Garden Lane Medical Centre - Chester

Brian

Disappointed that I was treated 3 weeks and 3 days late for SSHL (sudden sensory hearing loss) which should of been a medical emergency. I went here 3 times and to Chester hospital e&a was diagnosed late because I mentioned SSHL on my 4th time seeing the doctor. Please educate your doctors on SSHL. If not treated within a week, chances of recovery is slim. Please don't allow the same mistake to happen to another customer . Hearing loss is awful.

Caitlin B.

I started going to this GP in September and at first it seemed fairly good as I managed to get a Saturday out-of-hours appointment when I had quite nasty tonsillitis. However, the antibiotics they prescribed me turned out to not even be for tonsillitis, but instead for a chest infection so I had to get another appointment (which was very hard!) and suffer with my illness for another week.

The second time I needed major help from my GP I was feeling extremely ill and exhausted to the point were I had to leave my work shift early, so I woke up to call them at 8am, as they tell you to do, to book an appointment. After getting through the couple minute long spiel which you cannot skip, instead of being added to a queue it had just hung up. And this wasn't the first time this had happened. I had to call 5 times to even be added to the queue, and it felt so hopeless and exhausting. I was lying in pain crying and stressing about even getting through. This appointment went well, I was given antibiotics for an infection I had and told to rest as I also had a viral infection. The next day I woke up with a painful swollen eye, so I called again as it seemed to be getting worse. They sent me to a pharmacy to get it checked out instead of giving me an appointment only for me to get there and be told the pharmacy can't deal with swellings and to go back to my GP. Only then they gave me an appointment. I was very ill, in pain and tired so having to be bounced around to get any help was awful. When I got to the appointment, they looked at my eye and said they didnt really know why it was happening and to come back if it got significantly worse.
You have to put in so much effort to get such a low-level of care here, and after that last experience and the many other unsuccessful attempts to be seen I am not going back, and cannot discourage you enough to avoid this GP practice.

Amanda K.

Been with this surgery for 24 years & had the best care & compassion. Since all the main gps have left it’s changed drastically. I can only chat with one gp & reception make it difficult for me to get an appointment and when they do it’s at 8am where I can’t possibly attend as I’m a carer for my very poorly husband who also refuses to go with his heart conditions after being made and felt small by dr fisher. The official ce manager Miranda really needs to learn how to speak to vulnerable people and just people in general before cutting you up mid sentence & correcting you on how you address a gps name. Since Iv been a patient I was always introduced by first name which is on the board. I was soon corrected in such an abrupt manor and was told the gp I wanted too see wasn’t available Tuesday when I was told Friday she was & the gp is aware that I will only speak with her. I hadn’t finished what I needed regarding the medicine manager and my call was ended. I had to ring back, and asked if I could ring to get an appointment with my go Tuesday if I ring at 8am & yes I could baring in mind Miranda the office manager said no or an 8am appointment on Thursday, i suffer with anxiety, panic disorder and agoraphobia so o struggle to leave my home without someone with me, so I asked for a phone instead, no is the response. It’s mayhem & the distress of some receptionist is real. Most are lovely. My gp wanted me to see her, I won’t chat to anyone else they don’t listen. Since David Nicholson & Susan Meachim have left there’s no faith in the medical centre which is sad & upsetting. My poor husband was treated terribly by dr fisher, he’s has serious heart conditions, heart failure, out of breath and can’t make the stairs, so it took him longer with a stick to get up there, to be welcomed with wondered what took you so long! A doctor always came down to see him and with water. A medication that he takes can make sensitive areas get sore and need treatment, dr fisher looked and said it’s not as red as you said and it’s not an std!!!! Absolutely appalling, my husband sleeps in a hospital bed in the living area as the bathroom is downstairs, he has had a triple heart bypass, stents and a difibrilator & cannot do very much. We are looking at other options now, my psychologist also wrote too them about my medication and also assessments to be done and Iv heard nothing. Never did I think it would get like this, people need compassion, empathy and to be taken seriously. Il be sorry to leave but the whole experience is traumatic. Go elsewhere, find a good surgery!!

Kevin R.

Contacted surgery this morning Xmas eve.
Given appointment 1.5hrs later. Fantastic service.

Jodi C.

I tried to tell a GP that I had a long term patient doctor relationship with I felt something was wrong with my heart, she asked me what drugs I was on and said don't come to see me again. She did apologise a few weeks later. When I saw another GP she referred me for a scan and found after ending up from a possible cancer biopsy (benign fortunately) of the lung, having a sudden cardiac arrest during the procedure and abnormal ECG. I was later diagnosed with genetic heart defect. I feel some doctors care, but now many don't want to see me because they are ore concerned for their careers than my wellbeing.

Wait times are 3 weeks just to get the all clear to start medication following pre med ecg, never any appointments, total joke, one receptionist is really rude too
This surgery used to be excellent but now there is only two or three doctors I can trust to see, some have absolutely no compassion and an aversion to any risk to themselves. Receptionists are nice, but don't always make the best decisions when booking appointments, with nurse triage the default.

I have an issue with Dr Fisher and have put him on the list of doctors I refuse to see as he seems to not want to see anyone who has anything complex condition wise, or risk prescribing, and left to to the medicine manager to deny the request. Then a year later, rescheduled an appointment regarding anti-depressants to another GP 9 minutes later on the same day. Completely selfish horrible GP. Just because I have a condition that is risky to prescribe for - requiring about five appointments which I was prepared for and patient about, but also Dr Fisher made me feel sick regarding the way he shuffled me out again, also the reception sent me to a nurse first when its obvious the surgery would need an ECG and information from Liverpool heart and chest before they could risk prescribing.

Dr Jane Buck and Dr Ali and one or two others, one who probably doesn't want to see me any more who had good knowledge of my record, are the only GP's left who seem to have some compassion, of the doctors who have been there some time.

I can't risk going elsewhere as my record is complex and it will probably be as bad, and I have nerve damage to my legs as I was was in VF for 24 minutes in the countess, and cannot risk not getting medication for this.

Andy C.

A male doctor at this surgery misdiagnosed me on a friday.by the following Tuesday I was rushed to a&e with high fever and recieved emergency surgery the following day.i have since tried to use the Dr involved only to discover my patient records have been falsified making solicitor drop case.this was just one incident it would be bad enuff but I have also been prescribed medications for one condition which made another condition I was being treated for much worse.
Unfortunately this is my local GP practice and the one I'm forced to use

J P.

Called in today to have my routine bloods taken. I was seen by Gaynor Evans I have to say she was amazing friendly put me at ease as each time I have my bloods it is very difficult to be taken. For Gaynor Evans today no problem. I felt no pain and bloods were taken with ease.Thank you Gaynor for your excellent service and kindness. Regards Janet

That G.

Had a phone appointment for 9am, had a missed call at 8.05, rang back and had to sit through the intro of around a minute (only for it to hang up as too many people were in the queue). Finally was put in the queue as position 15! Waited for around 25 minutes, the receptionist told me very clipped that the times they give are approximate so I should stay available (I mean WHAT? Could you imagine that in any other service providing industry?) Told me they might ring back and hung up! Mental!!! Weirdly enough, one of the better interactions I've had with this GPs, avoid at all costs, they are a shambles. Also, Dr Fisher should have his licence revoked, my husband who has played rugby all of his life went in with severe back pain, he was told by 'dr' Fisher that he just had a "flabby" back and just needed to exercise...he was later rushed into hospital and transferred for emergency back surgery due to a bulging disc and a slipped disc, they said that he could have been paralysed for leaving it. He needs to be completely removed from medicine as he is a liability and will end up killing someone, if he hasn't already.