City centre GP surgery branded Derby’s worst
Patients say it can take days to get an appointment
A CITY GP surgery has been branded Derby’s “worst” after a slew of one-star reviews on Google and the NHS website.
Horizon Healthcare in Burton Road, Derby, has a 1.6 star rating on Google – the lowest in the city.
The practice has failed to score higher than a one-star review on the NHS website since March.
One patient claimed that they phoned the surgery 85 times for an appointment before giving up.
They said: “How hard is it to get an appointment? 85 attempts to call today and always engaged. No queuing system and a website that tells you it’s two days for a reply. It’s just awful.”
Another said: “If you can’t phone in 100 times and hold the line for an hour at 8am it doesn’t matter what you have, you aren’t going to see a doctor.
“I have a major mental health issue that I have asked for a referral and a job that means I work eight to
I have been with this practice for 62 years and never has it been so difficult to book an appointment. Patient
five each day so cannot call at 8am. As a result of this, I have given up seeking diagnosis for possible lymphoma, TMJ, and a number of other mental health issues as there is literally no time to call in.”
A lifelong resident said: “It’s with much sadness that I write this review. I have been with this practice for 62 years and never has it been so difficult to book an appointment.
“I rang at 8am this morning, I waited listening to the same three messages every minute. We are not stupid – hearing the messages two or three times would be more than enough! “After 35 minutes someone answered and put the phone down before I got [a] chance to speak. It took me another hour to get through and when they finally answered there were no appointments left. When I explained what had happened on my first phone call I was still refused an appointment.”
A patient at Horizon Healthcare told the Derby Telegraph: “As a result of its abysmal appointment booking system I have given up on seeking a diagnosis for a number of mental and physical issues because I simply could not spend an hour on the phone at 8am as I work and I have been given no other options to seek care.”
The Derby Telegraph has asked Horizon Healthcare for comment.
■ Are you happy with your GP? Email newsdesk@derbytelegraph. co.uk