The Elmham Surgery - Dereham

Nightclub People

Wouldn’t it be encouraging to imagine staff entering a caring profession to…..care. Our experience with Elmham Surgery has proven, on the few occasions we’ve asked for kindness, support and expertise that it’s impossible to receive any kind of meaningful treatment. Telephones that go unanswered, impossible to see a GP (you may have the opportunity to see a nurse or receive a call), belligerent & obnoxious pharmacist, a pharmacy that only accepts calls for 3 hours a day and closes for 2 hours across each and every lunchtime….the very hours it’s convenient for most of the working population to visit! Frontline staff seem poorly trained and under motivated which clearly is a result of exceptionally poor management. Many of the local residents have resorted to spending their hard earned savings on private treatment as Elmham Surgery is not fit for purpose.

Joanna Varela-Hughes

On ringing Elmham for an appointment at 8.30 there is a message telling you to refer to the website. On checking the website it tells you for a same day appointment to ring at 10.00am. At 10.00am I rang and was number 10 is the queue which was great. When I spoke to the receptionist I was told I needed to book an appointment online.... I explained that the website said to ring at 10.00. I was told no I need to complete the online form and they hope to get back to me same day.
On going back to the website it states not to complete the form if you need a same day appointment and they would respond in 48 hours. This has to be the worst appointment system ever. I feel it will be another walk in centre stop for my son again.

Lizzie Millard-Killgallon

The new online triage system is awful and not fit for purpose; it is hard to navigate and truly outrageous to ask a person to fill in an online form in order for a chance to have a face to face or telephone appointment with an appropriate clinician. I agree with triage of course, but it is unsafe for the person who is unwell not to be heard to speak and have the opportunity to ask open questions.

Employing more clerical staff to support the general public would be more appropriate? Where is the safeguarding? When and how was this agreed?

I have had face to face appointments in the past and once you lift the veil of the red-tape, the staff are rather lovely but my concern and 2 star review still stand.

People will die if they continue with this ridiculous online system - I do not recommend joining this practice and I hope the partners see sense over finance which I doubt they will.

Peter Vokes

Biggest problem is getting an appointment, especially if you work. Appointments (by phone) can only be made after 10am which is utterly useless if you have a job! Online booking is hopeless, takes 48 hours to get a reply (if you're lucky) and even then that doesn't guarantee an appointment! The whole system seems geared up to making it as difficult as possible to see a nurse/doctor. If you are a pensioner, retired or lucky enough to have all the time in the world to spare, it'll probably work for you. But if you have a family and a full time job, forget it. I'm afraid this surgery is (organisationally) broken.

Rory S

Getting a doctors appointment here is like trying to find the Holy Grail! I wait in a phone queue for over 20 minutes to be told the only appointments available are for emergencies and they don’t have any routine doctors appointments available. Was told I need to call back another time when some might be available. Very frustrating! I understand that some issues are more urgent and critical, but how do they know the pain in my abdomen that stops me from sleeping isn’t serious enough to need urgent attention?

James Peeling

I phoned for an appointment after suffering chest palpitations and fainting and they refused to give me an appointment. This despite previously going down there with similar symptoms and my Dr telling me to go down if it happened again. Getting past the rude and unhelpful receptionists is probably the biggest issue at North Elmham surgery.

Peter Ketteringham

If I could give less than one I would. Phoned pharmacy and after 40 mins wait still nobody answered. Phoned reception who couldn't get through either. Suggested I try Swanton Morley. Phoned SM and answered immediately but couldn't help. So will try again tomorrow. This surgery is absolutely hopeless and I don't think any of the staff actually care about the service or responses they give. Each time I call their objective seems to be to get rid of you asap.

Ross

I don’t normally post reviews. The care here is great - if you can see a doctor. The staff are amazing. The surgery has no resources and is proof of how little the NHS as an organisation cares.

Massive phone queues. If you phone them they say it’s emergency only. The next phone line says if it’s an emergency not to go to them and go to A and E instead. The people try their best but there has been ‘no doctors appointments available’ since I tried to get one in January. They tell me they’re fully booked up for the next three weeks to a month every time.

I have no other choice of surgery or GP. I can’t afford private. If you can I would highly highly recommend going private just to get access to care as the NHS makes it impossible for the staff in this area to deliver care. Which is a shame as the staff are amazing.