Westgate Practice Reviews Summary

Appointment Booking System

Pros:

• "Receptionist helped me straight away find someone else who could help."
• "Received a call back a week later where the receptionist had continued to follow up and rang me to update me."
• "Always managed to get an appointment with the doctor on the same day as required."
• "I called at 12 and was only in a phone queue of 5 people, I was offered a same day phone appointment."

Cons:

• "Booking appointment is not at all dealt with with any empathy, kindness or understanding."
• "This morning I have tried to get through to be able to book an appointment for my 19 month old daughter and after 175 attempts from 7:58am onwards, it is now 8:30am and I still can’t get anything but a busy tone."
• "On several occasions I have honestly attempted to call in excess of 150 times at 8 a.m, as you are instructed to do, only to finally get through and be told all appointments gone, try again at 12."
• "Appointments are put online at 7pm for the following morning. I have never had an issue with securing one."

Staff Professionalism and Support

Pros:

• "I’ve been at this doctors a number of times and have found them so helpful especially with my children."
• "Friendly, efficient GP surgery & given the present situations in the NHS, the staff ALL do their best."
• "Great practice. They may suffer the same pressures as any practice, but be assured if your doctor is running late, it's probably because they're doing their job properly, which is what I love about the doctors there."
• "The staff are always very helpful. I’ve been at wastage since I was born and I’m now 19 and never ever had an issue."

Cons:

• "The nurses display a lack of professionalism, which is very bothersome."
• "Routinely short and sharp and won't lift a finger to help or go out of their way."
• "Absolutely unhelpful and downright rude."
• "Reception staff ATROCIOUS!!! So rude.. lazy.. have no sense of patient care."

Effectiveness of Treatment and Care

Pros:

• "The competence and friendliness of the clinical staff is what makes this three stars."
• "The doctor I met today was warm, kind and very nice."
• "Whole team at Westgate is fantastic. The doctors take time to discuss things with you, the nurses are brilliant."
• "Great surgey with very knowledgeable doctors. I can personally say I've never had a problem getting through on phones."

Cons:

• "I had a really difficult time last year with a skin condition which affects my feet that I developed during pregnancy that caused me debilitating pain while trying to take care of a newborn and received such little support."
• "Doctors treating patients like something on a conveyor belt.. nurses are always great.."
• "These people have left my wife to get progressively more sick over the course of 9 years."
• "Almost impossible to get an appointment with a doctor. Phones so busy at opening time that you have to keep redialing and by the time you get through all available appointments are gone."