Giggs Hill Surgery

i saw 3 doctors at Giggs Hill over a few months in 2016, each time getting more severe headaches, neck pain , unable to walk straight and severely dizzy. i had been sent for an ENT check after the first appointment, but this came back as no problem and even though my symptoms were getting worse and i was barely able to move from my bed to the sofa each day - & despite asking for a referral to a Neurologist- the drs were reassured by my results and refused my request. i had to have a X-ray and take painkillers instead! on my final appointment i gave the dr a list of my symptoms and asked if they were linked to 'a brain tumour, MS, Chiari Malformation ..' and was told it was very unlikely, but she would refer me to neurology. the appointment came through for almost 2 months later and so whilst waiting and still getting worse almost by the day .. my parents paid for a private MRI scan. which showed a 3cm brain tumour needing URGENT removal!! my cerebellum was also protruding - meaning i had Chiari and why i had the symptoms of it getting worse when i strained or sneezed etc. and in fact i had given the GP a symptom list of both a brain tumour and Chairi Malformation..! I had brain surgery a week before i would have even seen the neurologist via the GP... After the operation they then refused to remove my 40 staples (even with 5 days notice- the most i could give as only just left hospital) then had a 'significant event analysis meeting' about my case but managed to not complete the correct medical form they should have done, nor take ANY notes (i asked for these after) - the only record was the letter they had sent me (not answering many questions) - written 2 weeks after the meeting date. i don't know how this practise hasn't been closed down or strongly reviewed for patient safety

all staff very helpful

I attended for my appointment only to find that I was entered incorrectly for end of March , whereas my appointment should have been for mid February. After having waited for nearly 5/6 weeks for a doctors appointment. They made a mistake at reception but kindly rectified the error and allowed me to see the doctor due to a cancellation on the same date. I had an Ultrasound for kidneys and liver . The results came up negative. However having had a repeat ultrasound at Kingston Hospital, it showed I had several cysts on various organs including ovaries. So the clinics ultrasound was a BAD one and had I not persisted in having a repeat I may have had something more serious.

This is a two site practice with Glenlyn Medical Centre. Reception staff are helpful and doctors pleasant, although not always of the highest calibre. The frequent turnover is alarming, although somewhat better than it was. A normal wait for an appointment is 5 weeks and has been for a few years, but you can book an emergency appointment on the day.You can wait a very long time on the phone before speaking to a receptionist at Glenlyn, although calls are answered in sequence. The message on the phone at Glenlyn is, rather dangerously, completely inaudible, and, although, many people have complained about it over the last year or so, nothing has been done. For some inexplicable reason all appointments are booked for the same time, rather like it was in the 1950s and you just have to wait - sometimes for a very long time. This is a two site practice and the emergency appointments take place several miles from where most patients live. I don't know why the emergency appointments don't take place in the nearest practice which is much larger and has more waiting rooms and better facilities. One feels it has all been organised for the benefit of the doctors rather than the patients. Most patients are thoroughly dissatisfied with the practice, the appointment waiting times, the two site arrangement and the frequent turnover of doctors.

You either turn up to a 2 hour allocated time slot if you call up in the morning. Or you book an appointment 4 weeks in advance. For many people including me this is very impracticable and meant delay in treatment as I was not poorly to take time off work. You should be able to book specific times for same day appointments just like the other surgeries I have been to. Thanks!

I had attempted to book the well promoted 'Health Check' option several times and well in advance so I could arrange around my working day/week. Each time I called Giggs Hill and eventually got through I was told that either the booking calendar was not open or the health professional conducting the surgery was not available - each time I was asked to call back, this I found extremely frustrating and unprofessional - why promote a service you're unable to provide?? I persisted and eventually over a period of about six weeks I managed to secure an appointment for my 'Health Check'. At last I was starting to regain my faith in Giggs Hill Surgery - After being so good for so long they have clearly lost their way badly in the last eighteen months or so. Inconsistent service and a real disregard for customer service -so very disappointing. I need not have worried as true to, recent, form I got a call on the day of my 'Health Check' and only a couple of hours before my appointment time to cancel. Great!! as I had planned my appointments and meetings that week to accommodate this appointment. Needless to say I was far from happy as my whole working day and week had been disrupted. I didn't want to have to go through the task of calling for another appointment so I secured a second appointment there and then for today - 19th October at 3pm. This time I thought for sure I would get my 'Health Check' - I called Giggs Hill Surgery this morning around 10am to confirm all was good to go, I was confident as the receptionist did in fact confirm that my 'Health Check' appointment was in place for 3pm this afternoon - Fabulous I was happy that I would finally get seen. My heart sank when sadly a call came from Giggs Hill a couple of hours later with apologies that again my appointment would be cancelled as the lady conducting the checks would not be available. I wasn't really offered an alternative - as unfortunately it appears the 'Health Check' service will no longer be available from the end of October ??? I realise this is not an emergency appointment - however this style of consultation is definitely preventative - and should be recognised as possible early intervention and an invaluable resource particularly for a surgery that appears not to pay attention to or value its patients. Well done Giggs Hill - you never fail to disappoint but I so wish I was wrong.

Got referred from Glenlyn Medical Centre as they were not able to provide any appointment. It took 25 minutes just to get to the receptionist in a queue of 3! The receptionist should prioritise her work, clear the queue then help patients to book new appointment. The place was clean and parking was easy. I saw Ms Lauren Heldsinger, who is an advance nurse practitioner, not on the list of GPs. She was good, willing to listen and discuss her finding, so that we can agree on a way forward. She was as good as the GPs I have seen.