Station Road Surgery

I have a learning disability and they see me quickly. They check on the phone what it's about and they give me an appointment.
I am independent but need support with prescriptions and that happens here and at Sowerby Bridge Pharmacy.
I use the website as I find that easier than waiting on the phone to sort prescriptions.

1) The appointment booking system is abysmal, you are directed to an online form which rarely works. If you call they refuse to acknowledge you.
2) They responded to a request about tonsilitus with a text message having never spoken to the patient, who was pregnant. The message contained no actual medical care.
3) I had to threaten them with complaints to NHS England and point out that I am a doctor myself before they gave a call back.
4) They assume non medically trained members of the public are capable of performing diagnostic medicine with no consultation.

I frankly think the practice should be disolved.

Had a medical issue so registered an E-consult report at 8am on the day after the Christmas break. My GP phoned me at 9.30am, discussed the issue, agreed a treatment programme and I collected a prescription in the afternoon. Absolutely brilliant.

Waiting for a call back. 6 hours later.

All went very well. Waiting area OK, lass giving the vaccination seemed quite competent and polite. Very little waiting beforehand. Advised, correctly to, wait in the surgery for 10 minutes afterwards.

Took my father here last week, as he is a registered patient. Nightmare. Rude and uninterested receptionist. I then had to explain to her how the nominated pharmacy thing works for prescriptions as she couldn't get her head around the concept of it being sent electronically to them. The two people in the queue in front also were getting annoyed at her incompetence so I know it can't just be me. Thankfully convinced my father to change surgeries.

Several issues concern me:

1) Extremely difficult to make an appointment and waiting for a call to be answered is extraordinarily long. Once your call is answered the attitude of staff is appalling. As previous reviewers have noted, you think you've finally booked an appointment with a GP only to turn up and find out you've got an appointment with the Practice Nurse, even with over a weeks notice.
2) The Practice Nurse does not listen, do any follow-up and/or cancels appointments after tests have been taken.
3) Long-term and persistent health problems (over 5 years in this instance) are not fully assessed, treatment is constantly delayed and/or ignored. In my case, all referral requests have been denied.
4) Staff are dismissive and will talk over you when you try to explain health concerns. They just don't listen which means health problems become significantly worse over time, especially without adequate treatment.
5) Their NHS Choices review page has been altered from 2 to 4 stars, and from 53 to 4 comments, hence the increase in rating. All previous comments have been deleted, which is not a true reflection of the quality of care they're providing (considering just 43% of patients would recommend the surgery according to NHS Choices).

I am desperately trying to find another surgery who might take my concerns seriously or at least attempt to undertake follow up work.

Over the last 6 months I have had the need to visit a doctor twice as I an a fit , tolerable person and just get on with things , now the first time I wished to see Dr Sowden over a personal matter as I felt I wanted to discuss my problem with him . I was told by the male receptionist I had to ring first thing in the morning to get an appointment 48 hours later but only on certain days . Now anyone who has tried calling this shambles will understand that 30 minutes of your life will have gone and you still wont get the time you want, so I never went .
The 2nd time was Tuesday the 8th of November , I had felt ill for days and now could not breath due to chest pain, I work directly behind the surgery so walked across out of breath into an empty waiting area and the same obnoxious receptionist behind the counter. I asked if I could please see a doctor as I could not get my breath and felt terrible , he said our first appointment is Tuesday the 22nd , To which I said "what f*****g good is that and left, I went home to bed at which point my wife rang the surgery and stated her concern for my health . They said a doctor would call me back .
Well its now 16.45 on the 10th of November and guess what ? Correct no callback!!!
Just to make this clear I think that this surgery is not fit to be providing heathcare to the Sowerby Bridge public

For a long time the service at the surgery has been below standard but since the flood in December 2015 it is now totally non-existent. You cannot get an appointment when you need, one you get fobbed off with triage by phone if they call you back at all and everything is blamed on the flood. 5 months on there should be systems in place to ensure vulnerable patients receive the care they need.
as an insulin dependant diabetic I should be able to speak to a GP or get an appointment when I need one without having to go through the 'guard-dog' receptionist who has no right to demand to know why I want an appointment, or to be triaged over the phone. How can you accurately diagnose a patient without seeing them? PLus many times I have asked for an appointment with the Dr and when I turn up I found out they have given me an appointment with the nurse. If I wanted an appointment with the nurse I would have asked for one! Will be putting a complaint in to the Practice Manager and looking for an alternative GP.