York Medical Group

You can't book appointments online out of hours. You have no help to do this even in hours or in surgery, they only point you to a screen.

Currently a 6+ week waiting for an appointment - the online triage is simply not fit for purpose and a one condition per appointment policy that makes no sense - you could be dead before you're seen.

Today I found out that they have blocked full access to my medical records, which I have been reading for years

You're encouraged to request an appointment through the online Klinik system and are warned that non-urgent appointments may have a wait of several weeks. Whilst that kind of wait time is disappointing, at least your expectations are managed. After requesting the appointment, I did indeed have to wait several weeks before a booking came through. The booking confirmation came via text, with the text ominously ending "If the appointment is still not suitable please cancel and resubmit". It's this that really upset me: after waiting for 6 or 7 weeks, the possibility of having to start they whole process again and wait for a further 6 weeks is pretty devastating. I have a very understanding employer, but had to make complex arrangements to rearrange meetings, take time off work and travel to the appointment. The in-surgery experience was OK. The doctor was terrific. The surgery is an assault on the senses though: there are signs and posters *everywhere*, and I found it extremely difficult to know which instructions to follow and how to check in once I arrived.

My phone does not have video calling but they keep insisting you must contact Push Doctor plus I do not want strangers having my medical info, there is no privacy, no duty of care just pound signs and ageism disgusting! When it was Minster Health it was fantastic then sold their soul to YMG horrible, soulless, uncaring no continuity of care. Can take upto 50 minutes for the phone to be answered KLINIK is absurd! Call centre lovely people but the rest horrible just don't get old! I cannot give any stars at all I am afraid Recorded message saying 451 appointments not kept same message last 8 months just don't believe it!! Find better doctors this is a business not a caring practice! Avoid at all costs if you value your health.

An appointment request - made in the only practically possible way through their online app - 6 weeks ago for investigation of non-trivial symptoms has had no response whatsover. It is understood that some staff will be involved with the COVID vaccination program. But at the same time as they are closing sites through lack of staff, the private company of which they are part owners - Nimbuscare Ltd - is using GP practice staff and recruiting new people at inflated rates of pay to undertake lucrative NHS contracts.

Had been struggling to arrange a flu jab for my family member who has learning disabilities and epilepsy. Most places only offered drop in which would not work for them as they struggle with waiting. I submitted a KLINIK form on Thursday to see if they could help. I got a call the next day offering an appointment at the flu clinic at Tower Court next day. The clinic was quick and efficient.

What a waste of time! There are other illnesses not just covid yet this surgery is obsessed and loving the fact they can use covid as an excuse for not doing their job!

Although I know COVID has affected NHS/GP services, the response time for patient enquiries is now (from 25th October 2021) upto 4 weeks for routine enquiries (look on the YMG website for patient news). Response times haven't been particularly quick for a few years now, but I think 4 weeks is unacceptable and the VOY Commissioning group ought to do something about it.

Almost impossible to access and substandard / unsafe when you do manage to get access.

Submitted a request via Clinik at 0600, was worried by vague promise of speaking to someone in 24 hours but I was called before 0900, face to face appointment at 1000, prescription ready to pick up by 1100. 24 hours later I seem to be recovering nicely

Reception staff untrained, no knowledge of their own systems. It is nearly impossible to communicate with them or get any healthcare. It has taken me months to register as a patient and I still have not got access to any services and have run out of my regular medication. Effectively they are excluding people from NHS services.

I'm not a technophobe - I work in IT as a computer programmer, so I have no problem with online systems when they work properly. But these simply don't. I used the Klinik system to contact my surgery and received a link for Push Doctor (after a week). However, after going onto the Push Doctor site, it told me that it wasn't an emergency and I needed to contact my GP. But my GP surgery insists I go through Klinik and Push Doctor. Following their procedures, I'm stuck in a Kafkaesque loop. Eventually I contacted the surgery and managed to get a direct appointment via text. This just said someone would ring me but that was two days ago and no-one has. I've really come to the conclusion that this surgery hates patients and is deliberately looking for systems that keep them away altogether.

It is difficult to get someone to answer the phone but the "new" website contact for help is further time wasting. I used to abandon my place in telephone queue as the last time I managed to get through it took 55 minutes to move from position 7 to position 1. I used the clinic online set up but you basically have to enter so many details and are then told you will receive a response within 5 days. I ended up at urgent care.

You can't book a non- urgent appointment until 10am. Phoned every day this week at 10am exactly. By the time you get through the voice system, all the slots have gone. What's going on with primary healthcare?

The phone lines are almost impossible to navigate, the holding times are far too long and the recorded messages are extremely off-putting. I appreciate that the practice will be under additional pressure at the moment, but to actively deter patient contact seems wrong and potentially dangerous. I should add, however, that once I managed to get through, all of the staff I dealt with were amazing.

The postnatal care I have received during the Covid pandemic has been almost non-existent. Whilst I understand the restrictions that are place and the need to minimise face to face contact, there is still a minimum level of care that should be expected I don't feel this is being provided by York Medical Group.

I needed same day appointment. This was first time I needed to do this since they changed the system for urgent care. It was difficult to find out the new system - I eventually found the detail by following a link to the newsletter from the news page. The Appointment tab took me straight to online bookings. I rang within the specified times, and after queuing for 15 minutes got through. I was assessed, and then given an appointment for later in the day. The person I saw was very thorough, taking time to explain things and talk about next steps as well as dispensing the medication I needed.

They always try and fit you in for a appointment and listen to you.

The Tower Gate practise is very efficient and nothing is too much for them all.

I have been with this surgery for a number of years after my previous one closed. I have quite a number of long-term health conditions so it was important to me that it should be close by but also had at least one doctor I felt I could really get on with plus helpful receptionists, all of which were met by this surgery. It has a quite active patient participation group which is helpful. I have visited one of the practice nurses quite regularly because I am insulin controlled diabetic and have always found her helpful and encouraging. I think the one thing I find difficult is that 1 or 2 of the consulting rooms are upstairs and although there is a lift I cannot manage it on my own (I use a walking frame which if I have to hold onto with both hands at all times because of a very poor sense of balance) so if my husband is not with me, I have to ask a member of staff to come with me which does not help my sense of independence.

I have been denied medical attention by a senior GP at this surgery. I rang the duty doctor because I was extremely poorly and unable to even leave bed. I asked for a home visit as the symptoms were extremely worrying. A home visit was denied to me on the grounds that I have the diagnosis of M.E. and thus was deemed well enough to go to the surgery. I was left without any medical treatment. I complained to the surgery and got a very dismissive letter back claiming that I was simply not willing to attend surgery, that I was well enough to do so and that I should refer to the Ombudsman if I wasn't happy with that reply. No attempt was ever made to resolve the issue or reassure that I won't be denied medical care in the future.

Routine and emergency care excellent. Unless it is an emergency, can usually be seen by one's chosen GP or practice nurse. Lovely receptionists. Concerns about the recent mergers appear to be unfounded and they have not impacted adversely on patient care.