Practice Plus Group
Hawker House, 5-6 Napier Court, Napier Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 8BWPatient ratings and reviews
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Reviews
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Review titled The best and the worst
Rated 3 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 28 November 2022
I called 111 due to severe back pain that wasn’t improving. The first time they were amazing and booked me an out-of-hours appointment to see a Dr who prescribed me two kinds of strong pain relief. I ended up calling again that same night, however, when one of the meds didn’t work at all and I became very nauseous and panicky. Again, they helpfully agreed to put me on a waiting list for a call from a clinician. The next morning someone else called me and prescribed me an alternative medication. This new combination definitely helped me manage the pain better over the next 3 days but it didn’t fix the underlying injury/issue (the pain was still there and returned with a vengeance whenever the medication started to wear off). One of the medications was only prescribed for 3 days due to risk of dependence but on the third day I tried to contact my GP to request a few more tablets as the pain was not gone and I was supposed to travel abroad the next day. I was just very scared about being in another country without adequate pain relief and not knowing what to do. I tried to get through to my GP on 4 separate occasions but every time I got closer in the queue (after long periods of time) I had to hang up because I was at work (I work in iapt triage). After I finally got through I was told nobody could call me back that day/night so, as a last resort, I tried 111 again for help. This time I did not have a positive experience. The man I spoke to was brusque from the outset but became angry and aggressive when, at one point, I spoke over him (I truly was not trying to be rude or disrespectful - he had misunderstood something I said and I was trying to clarify to save us both some time. I was also anxious and generally speaking a bit fast/feeling a little chaotic). I know first-hand how difficult it can be to do triage-assessments over the phone but his anger really took me by surprise and I felt awful and confused/ashamed. He then said that because my symptoms weren’t new or worsening I was only requesting more medication ‘just in case’ and told me to ‘just try and enjoy my holiday or get help abroad if I needed it’. I couldn’t seem to get across that I didn’t want the medication as a backup plan but because it was one of the only things that was helping me keep on top of the (very much still ongoing) pain. I felt invalidated and defeated and overwhelmed. Basically the message this time was that I was wasting their time and they would not help until I was, once again, in severe pain. This is the first time I have used 111 in my life and the first two calls could not have been more different to the final call. I am so relieved and grateful that the first two people I spoke to were kind, patient and understanding but still reeling a bit from the last call. Honestly, I understand that protocol, policy and bureaucracy are not personal but this last responder made me feel like an entitled brat and a burden when I was just scared and in pain.
Visited November 2022
Practice Plus Group has not yet replied.
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Review titled No call back at all
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 27 November 2022
First time ever phoning 111, being pregnant and already suffering from flu for 3 days I started to feel a lot worse. Called at 10pm I was told a clinician would be required to call me back within 2 hours. Waited but nothing. Another call handler then phoned me at 3:30am just to ask about my symptoms again and told me a clinician will call me soon. 18 hours later still no phone call. I feel really disappointed and find it quite unbelievable that this service is able to run this way. People are just waiting for help and being left, when clearly there’s no intention of anyone phoning them back!
Visited November 2022
Practice Plus Group has not yet replied.
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Review titled very bad
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 19 November 2022
my husband got a tooth infection on friday, in the evening I ran 111 for advice, they gave us a number to phone next day in saturday, after ringing that number several times with no success in answering the phon, we rang again 111 they told us the same, my husband was getting worse and worse with a swollen face going to his eye, they gave us another two numbers to ring but they didn't picked up the phone and the answering machine was saying that was too busy to answer the phone. rang 111 again each time for them to answer took around 30 minutes, their only answer was take ibuprofen which clearly he got a huge big painful infection. I can't understand if we pay nhs taxes how this can happen they should provide a good care for us,it's extremely worried the poor service that all uk citizens are receiving.
Visited November 2022
Practice Plus Group has not yet replied.
