onto our pharmacy team to handle. For more urgent enquiries such as you described, these would normally be passed onto the on-call GP if the pharmacy team are unavailable. Without knowing more details to help identify when this took place I am not able to say for sure the reason this did not occur. If you would like to get in touch with me I will be happy to investigate further. We are in the process of recruiting additional support for the pharmacy team to help address the increase in medication related enquiries. We hope in future you will see an improvement in this service. Kind regards, Matthew Lowe Practice Manager
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Review titled Another day another shambolic experience with ashfield
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 04 December 2023
No option to make an online appointment. Why do they even signpost you to do this when there are never any appointments? Phoned at 8.31 and got the automated prompt that they were experiencing a high volumes of calls. What happend to the queue system? This surgery needs investigating!
Visited December 2023
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 11 December 2023
Dear Patient I am very sorry to hear you have been unable to book an appointment online with the surgery. We are experiencing a period of sustained high demand for appointments at this time, and have been increasing our available appointments to compensate, but understand that on many occasions demand outstrips supply. Our online appointments are very popular and they often get booked up as soon as they are available. Our phone system still offers a queuing system for patients calling in during busy periods. However, during periods of exceptionally high call volumes, you may receive a message stating the call cannot be connected. This is unavoidable and we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. The practice is looking into alternative options to help reduce the early morning rush and provide patients with alternative options for getting the help and support they need. You can contact the practice via the ‘contact us’ page on our website for non-urgent enquiries, including prescription requests, sick notes and referral enquiries. Non-urgent clinical enquires can also be submitted this way and the practice will strive to respond within 3-working days. Help and support is also available via NHS 111, and your local pharmacist. In an emergency please call 999 or attend A&E. Thank you Matthew Lowe - Practice Manager
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Review titled Generally good service
Rated 4 stars out of 5
by Helen B - Posted on 22 December 2023
Personally I always find the receptionists helpful. Yes it is difficult to get an appointment, but this seems to be the case in most surgeries. I’ve had to make a few visits in the last 3 months and have been happy with the level of care offered. Recently offered a phone appt, accepted it, but then surgery rang me back and said doctor would prefer to see me face to face. I was very happy with this and had a good, unhurried appt with the doctor.
Visited December 2023
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 15 March 2024
Dear patient Thank you for your very kind words. Demand for appointments continues to rise, and yes this is the case for most surgeries across the country. I am pleased to hear that when you have needed to be seen you have been able to secure an appointment and your experience with the doctor was positive. I will be sure to share this with the rest of the team, who I know will be delighted to hear about this. Thanks again, Matthew Lowe Practice Manager
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Review titled Absolute rubbish
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Andy - Posted on 17 December 2023
I had phoned for three days for a appointment, guess what could not get one. i have had a cough for over a month. i phoned 111, they sent a request i must be seen... did not matter, no appointments could not book one for next day. After a polite complaint was told feel free to find another practise. What a complete lack of duty of care... I have since been told if i go to a&e and tell them my GP will not see me they will get a fine... But why should i do that, a&e is for real emergency's. this practise for basic care... i suspect they are not alone. May be if i turn up in a boat i maty get a result
Visited November 2023
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 15 March 2024
Dear Andy Thank you for your feedback and I am sorry to hear the difficulty you have experienced in securing an appointment for your cough. We are finding that demand for appointments continues to rise, and while we have been increasing our available appointments to compensate, unfortunately on many occasions demand continues to outstrip supply. Despite what NHS111 say, if we are at full capacity we do not have any appointments to offer. In the interest of clinical safety, we have to set limits to the number of patients each clinician here sees per day. Alternative services are available for NHS111 to refer patients to if they feel it is appropriate. You can also access our website www.ashfieldsurgery.co.uk/health-information/who-do-i-see/ for advice on where to go for various conditions. For a cough persisting more than 3 weeks you can see either your GP or community pharmacist for advice and treatment. I am surprised to hear you were told by a member of staff to register elsewhere following your polite complaint. I suspect there is more to this then appears and I would be grateful if you can provide me with more details so I can investigate further. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I will ensure that your feedback is shared with the team to help improve the signposting information given by our receptionists. Kind regards, Matthew Lowe Practice Manager
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Review titled Absolutely terriable practice
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 27 October 2023
Never ever no appointments you ring at half eight on the phone for half hour no answer and the. To call back and guess what no appointments absolutely disgusting someone needs to come in and review this practice will be taking it further and also receptionist hung up on me so professional
Visited October 2023
Review titled Ashfield Surgery
Replied on 11 December 2023
Dear Patient I am very sorry to hear you have experienced difficulty in contacting the surgery. Our phone lines are open from 08:30 and we answer calls in the order they are received. As for booking an appointment. We are experiencing a period of sustained high demand for appointments at this time, and have been increasing our available appointments to compensate, but understand that on many occasions demand continues to outstrip supply. I am surprised to hear your claim that a receptionist hung up on you. As you have not provided me with your name or any other identifiable details, I am unable to collaborate your claim. If you would like me to investigate this further please get in touch via the ‘contact us’ link on our website, or calling into the practice. Many thanks Matthew Lowe - Practice Manager