The Grove Medical Group - Newcastle upon Tyne

Rosamund P.

I have been grateful for decades of excellent medical care at the Grove for my family and me. I find the triage system erratic & frustrating. For the 2 appointments I have needed in the last 12 months I have been unable to get through various filters on perhaps 25 attempts, then suddenly yesterday, as once before, everything worked perfectly. I am only writing this to refute being told by a receptionist that everyone was using this system and having no problems - so not everyone is problem-free. The care provided is very good.

Angela D.

Doctors themselves are great. I haven’t had to book too many appointments but even they’ve been ok although I hate the fact that I’m given a date and time which I often have to rearrange as I work full time. My complaint is with my repeat prescription. One of them has been taken off my record and now for the 3rd time in about 4 months I’ve had to ask for my prescription twice. For some reason the first time I ask whether on the prescription line or online, they just ignore my request. This time it’s been 8 days since I first asked and my medication has finished. I hoped I would be ok giving the surgery a week. I’ve asked twice more and I’m giving it 24 hours. It should not be this difficult now to get your repeat prescription you’ve been taking for years without problems previously

Richard A.

I’ve been using the grove medical group for over 30 years and have never had a problem getting an appointment.
I called today as I have a chest infection and just wanted to pop in and have a quick consultation to get some antibiotics. I have been told that I can no longer book any appointments over the phone, I have to fill out an online form and the doctor will decide if and when I’m allowed an appointment. On the top of this I had a snooty receptionist telling me is if it my fault didn’t know and that they have been running this way for the past year and a half. I’m sorry that I’m not unwell often enough to know.
Used to be a great doctors and I would proudly say that I have had the same doctor for life however it has been going down hill for a while and sadly I do think that will no longer continue to use their services.
No wonder A&E times are so long if you can’t even manage to make an appointment at your local GP

Michelle R.

I told the receptionist I wasn't happy with using the website, however she asked me the questions over the phone. I was told the Dr would look at my self diagnosis and let me know if it warranted an appointment. About an half hour later by text which only gave me a link to book my appointment.. So in two weeks time I'll see a GP. Practice has gone down hill over the years.

Raz

Registered myself and my 2 boys with them, every time book appointment via their website, always been some different doctors, never seen my own GP for last 2 years. We gonna move to different GP practices, The Grove medical is total joke(and rubbish)

Chris

Relatively new to this practice but the booking system and triage is by far the most efficient I've had at any GP.

After 111 recommended I see a GP, they contacted the practice along with my own online request and I had an appointment an hour later.

All staff I have encountered are friendly and informative.

Nigel B.

Used to be a superior practise, until they they updated there services, now you cannot get through on the phones, unless you are willing to hold on indefinitely, some days you get a recorded message telling you they cannot take any more queries because they are so busy with enquiries, (which is very strange given that they are asking for NEW PATIENTS on the Grove website?.

Anyway, if you do manage to speak to a human being on the telephone, you still cannot get an appointment, or if you do you will have to go online and submit an e-form and then wait for a text which will then give you a website link to go online and book and appointment yourself, again, no human interaction, you have to do everything yourself, apparently they say this is to make things easier for the patients.

Then when you log into the online link it tells you there are no appointments for the forthcoming 2-3 weeks?

Dealing with the practise is totally exhausting and the service and quality of care you receive is now appalling, it’s a disgrace.

I am very able and IT literate, however many patients are not, and I do not know how some patients will be able to navigate this system, it’s so time consuming and laborious.

The care seems to have gone and no one now-a-day’s wants to see a patient face-face.

It seems that this practise will do everything it possibly can to avoid seeing patients in person, face to face, now you practically have to self diagnose yourself, do everything yourself online, become text message savvy, and be prepared to have every communication with this practise via electronic means.

If this is progress, then god help us.

Emma S.

I have had bad experiences with some of the GP’s at the practice to the point of being nervous to speak to them about any health problems, but I had to today. I had a lovely Dr called Dr Moxley who rang me and really made me feel at ease and was so professional and seemed genuinely concerned. Has really restored my faith in the practice.
They have a new triage system where you have to request a call with a GP on their online system. Luckily I was called quite quickly about my problem.
Also can’t fault the nurses there, they are normally short staffed but so lovely every time I go.