Havens Health / Meridian Surgery

Takes up to an hour to get through on the phone and when you do there are no appointments available or call back appointments left. The
E form is a joke too, the likelihood of getting a doctor to call is virtually nil, and more likely you don’t get a call at all and when you check online it’s been cancelled!!!!! Who’s cancelled it as it certainly wasn’t me !!!!!! You do not get any support when needed, they don’t seem to care and just want to get you off the phone even though you need an appointment and don’t get one.... it’s disgusting how you can’t get to speak or see a doctor, they always have an excuse. I just want to change doctors as you cannot get help or support from them especially since they nerfed with Rowe Avenue surgery, apparently when they merged it was going to be better but it’s ten times worse, they don’t deserve any stars

We have been put into this surgery as it has amalgamated with Rowe Ave and Meridian. This is the only practice now in the area and something drastic will happen soon. You cannot get through on the phone and you are turned away at the desk if you can't get through by phone. Even 90 odd year olds are told to go home and phone. It is impossible. The staff are less than caring. Found out that all the Rowe Avenue staff have now left in disgust as no idea how to run a surgery. We have been at Rowe Ave for 40 years and had some brilliant caring doctors. Now its a case of if they will let you live or die!!! So many complaints flowing

Have spent 2 full days to try and speak with a GP or make an appointment. After 155 calls to them this morning I finally got through to be told all appointments . I was eventually given a call back by the emergency GP at 4.15pm and called in to see her. Excellent service once you manage to speak to someone. It appears not enough phone lines, not enough appointments, not even on line. There has to be an improvement made re the appointment system if this practice is to serve the whole town.

I tried to get through on the phone 32 times - with no success. I then tried eConsult (the online service) which the surgery prefers you to use.
After completing the forms,I received an email stating that the surgery would return my call within
48 hours. Suffice to say, I did not hear back within the timeline promised.
I do not have a mobile phone and had to use the landline. This meant I was effectively tethered to the house for 48 hours . I will now have to stay in awaiting the call back. I have a life. I need to go out and buy food and other groceries etc. Why does the surgery think this is an acceptable form of service ?
I know of other people who have had a similar response. I really think that Meridian Surgery need to think of the impact their disregard for patients may cause.

My husband needs an eight weekly injection administered by a nurse- a simple routine procedure you think? Nope...everytime an appointment has been needed we spend over an hour waiting on the phone to be told no appointments, call back. We have had every excuse possible, lockdown when not in lockdown, no nurses working, no trained staff, no record of procedure when he has had it done for 3 years at the same practice. Every eight weeks we go through this, it is unbelievable! They get away with treating their patients like filth.

This is a timeline of my liaison with Meridian Surgery since last Monday.

Day 1 Monday 26th
Called doctor held for 20 mins to be told call back at 2pm as the system doesn’t work during lunchtimes to book appt as they are locked out the system . I could not get through the rest of the day

Day 2 set up online callback request received an email that I would receive a call by 630 next day ...

Day 3 no call received and surgery constantly engaged

Day 3 Set up another callback request online

Day 4 rec callback. Sent pics through at request of doctor for a diagnosis etc

Day 5
text sent by doctor at 9am to say prescription sent to pharmacy

Day 5 Called pharmacy to check ...no prescription

Tried to call doctors constantly engaged

Pharmacist chased up with doctors

Doctors called to say prescription had not been signed by doctor and hadn’t been been sent

Requested urgent follow up for doc to sign and why had I rec text to say had been sent receptionist was dismissive and would not confirm this would be done urgently.

15.03pm five days later still waiting

Called pharmacy prescription still not through

Called doctors 3 times constantly engaged then got through and held with no response

I still don’t have my prescription at 16.55

Called doctors at 17.01 engaged . Called again held for 10 mins with no signs of response .

Doctors have a duty of care and this surgery is failing miserably . This isn’t about resources available it is about attitude and communication

Being told they can't do it as a Government directive, so even less inclined to believe Government hype that the NHS is open , apparently only if you have selective conditions. 24 calls to surgery to get through, 48 minutes on hold before actually speaking to a person.

I tried to call Tuesday to get an appointment, in excess of 200+ calls to get through. I tried e-consult which told me i needed to see a dr. Couldn’t get through, emailed the surgery, got a phone call back, was told I already have an appointment for Friday, to which I explained that this was a different more pressing issue, offered an appointment for that afternoon with a nurse, I then got a phone call back earlier than anticipated, wasn’t impressed, just told to take pain relief and come back in a few days if no better. I have ongoing issues with lupus.
Wednesday I started having some chest pains in the afternoon which I was sure was heartburn, but given o take medication to prevent this I was a little concerned. Couldn’t get through, in the end i called 111 who couldn’t give me an appointment until after hours. I tried the drs again, finally getting through to the queueing system at 5.40pm, by 6.25 I finally gave up as I know the surgery closed at 6pm. Still no appointment.
I have asked many times over the last month about when I can expect to get my flu vaccine. I have been told that won’t be until November. Friends in other parts of the country who are also vulnerable and under 65 have received their flu jab. Other patients under 65 have posted on local Facebook page about having had their flu jab, I am still waiting for my invite.
I am losing all confidence in being able to get a reliable support given my ongoing health conditions.
I have also been in the surgery with my daughter and needed to speak with my regular dr, I asked at reception to be told I need to call up, despite being in the building. As I walked away i was then told that the dr I wanted to speak with wasn’t available anyway! Not the service I expect as I walk away.
I have also witnessed receptionists refuse to help someone as she wasn’t wearing a face mask despite telling them she was exempt.

All of our local go surgeries have closed down and ternt into vet practices. The two remaining surgeries. Maridian and Rowe have now merged and since then no one can get an appointment there are over 20 patients and the drs quality of care has dropped dramatically.

Can take over 100 plus calls to not get a busy tone and when you do get through you’re on hold for ages again, when you finally speak to someone most of the time apt have gone. The reception and telephone staff are great, but obviously very stretched and over worked and probably deal with abuse that’s out of their control. Having 1 GP practice for the population size is ridiculous. Things have got significantly worse since the merger and what I can guessing is a havens GP network collaboration. This has to be addressed as a matter of urgency or else people will fall through the cracks and it will impact patient care- especially for the elderly or vulnerable who don’t have access to e consult S1 etc and also for the welfare of the practice reception staff.