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Review titled Waste of taxpayers money
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 19 November 2022
This service should be shut down and save the nhs some money. Literally not fit for purpose. Called this morning about daughters eye infection which she has suffered with on and off since birth. She is 9 months old. Got an appointment for 3pm fantastic!!! Only to be given the wrong location no where near where the appointment was booked. So rang again whilst in the car park of the wrong location. Very helpful lady said it would be red flagged and an urgent call for antibiotics off a doctor. 3 hours later I get a call from a uncompassionate nurse. Going through the same information I had already been through twice. I was told a doctor would call me back. I questioned the lady as I thought that's what I had been expecting for her to tell me I must have misunderstood in a very condescending way. That lady should definitely not be a nurse. So she said an urgent call would come from the doctor with in 1 hour. 2 hours later still nothing. So altogether 8.5 hours waiting and still no antibiotics. This service must be a huge drain on nhs resources filled with very incompetent staff. Should have just gone to A and E would have been sorted now. And this service is suppose to elevate the strain on the A and E department what a shambles.
Visited November 2022
Practice Plus Group has not yet replied.
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Review titled Horrible service
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 26 November 2022
I was told I would get a callback within 2 hours at 2pm. Iv been waiting all day and no call back. I called back and they said I’m on the list. It’s 11pm and still no callback.
Visited November 2022
Practice Plus Group has not yet replied.
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Review titled Terrible
Rated 2 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 16 October 2022
Called 111 sat morning at 10 am because of a severe toothache and my cheek swelling up, went through an assessment then got told someone would ring within 2 hrs. After 4hrs rang 111 again to be told they've put a note on the system as urgency and was told the same thing someone will contact from an emergency dental service. Rang back at 6pm to be told there's some technical problem with the system but once again told someone would ring. At 8.30pm decided to take myself to a/e who said they couldn't do anything cause they're not dentists but at least helped out by supplying me with antibiotics which relieved the issue till I could get to the dentist. 111 waste of time.
Visited October 2022
Practice Plus Group has not yet replied.
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Review titled Excellent service
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Joyce Gunn - Posted on 24 October 2022
After being in agony for days with toothache and unable to get a dental appointment at my own practice in the foreseeable future, I rang 111 and was surprised at how quickly I got through. I was spoken to by a call handler who listened carefully to my problem and said they would refer me to a dental practice that takes emergencies. They contacted me within 15 minutes, gave me an appointment for this morning and I am now back at home after a wonderful appointment where I received treatment and antibiotics. Thankyou to the 111 service whose customer service was amazing after my own dental Practice fell well short .
Visited October 2022
Practice Plus Group has not yet replied.
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Review titled Dreadful
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Kate Marshall - Posted on 02 November 2022
10 month old had been very ill for over a week with gastric flu and now developed crackling in chest, likely infection. Rang 111 3 times on Saturday but had to give up as no response after over an hour and children needed looking after. Third time finally got through at 5pm, told her callback in 6 hours! No one called back at all. Next morning had to hang on phone again to get through. Told call back in an hour - nothing after 2 hours so went to A&E, finally got antibiotics at 5pm Sunday for a very sick baby. If this in GP hours I know our local practice would have seen him within the hour. The out of hours system just does not work. How can it be justified to leave a very sick 10 month old with no care for the best part of 36 hours. If we had waited for a callback it would have been even longer.
Visited October 2022
Practice Plus Group has not yet replied.
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Review titled Bad experience
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 30 October 2022
I call in the morning for my 10 month old daughter after waiting 20 minutes I got through and was told a clinician will call with in the next hour. 2 hours had passed and had a call from a non clinician stating the have seen I’ve not had a call yet and should expect one soon. 5 hours from first call still not heard tried calling 111 again and was on the line for 45 minutes and gave up. Just applaud how it was the service for under 5 year old and still waiting. But don’t want to go to a&e as not a emergency and don’t want add to the pressures they are already facing in a&e. This isn’t the first time 111 hasn’t responded. Shocking to say the least
Visited October 2022
Practice Plus Group has not yet replied.
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Review titled Poor advice. argumentative.
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 01 October 2022
Poor. Had dental extraction which was difficult. Dentist advised to call 111. I did as I have an abscess next to extraction. Very painful. Cavity bleeding. Had them before make me ill. 111 advice to call a dentist within 7 days. Contrary to dentists advice above. 111 follow an algorithm and don't use their brains. Not allowed to even after I explained above. It's as if they don't believe me. No access to any dr so I said if it gets worse I will go to a&e and got a ticking off. I Aman Rnurse. I know what I'm talking about. Sadly because of these inept lot I am forced to go to a&e. 111 give you no choice. This service is a waste of time. Take painkillers and see a dentist in 7 days. I will not waste my time or theirs calling again.
Visited October 2022
Practice Plus Group has not yet replied.